In Defense of Death

Quite literally. 

This is most recognizably a piece of procrastination artwork. 

It all started while I was reviewing my ethics notes on the subject of cloning...

It seems that some people want to use cloning as a way to defeat aging and to gain immortality. 

C'mon humanity!

Part of what defines us as human beings is the fact that we die. This is a good thing. We need a healthy relationship with death. Alas, our Enlightenment movement away from the mystery in our lives has caught us in a net of fear of dying. We are both fascinated by death, as portrayed by our television shows and our movies. Yet, we shun the idea of death in our own lives, believing that it will not come to us, that it will quietly pass us by as simply as we fail to acknowledge death in our language of people passing away...

Death brings us a lot of pain and sorrow. Death brings us face to face with our experience of time. We would not be so worried about time if we weren't so busy trying to cram everything in before we die. But death also allows us to acknowledge how much we love someone by how much we miss them when they are not in our lives anymore. Death clears space in our lives for new things. We would not get spring without death. We would not get new friendships without death. (By estimate of William Least Heat Moon, a human being meets another 100,000 human beings in their life. How could we keep track of all those human beings if we didn't experience some kind of death in relationships?) each day we shed almost a million dead cells making way for new, energized, cells keeping our lives going. Death keeps our love and laughter in perspective. 

Plenty of novels have been written where immortal characters wish for the change of death, the release, the relief. Plenty of novels have explored the possibility of a culture of immortal beings. The ones I have read seem to show that in such a situation, culture stagnates. Those beings lose any sense of urgency which would motivate them to change. Death rejuvenates us. 

Without death, as a Christian, I have no hope of being united with God. I do not long for death, but I do want to have a healthy appreciation for what it has done for me and this world. 

Without death, we could not be part of the circle of life.

I Don't Think That Word Means What You Think It Means...

Recently, I came across a list claiming to describe successful people. I agreed with most of the items listed and they were things that I am continuously trying to be and achieve, so I wrote them down as a reminder. A few days after, in a conversation with Yoda, I brought up this list. While she agreed that the items on the list were good things to live by, she didn't agree with the "success" label put on them.

Before that conversation, I've never officially looked up success in the dictionary. To me, it was one of those words that could be defined on an individual basis. However, I've never really thought about the implications of this concept of words being defined on an individual basis. It could be chaos! Or at least lead to confusion and misunderstanding.

Of course we looked up success in the dictionary, and I can tell you, I didn't like what I read:

suc·cess [suhk-ses]
noun
1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors
4. a person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.

First off, I suppose I should say (and I would hope that at least a few people agree so that I don't feel so silly), that while I felt the definition of success varied from person to person, the connotation that the word exudes was always positive. More than positive, like an adjective that everyone (or close to it) works towards their whole lives to define themselves as. So when I read the definition of success with the feeling of what the word implies, it saddened me because it does not describe at all what I work towards in my everyday life. It also worried me that this was the definition for many people and would end up being what they felt most important.

Therefore, we have decided to begin a campaign to change the definition of success. We are still in the planning stages, but we will keep you informed here. Let us know what you think the definition of success should be and what the word means to you.

Soft, White, Fluffy, Sugary, Delightful, Delectable...

Marshmallows!
I made mint flavored marshmallows.
I am going to have a sugar high all week.
I used Alton Brown's homemade marshmallow recipe with peppermint extract instead of vanilla. (I ran out of vanilla while making peanut butter cookies last week. Darn.)

In other news,
Phew!
We have started our fall break.
Thank God!
I need to breathe.
And do a lot of work.

To offer some follow up on the last few blog posts: The first batch of pickles did not turn out so well. However, I was given a recipe from my grandmother which turned out wonderfully! The pickled beet making went deliciously well also, but I didn't make enough and I am already down to one jar left. The half marathon was kicked and while I did not complete it under my goal time, I was really close.

Some things are changing around this blog. I have decided not to yoke my fair friend Sonic with the eclectic Episcopalian leader that I am on the verge of becoming and am starting a new site where such things as sermons, communion wafers, and other spiritual things will be found. I hope this will work out for the best for both of us. Never fear! I will still be old enough to know better but too young to care. ;)

Pickled Beets, Lentil Flour, and a Half Marathon

I have to thank a friend for introducing me to her pickled beets this week. They were so delicious. Sweet, spicy, and melt in your mouth, even somewhat nutritious! Unfortunately, she opened their last jar for me to taste them. Which just means there will be pickled beet canning coming up. I am looking forward to adding them to my meals.

In other kitchen news, I bought eight pounds of lentil flour without having a single recipe which uses lentil flour. Its terribly saddening that I am going to have to spend a good amount of time looking through cook books and cooking websites to find recipes which use lentil flour - not! I relish the challenge!

Ooo, lentil bread, lentil crackers... whoa! peanut butter cookies! I will have to try those. Whoa, whoa! Even a 5-min chocolate mug cake recipe with lentil flour, jackpot!

Lastly, I am running 13.1 miles this weekend. For some annoying reason, if you tell people you are running a half marathon or a 10k or whatever, they think you are running a race far away with hundreds of people.

However, since there are no races of that distance in my area this weekend or any near by weekends, I'm running 13.1 miles myself and counting it as if I am doing a half marathon,
which technically I am.
So there.
After this run, I'm going to diversify my workouts and try something easier... like a sprint triathlon!

Anyway, I'm starting at 10am CDT and should finish around noon, so if you would like to cheer me on, please let me know. I'll give you the start/finish line and the route.

Perhaps someone can stand before the finish line and play the Rocky theme or Eye of the Tiger :)

Coping Mechanisms, Or How to Stay Afloat When Your Boat is Upside Down

Emotional upheaval sucks.

Whether a death, a break up, a move, an accident, or just some strong emotional event or change, coping with yourself and daily life afterwards can be a seriously hard endeavor. 

One of the things that I learned while working in a behavioral health unit at a hospital is that using negative coping methods after experiencing large life events can get you in a lot of trouble. (We all know what negative coping methods look like, but just in case you are playing dumb, drinking large amounts of alcohol after bad days is a negative coping method.)

So, now that my boat seems to have flipped upside down far out to sea, I've been looking into coping methods so that I don't just tread water near the site of the accident but get back to shore and start rebuilding. 

Here are a bunch of ones I have learned and some of which I am currently doing:

• Exercising regularly
• Eating regularly 
• Sleeping - which is sometimes really hard
• Praying - After all, I am an Episcopal seminarian
• Writing - pain seems to make me into a poet, and writing out how you honestly feel is cathartic 
• Replacement therapy - which is usually used for those addicted to nicotine, but in my case involves holding a rock instead of my phone
• Art therapy - working on art projects 
• Treating yourself with kindness and gentleness
• Setting straight what you can control in your life
• Baking - I usually do a lot of this one. And speaking of which, the pickles from the last post worked, but they do not quite taste as I was expecting them to taste. I think I am going to make another batch with a different recipe.

While looking up some new ways to keep swimming instead of treading water, I found the University of Minnesota's 101 Strategies For Coping With Stress page. 

Swimming in deep waters is not a new sport. Humans have been dealing with being thrown in the deep end for ages. While swimming in deep water really only means you can't touch the ground, it don't mean you can't enjoy the waters. It just takes a little more effort. 

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

Simply Pickled to Meet You

In the wake of emotional upheaval,
I usually cook.
So... look out!
There will be some cooking adventures coming up.

The first is making my own pickles.
This summer I read this great article in the NYTimes about how pickles are very easy and simple to make at home, and really only takes three ingredients: cucumbers, water, and salt.

So I said to myself, I like pickles. I have water and salt. I can get some cucumbers. I have a few (maybe too many) empty glass jars. I too can make pickles!

Yesterday, I put all three ingredients in the jar as shown, and, as the article says, after a day the water has gotten a little cloudy. I am excited about this science experiment and am looking forward to my simple pickles. Perhaps if they are good, I'll get a little fancy with my next batch. ;)

This next week will be a busy one for me, as we are welcoming the incoming student to the seminary, so hopefully I will be back soon to tell you how the pickles turn out.

Summer Bliss

Well, I'm not quite in the throes of summer bliss, but it has been quite the wonderful summer nevertheless.

I also haven't made any more Jewish food. I have gathered some good recipes that I can make, but I haven't managed to make any of them yet. But with the help of some great donors, I have made it past my halfway mark on fundraising! (which you can see: http://www.gofundme.com/to-the-Holy-Land)

I have also been retweeted by Episcopal Cafe which made my day recently.

And I am very grateful for my coach and love, Latro, for helping me run in the heat. We ran a 10K last Sunday, so now I have been in a 5K, 10K, and 15K. I am almost able to say that I have run 365 miles in 365 days (I have 26 miles in 26 days left to go). Latro and his parents have given me running clothes, running shoes, a hat, a belt, and loads of encouragement. Its almost like being sponsored! ;) I never would have been able to start running regularly without Latro and despite its pain and frustration (and the days that I hate it), I am very glad that I have been running. It has been very helpful for my lungs, my thinking, and my prayer life. It has refocused and energized me many days when I have been carrying too much around.

And some days there is certainly plenty to carry around. But, I must go study Greek... γ ι v ω σ κ ε ι ς ;

Shalom!

Grain Free Hamantaschen!

As part of my preparation for my trip to Israel, I am going to be making more gluten, dairy, soy free Jewish food. Today started the food journey off with hamantaschen! 

Hamantaschen is a dessert made for the festival of Purim, which was celebrated in February this year. The festival is a time of celebration, especially commemorating the foiled plot of Haman in the Persian Empire against the Jews during their exile from Israel. Thus, the Hebrew Bible book of Esther is read during the holiday. Despite being a few months behind in my Jewish holiday celebrations, my Hebrew Bible reading class is currently reading and translating the book of Esther, so hamantaschen is particularly appropriate!

The recipe I made was from Edible Harmony. Unfortunately my hamantaschen did not quite turn out as smooth as the pictures. I realized after I started that I used almond meal instead of almond flour. However, they are still delicious and I was able to use my homemade strawberry jam in the middle!

I am also thoroughly enjoying eating the hamantaschen because they look like little tri-cornered hats. If you understand that, try it out. And don't forget to sing My Hat Has Three Corners in German and do the hat dance while you are at it. ;)

Lastly, until I complete my fundraising, I am going to add the donation link to every blog post. 

Have a good day and be wary of those in tri-cornered hats!

Israel Date Update

We have a date!
For the trip to Israel.
Don't get too excited,
its a year away.

But, if anticipation and planning make the trip better, we will have an awesome trip! And it will be one of the best seminary graduation gifts ever. A trip to the Holy Land.

Thankfully, this means that I have time to fundraise, so watch out.
This means, I have time to learn some modern Hebrew, so listen up.
This means, I have time to figure out what and how I am going to eat, so get ready to drool.

We are going to have quite the anticipatory year! Its going to involve nice cards, cool languages, and delicious food.
Shalom!

Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Next year in Jerusalem!

I have big news!
I received a partial scholarship to go study in...
you guessed it!
Jerusalem!
Boy, you are smart! ;)

I recently received word that this gluten, dairy, soy free voyager will be allowed to study at St. George's College in Jerusalem. I will be taking a two week class on the Palestine of Jesus. It basically is a tour of the places in and around Jerusalem where Jesus was in the gospels. I am totally excited about this opportunity to learn about the area and to let the land enliven my experience of the Good News Story. I am also thrilled to be able to expand my knowledge and use of my Hebrew skills. I will have more news about this in the future (ie. more blog posts!), since we are in the beginning stages of planning.

Also, while I have been given a partial scholarship, I am still in need of money to cover the air fare and some travel expenses. If you would like to donate to my journey and education, please visit my fundraising site: Donations! I will be doing some other fundraising as well, and I can almost guarantee postcards.

A Thought About Communion

I am writing a class paper on the history and use of wheat bread and grape wine as communion elements. Obviously, I keep thinking about communion and Eucharist, so I wrote this little poem.

simple bread and wine
bought in any bakery
made with any hands
juice and grain from any land

simple blessing words
everyday and normal, thank you
we ask, we take, we give
words in every language

simple working people
full of fear and confusion
having motives and dreams
people feeling unfulfilled

simple table
carved of wood
or stone or plastic synthetics
all solid remembrance

simple yet every moment special
every glint off special dishes
saturates our words and blessings
turning common into sacred

Good Friday, Bus Rides, and Immigration

I read two articles on this last day for me. It is Good Friday, the day Christians remember Jesus' death.
The first article was about a study done on the youth of London who have been given free bus cards. Apparently two social groups, the 12-18 year olds and people over 60 have been given free bus passes in London. There have been two studies, one on the older group and one on the younger group in order to see how the free transportation has changed the lives of the groups. Both studies seem to report positively, the youth are showing more signs of independence, feelings of belonging to London, and social connection. The article suggested that free bus passes be taken off the list of things which could be cut in budget cuts because of the numerous benefits.
The second article I read this morning was about the language used in immigration debates. I am not surprised to find out that the language used in immigration debates has consequences for people at the time and farther down the road. To quote an old play, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Even though we know how much language defines our worlds and reality, we forget how much it can hurt us. I think the language used in the leaked Obama bill of 'legal prospective immigrant' definitely puts a positive spin on the situation. I think the situation could use more positivity and compassion. The language has been very negative and very divisive so far. Hopefully, the language can be turned around to be more inclusive and not make the real problem look like someone else's problem. Most of us in the United States are descendants of immigrants anyway.

Invisibility and Ice

I read two articles today. I am trying to get lots of science in before my Lent practice is done. Obviously, I don't have to stop when Lent is over, but I won't be doing this every day. (Speaking of Lent, can you believe that Francis Perkins won Lent Madness? I can't. Totally was not one of the people I picked to go all the way through. I am glad to have learned about her and her work and I am glad that she has been recognized, but I am thoroughly surprised.)

The first article I read was about the summer melt season in Antarctica. If you haven't learned by now, Antarctica is really high on my place I want to go list. Unfortunately, the temperature is increasing in Antarctica which is causing more of the snow and ice to melt during the summer season. I would love to look at the scientific computer models they use to show the extent and implications of this extra water, alas. I do think that everyone should change their habits to be more green so that we can take better care of our planet. I have started a few things, composting, saving cold water from the shower before it gets warm, turning everything off in my house before I leave, riding my bike or car pooling as much as I can, etc. There are more things that can easily be done, I just don't know of all of them at the moment. What do you do to help the environment?

The second article I read today was about using something called a metascreen to cloak objects from microwaves. This is new and cool for two reasons. First, this technique is much thinner than other invisibility techniques, and second, the technique cloaks the object better than previous techniques. The metascreen is made out of copper and polycarbonate film in a certain pattern in order to have the waves bouncing off of the cloaking material cancel each other out. Pretty nifty, huh? Someday, Harry Potter will not be the only one with an invisibility cloak! 

Protein, Penguins, and People, Spy Wednesday's Three P's

Today is Spy Wednesday for Lent Madness! Do not miss it!
The first article I read today is about how protein rich breakfasts can cut down on snacking later in the day. I think this is great research to help people make better food choices. I don't usually have a protein rich breakfast. One of the things that lots of gluten free and or paleo people do is have whatever they want for breakfast, obviously not including grains. I have pretty much always been a cereal girl and have eaten cereal for breakfast most of my life. I have thought about changing my habits since going gluten free, but there is a time issue in the mornings many times. Also, most normal sausage patties or links are not soy free for some reason and so I cannot buy the easy to make breakfast meats.
The second article I read today was about how four different kinds of penguins used to live in Africa instead of just the one species that lives there now. I am very interested in penguins, so I had to read the article. The reason is linked to changing sea water levels by the scientists studying the fossils and not humans. However, the scientist do point out that humans have made the remaining penguin population decline by over fishing of the penguin's natural food source and by oil spills in that region. I hope that humans can work towards managing the area and the fishing better to protect the ecosystem in which penguins live! Penguins!
The third article I read today was about how women make better decisions than men. Of course, once you read the titles of all the articles I read today, you know exactly why I had to read three of them. I wasn't just trying to make you read more here. Though I do promote that as well! Come and read and comment! Now, back to the article. Apparently this is in the situation of women board leaders in charge of corporations instead of men. Having women as leaders is better for the health of the company, despite traditional understandings that men are better. The professors who did this study said that women only account for 9% of board directors "despite evidence showing that their presence has been linked to better organizational performance, higher rates of return, more effective risk management and even lower rates of bankruptcy." Who doesn't like the sound of that? I am definitely all for a higher percentage of women board directors and women's rights and respect across the board. Being that I am a woman, I do have a tendency to think that collaboration with everyone is more likely to make better decisions and have better outcomes.
The three P's of today: protein, penguins, and people! Do not forget any of them ;)

Two Heads are Better than One

I doubt that evolution will find that two heads per person or animal is better, however, apparently nature is trying it out. The article I read this morning was about a bull shark with two heads. The shark was found in 2011 and can be obviously seen to have two heads. However, scientists have been doing tests to determine if it just has two heads or if it is conjoined twins. I am not really sure how that can be discovered exactly, but it seems that they are now sure about the first. Things which have two heads, usually cartoon characters, always remind me of Douglas Adams' Zaphod Beeblebronx. He had two heads and it made for some interesting conversations. Granted, Zaphod was really strange in general and there was really no helping him. He was also President of the Universe and its definitely not a job anyone actually wants.

All oddities aside, I do that collaboration is very helpful in many situation. Having someone around to bounce ideas off of and listen to me helps me cope with all the stuff going on in my life. Good luck today!

Monday Computer Models

I think it is really cool that scientists are using computer models and simulations to learn more about cell part functions. I do not remember learning about integrins in science class, but if most scientists do not understand how they work, that is not really surprising. I doubt teachers like to teach things they do not understand. I am not a teacher though. I think the vast majority of researchers out there are doing some impressive things and most of the world will not ever know about their work. However, there are vast amounts of people out there doing other kinds of important work that no one will ever know about. I think the anonymous nature of humanity is rather unfortunate. We cannot know everyone and yet everyone is worth knowing in some capacity. Part of my problem with philosophical arguments about what we can know and how we can know is that I believe reality needs to include all the other people. I do not think we should argue that our realities only are made up of what we know when I don't believe that is true. I may be confusing things at the moment, but it is a Monday morning. I would so much rather be in bed or doing nothing. However, neither would I want to miss today's classes on Christology, the Future tense of Spanish, and translating part of the book of Esther from Hebrew. So off to school I go...

What is your favorite scientific computer model?

No! That's my water!

Water Security
The article on science blog the last few days about water security highlights the fact that international work on global water security cannot really be done without some real and agreed upon definition of what water security is. The UN has proposed the following definition in hopes to begin work on water security and include water security to be a large focus on the Sustainable Development Goals which will succeed the Millennium Development Goals when they finish in 2015. “The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of and acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.”
Water security, and insecurity, is something which I have long wondered about. My personal political conflict expert, my grad student boyfriend, has told me that water is not the basis for any conflict in the political sphere. However, I have always thought, meaning someone/thing told me a long time ago, that water was something political conflict was around. The article states, "Water insecurity, therefore, leads to cascading political, social, economic and environmental consequences, the brief says." The brief being what the UN-Water people put out. The article also cites the Pacific Institute's Water Project which has been studying water security and political conflict since the 80's. I am curious where my Latro is getting his research on water and conflict and will have to ask him. 

What do you think? Do water resources incite conflict? 

Wait, Men and Women are different...?

Yes!

The answer is yes!

In so many, many, diverse ways!

We have different chemical constructions, we have different neurological tendencies, we have different body structures, we have a tendency to like different things, we even get sick differently.

That was the moral of today's article entitled Men and Women Get Sick In Different Ways. Very straight forward. However, in the medical world, its not very straight forward. The first major disease which I knew affected men and women differently was heart disease because of the differences in signs of a heart attack. It is interesting that most medical studies are done on men. Perhaps studies ought to be done on women as well. I would guess that with different chemical make ups, diseases respond differently in each environment and that the body will respond to disease and treatment differently. That's just my guess. I could be wrong.

And even though men and women seem to love differently, we can all love. And everyone is better off with a little love. Especially when they are sick. Here's a little love.

Ngram Fun!

I read an interesting article for a book fan today. It is about how the expression in literature has decreased in the last century. Even more so because it reminded me of the Google Books Ngram Viewer which is a lot of fun to play around with.
Like this. The usage of Yoda and sonic in English literature since the 1800s. Obviously sonic wins out because it is a adjective.
However, if we just look at where it is used as a noun, we get this. Sonic the Hedgehog isn't as well used as Yoda (though then I realized I was using sonic and not Sonic, so I adjusted for that and got this. Darn). I really wonder what the discussion about Yoda around 1910 was...

Also interesting that despite the rise of the nones in religion talk, the use of the word atheism has gone down since 1800.
For my Latro, Big Data is definitely on the rise. For some of my classmates, women modifying priest, being talked about in literature since the 1800s. Boo-yah! And lunch is on the rise!

[And here is where I sneakily 'accidentally' turn off my internet because otherwise I will be playing on Ngrams all night... which doesn't win out against day...]

Sleep! It helps you learn!

'“The study demonstrates that sleep restores performance and makes learning robust against interference encountered after sleep. This process is critical to the formation and stability of long-term memories,” Nusbaum said.'
The study about which the article speaks is about sleep in starlings helping them form memories and learn better. However, the article seems to think that studying the starling ability helps us understand our own ability. Thus the idea that humans learn better when they include sleep to help consolidate their memories of what they learned. All night cramming will not help you for a test, learning some during the day and then sleeping with help you more. Granted, if you have no time to learn anything, sleeping may not help as much as if you had, but being awake during the test after being up all night won't help you either. Anyway, as you can tell, I am biased towards getting good sleep everyday in order to retain what I have learned and being able to work with that knowledge the next day. A good sleep always seems to make a day better! Emphasis not really needed on the good adjective in that sentence. Bad sleep doesn't help that much. Sleep! Rest! Enjoy your daily death practice! (Such a good Lenten consideration. Think about it. Sadly we go to sleep much more willingly than death but they are similar in nature.)

Texting Can Cause Stress and the Death Star Conspiracy

Long distance relationships are hard enough without having to be in war jobs. I cannot imagine being in a long distance relationship with your whole family and being in the armed forces. I bet soldiers and others think that they are helping by texting and emailing and so forth and in some cases they are probably doing a better job of being present to their families than previous generations had been. However, I know first hand about the miscommunication which can happen as a result of just seeing words on a screen without the inflection and the tone in which they are said. I hope that whatever guidelines psychologists come up with, soldiers and families can find better ways of being present to each other without causing extra stress.


In some very serious news, a video was released which showed that the Death Star destruction may have been helped by an inside man. The inside man. The evidence is quite good. You might be convinced.

Lenten Stingrays and Tectonic Plates!

I read two articles this morning. I am having a slight problem focusing, just fyi.

The first was about the stingrays in Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. Apparently lots of people visit the stingrays and pet and feed them. Some researchers have found that this is messing with normal stingray behavior. Instead, all the human activity is changing the stingrays into domesticated herd animals from their lone night ranger standard. Just another way humanity is changing the world in which we live. Given the popularity of the stingrays, I bet humanity does not want to hurt the animals. I wonder, does stingray behavior change in zoos?

The second article was about the plates under California. I once read a book about geology. And yes, that's about all the knowledge I have of that study. Well, a little bit more about the study of geology in Turkey considering that when I went to Turkey it was on a joint geology and religious studies trip. We did more religious studies than geology, but we did talk about the volcanoes in the area and the way they had changed the landscape. It seems that geologist have made a few discovery about the plates under California. I wonder if this means California will break off sooner or later than current thinking. We might actually not want California to do so since they grow so much food and wine. One of the ultimate wait and see scenarios!

In case you were wondering, Lent is almost over. This Sunday is Palm Sunday and then Easter is a week behind. This coming Monday is Passover for the Jewish tradition as well. I do not think I will continue to write about science everyday. However, I do think I will continue to blog more regularly and to talk more about science. I have all the best intentions!

Veritaserum and Authenticity

"The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth..."

How many people out there believe this exists?
It would seem to me that the truth is way too complicated to be able to share the whole thing. I mean the movement of atoms, the rotation of the stars, the movement of people, consequences, cause and effect, all working at the same time, not to mention human variability. How could you untangle the whole truth about something without leaving out anything?

As a Christian, I believe that truth lies with God. Not that we cannot see it or know some of it, but the whole truth lies with God. Of course, that is not going to stop any scientist looking for a protection against lies, but I am not always so sure we would want a world without lies. Human beings can be very harsh without our lies. I think the author of the article, was very correct in asserting that if an accurate truth drug were to be found, there would be some ethical grey areas to be tackled by the legal and ethical communities, and hopefully together.

Perhaps, humanity just needs to work on being more authentic. I will give it a try. 

St. Patrick's Day Chemicals

http://scienceblog.com/61298/video-the-chemistry-of-alcohol-and-hangovers-bytesize-scienceacs/

I really just looked at this article for two reasons.
First, it was the only new one up since yesterday.
Second, because I didn't know that the American Chemical Society has a website for their videos called Byte Sized Science and I think that is an awesome name. Lots of ancient religions thought that names had power, and in the information overload some of us live in, having a good name is essential.

I know first hand two of the powers of alcohol problems, dehydration and being 'allergic' to some of the ingredients. There are witnesses to the only real beer I ever drank, a Bud Light Lime, and it was not pretty. Although if you are into burping the ABCs, I could have bested you that night. Dehydration gets me all the time from other activities, so I can't really say that that is surprising. The video does have some nice pictures though.

Eating Good Food Makes You Feel Good!

While logically, the article I read showed the opposite, that eating bad food makes you feel bad and does not mean my title is true by deduction, my personal life story is evidence enough for me. I suggest eating good food. Good as in good tasting, good for you, and good for the environment. It does exist, I promise.

I read this article today: http://scienceblog.com/61294/unhealthy-eating-can-make-a-bad-mood-worse/ for multiple reasons against the interesting and saddening articles about MRSE and plastic in the oceans. The first is I am a foodie and love to talk about food. Second, I know personally how bad food can worsen a girl's self image cycle. Third, it was collected and given by Penn State researchers and I am currently in their neck of the woods. I am very glad that such realities are being scientifically researched. Humanity, at least the American portions of it, are just making life worse for themselves by the food, sleep, drinking, and working choices that they make. At least, at is my opinion. My suggestion: eat good food. It may cost a bit more, but you will be healthier, you will like yourself better, and you will feel better. What's not to like in that scenario?

More Olive Oil!

http://scienceblog.com/61239/olive-oil-the-key-to-feeling-full/

I really liked olive oil. I was very interested when I learned about the olive oil industry on my birthday last week. Now I am even more a fan since I learned today that the smell of olive oil helps you feel sated. Yes, I probably will try my own experiment on how sated I feel after meals with and without olive oil in the future. However, since my time with my handsome Latro is coming to a close for a while, home experiments will have to wait.

As much as I love food science, I really dislike the food science which disables me from eating many things. My celebration of St. Patrick's day this year will be cut back since I cannot buy a corned beef brisket anywhere without detrimental soybean oil on it. Thus, someday soon I will be delving into the experimental world of corning my own brisket. Should be interesting. Stay tuned.

For the next episode of Experimental Science Religion Food Wonders! ;)

A Teensy-Weensy Tidbit about the LHC

Have you ever played Scribblenauts? One of my favorite things to call upon was the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Yes, I might be a geek. Just maybe. The article I read today was about the presentation of the data and findings at a conference today of last years exploration for the Higgs boson particle. It is interesting that the scientists cannot 100% say that what they found is the Higgs boson particle, but that it has so far conformed to the understanding of what a Higgs boson particle would do/be. I do not know much about the classification of particles discussed in the article. I do think it is cool also that they are not sure what model of physics this particle will uphold with its behavior. The scientific method at work! Most of my uses of the scientific method these days involve food. One such example was my gluten free communion wafer testing party recently. I am writing an article about that now, so hopefully I will be able to put it up soon (or if I get lucky, a link to where it is elsewhere...). 

Toy Story, Kangaroos, and American Religion

http://scienceblog.com/61109/what-kangaroos-can-tell-us-about-walking-upright/

http://scienceblog.com/61101/americans-and-religion-increasingly-parting-ways-new-survey-shows/

There a way too many cool sounding articles on scienceblog. I am not sure what the difference in hind leg structure of bipedals versus quadrupedals will tell us, other than they are different because the forces are different. However, I do know that statistics about Americans and religion are not big news anymore. The more interesting question there is why?

However, the most interesting of the evening is an unanswered hole from the Toy Story Trilogy: who poisoned the water hole?

And why? Anyone know?

Burnout and CHD or Sabbath? I'll choose Sabbath

The article suggests that people at the top of the burnout scale are also much higher at risk for Coronary Heart Disease. The life style that creates job burnout also seems to create heart disease. That is terrible. I am glad that the article has some suggestions both for ways to avoid burnout and coronary heart disease. I have been conscientious to try to make sure that I work in exercise, eating healthily, and getting enough sleep into my lifestyle, but I certainly do not get enough rest and prayer as I should. I don't think I am at risk for job burnout at the moment, but it is a problem for some priests. The passage I read today from the Bible was from Jeremiah. He was telling the Israelites of Judah and Jerusalem that they need to keep the sabbath day or otherwise God will destroy the land. It seems kind of round about, but over work of the land because of overwork of the people would lead to destruction of the land. The consequences are a bit more dire in the prophesy, but the Israelites at the time had a lot to contend with during the post-exilic period. No matter who you are, you should take time to rest, relax, and be connected with your self, your family, and your community.

Another interesting article which I read today was about a triple quasar system. That is cool!

Dinner Guests -- Round 2.2

Finally! The next installment of the dinner guests tournament. Here I will narrow down the left side of the bracket. Here's what it looks like now:

And my picks:

Wash vs. the 10th Doctor
Wow, this is tough. Even as I write this, I'm not 100% sure who to pick. I've only seen the modern Doctor Who, but #10 is my favorite of the three I've been exposed to. Plus, having a time lord present at your dinner party would make for quite the night. There's also the potential for a TARDIS ride... That said, I choose Wash as he is one of my all time favorite characters, and he has his own pretty impressive space ship. Also, I don't think I could ever get enough of this.

Professor McGonagall vs. Hermione
This one wasn't quite as tough as the first one in this round, but I still hate to see a beloved character go. I choose Hermione here, mostly because I could see us being good friends, even if she can be a bit bossy.

Fred Weasley vs. Troy Barnes
Two of the funniest men in the tournament toe to toe here. Therefore, I'll have to go with the one that can perform magic (sorry Troy, the Dreamatorium doesn't count).

Legolas vs. River Song
No offense to Legolas, but this is probably the easiest one this round. River Song is quite the character and will probably make at the least a decent run in this tournament.

Gus vs. Peach
While Peach is one of my favorite Finding Nemo characters, Gus takes it here, as long as he drives the blueberry.

Stormy vs. Jack
This is tough because I'd like to see Jack go farther in this tournament, but Stormy is such an interesting character in her own right. Also, since it's past my bedtime I'm not feeling too adventurous, so hanging out with Jack doesn't sound quite as appealing as it might otherwise.

Arya vs. Holmes
Another toughy! Again, I hate to see such a beloved character go, but I have to go with Holmes here. It would be amusing to listen to his thought process, and maybe even learn a thing or two!

Marvin vs. Early
The deciding factor here is mostly that Marvin would probably depress the entire party.

So there you have it! Here's the bracket with the latest picks filled in:

Even Mummies have diseases!

The science article today is about how mummies have atherosclerotic vascular disease as well. That is when your arteries clog up and get hard. It causes heart attacks, strokes, and other deadly symptoms. I do not know much about it. I know that I saw a bunch of patients in the hospital this past summer with it. I saw a man have one of his arteries cleaned by surgery this summer because he had, and was in danger of having more, strokes. I am glad that someone thought to check how long this disease has been going on by looking at mummies. Lots of things can be blamed on lifestyle and diet, but if this kind of problem is actually naturally part of the aging process, then it can be looked at and monitored differently. I looked up the definition of disease and was surprised. I always thought that disease meant something that you contracted, not something that was naturally part of you. While I will have to think about the definition of disease a little bit more, I know I do not agree that every disease is abnormal. Some 'diseases' are quite normal. They are just another thing that makes us a little bit different from each other. We are unique. 

Computer Competition!

http://cancerincytes.scienceblog.com/2013/03/09/using-computers-to-prevent-human-rights-violations/

For someone who is dating an international conflict stats graduate student and best friends with a computer programmer, this article seemed very intriguing. It seems it is more of an announcement of a competition. The competition is giving prizes for computer models and other things working to prevent mass genocide, rape, cleansing, and so forth. The mission is a very laudable one and we can hope that humanity can one day move away from ever wanting to try such things on each other. As a strong Christian, I believe that we should all work to love and be loyal to each other. In the terms of science, if we are all interconnected, then killing or hurting large populations will change you. Not really any way around that. And truly, what would your mother say?

The site of the challenge is here: http://thetechchallenge.org/

Musical Progressions

http://thinkingintermsof.scienceblog.com/2013/03/08/the-science-of-music-and-algorithms/

This article is really cool. I remember learning 'rules' of music composition in my eighth grade special music class. I cannot help but think of some of Isaac Asimov's stories when things like this come up. Some of his stories dealt with how humans would respond to the changes in ourselves with technology. Who knows what the future will bring.

We, those previously at headquarters, had a wonderful reunion today to celebrate the launching of a career of one of our members. It was awesome.

Life is Amazing

http://scienceblog.com/60944/institutional-betrayal-magnifies-post-trauma-effects-of-unwanted-sexual-activity/

Today is Friday. An ordinary Friday. However, it is amazing what can happen in a week.

Two cases as examples:
First, we all complain about institutions. Especially ones which we feel did us some harm or feel that they handled something incorrectly. How much more so for people who have suffered from sexual abuse or harassment in an institutional setting, like colleges, military, and so on. As humans, we walk a fine line of being responsible for ourselves and responsible for others which gets lost in the fog of control.

Second, my personal week. In the last week I have written a sermon, hosted a special dinner party, run a 15K race, given a sermon, taught an Adult Christian Ed class, gone to class despite the distraction of my boyfriend visiting, gotten officially a year older, driven through five different states, seen an old friend, failed a major test, and been given wonderful presents, all with the prospects of good old friends to visit and more interesting work to come.

How much love do you have in your week?

"You are the salt of the earth."

http://scienceblog.com/60860/excess-salt-may-drive-the-development-of-autoimmune-diseases/

Being a Celiac, I am very interested in autoimmune diseases. I doubt that salt was the major issue of my development of Celiac and other food issues, however I am glad to see that research is looking at the simple causes of health problems. My guess is that such environmental factors work with or against other factors. There are a lot of good articles on scienceblog today. On the religious side, look up where in the bible the title comes from. Good luck ;)

Olive Oil Video Wednesday

The article I read today was actually is a video about olive oil. It is really interesting to hear what they are doing to test olive oil and to see the quality of different types of olive oil. The industry does all sorts of things to try and increase sales but keep costs low. That does not always make for the best quality oil. Also, apparently olive oil should have a harvest date on it and that should be the date consumers look at when deciding which bottle of olive oil to purchase. Chemistry abounds in the food world. I think that is one reason I like cooking and baking so much is that it is usually tasty experimentation with different items. I do not have to write out my methods or ingredients, I can experiment and keep going in order to find the combination that I really like. http://thinkingintermsof.scienceblog.com/2013/03/04/avoiding-olive-oil-fraud/

Watching Brain Drain

The articles I read today were about how your brain gets tired while doing physical activity and shuts down the muscles and how researchers were able to tell who people were thinking about in an experiment given the personality traits given to the models. I think the second ability is quite impressive. I love learning about human brains, part of knowing myself. So effectively I can learn from this article that my brain processes people differently because of the personality traits that I perceive in them. I use different parts of my brain to think about different people. I am very glad that no one watches my brain, but I am glad that researchers are doing brain research. I wonder what else we can see in the brain images given by thinking. If I am thinking about a certain type of game, will that show up differently than other types of games? I bet it would, but I wonder how far that ability goes? Can we see how much of one personality trait is being thought about by the amount of activity in that location of the brain? How much can I really learn about myself in learning about my brain? Is neurology the same as psychology where people who study it go through stages of thinking that they have the latest problem they are learning about? There are definitely a few neurological and psychological problems that I do not have. What can you learn about your own brain from self testing and experimentation? 

Sports Statistics for the Win!

http://scienceblog.com/60747/how-numbers-can-reveal-hidden-truths-about-sports/

While growing up, I heard a lot about sports statistics from my brothers. They knew the stats of all their favorite players and one of my brothers would calculate statistics for his made up teams. So I am not surprised that many people with science and mathematics skills are researching better and more thorough ways to calculate what is really going on during different sporting events. I am not at all surprised to learn that environmental factors truly affect the way that field goals are made, but I am a little surprised that psychological factors do not seem to have anything to do with whether a field goal is made or not. I have read a little bit about the mind body connection and how we can make ourselves sick, stressed, happy, changing our emotional make ups which changes our performance in other situations. I am a little bit surprised to learn that in cold weather, field goals are more likely to succeed. I would think that normal temperatures, mid range I guess, would be better. I however, do not research this stuff, so I will take their word for it. I am curious how fast the sports statistics world will change in response to new information like this. I know they came out with a movie about the book Moneyball last year, but I haven't seen it. Perhaps someday. Mathematics in popular culture!

Trash, Cash, and Graph Laplacians

The articles I read today were really cool and very geeky. "Turning Trash into Cash... And Saving Energy" http://scienceblog.com/60743/turning-trash-into-cash-and-saving-energy/ is a must read for Sonic. I loved the line about the dorm refrigerator and the teddy bear humidifier. If that is not a cool sentence, I don't know what is. I do have an extra dorm refrigerator and a penguin humidifier, perhaps I could make myself a RecycleBot. I will have to look it up. The implications, as stated about people living in garbage dumps selling 3D printer plastic, are awesome and very practical. I do not buy plastic milk cartons since I do not buy real milk anymore, but I am sure that is not the only kind of plastic that can be recycled in this manner.
The second article I read today was highly mathematical and only for those who understand the phrases "numeric linear algebra" and "solving graph Laplacians." http://scienceblog.com/60745/new-technique-for-solving-graph-laplacians-has-big-implications/ If you don't understand those two, its not worth reading the article. Just know that the researchers at MIT are still doing their jobs in coming up with great theoretical ways of solving problems.

Saturday Volcanoes!

http://scienceblog.com/60741/volcano-aerosols-not-pollutants-tamped-down-recent-earth-warming/
Volcanoes are spewing sulfur dioxide, and while that stuff stinks, its actually helping the earth not warm as much as expected from global warming. This is not going to stop the warming effect of greenhouse gases from humans, but it is interesting that scientists were previously ignoring something as small as volcano eruptions in the total global climate calculations. Science brings us so many wonders of knowledge. Science has taught us that everything is interconnected literally through advanced physics and the climate everywhere shows this in its reactions to what is going on. I read a study once where Friday traffic in highly populated areas increase the chance of Sunday and Monday rain because of the pollutants in the air. That is local climate change. If traffic problems can change the weather, then I would think even small volcanic eruptions  could change the weather. Obviously most of us remember the large volcanic change to the weather caused by the eruption in Iceland a few years ago. As much as I understand the need to get rid of small factors and coefficients in large mathematics, some times those small factors can drastically change the mathematics. I love how many science problems come down to the mathematical principles or statistics in order to make sense.

The Magic of Gold

The article I read today was very cool. http://scienceblog.com/60728/how-gold-particles-dna-and-water-will-shape-future-of-medicine/ I didn't know how a home pregnancy test works, and the idea of being able to diagnose diseases with water, blood, and gold particles is so simple and cool. It does take a fair bit of work I would assume to set the procedure up so that the gold particles and the DNA-zyme solution works when it comes in contact with the water and blood. The article makes it seem so simple that I could buy some gold particles and mix them up with blood and water and see if I have malaria or cancer. However, the ability of the powder they are making could seriously help the doctors, nurses, and volunteers working in areas with high rates of health problems to more efficiently diagnose and help certain patients. I wonder how much gold this procedure takes and whether there would be any fall out from that. I doubt it, but you never know. It probably wouldn't do anyone any good in the medical test powder, and certainly not after it has been used to test someone for a disease.
If you haven't looked at any of the science blog pages that I have taken articles from, you totally should. There are so many interesting articles and things going on in science these days. Did you know also that there is a Society of Ordained Scientists? Perhaps someday I would be able to work with them. Although I am a mathematician by training. I wonder if there is a society for ordained mathematicians. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Ordained_Scientists and http://home.earthlink.net/~jjkeggi/SOSc/

Delusional Trust

http://scienceblog.com/60653/trust-makes-you-delusional-and-thats-not-all-bad/

This article seems funny to me. I have no doubts about this conclusion. How we look at the world is determined by how we remember other experiences and ideas. Trust is built over time and through certain kinds of situations. I am very glad that I trust my boyfriend and I am very glad that my trust can be a positive force in our relationship. It is funny though how we look at 'being delusional.' As if having a lens through which you view reality is a bad thing. We cannot get away from the lenses we use to view reality. We cannot comprehend reality without any lenses, we would not be able to assign any values to our experiences or feelings. I would not want a world in which I could not understand anything in any way. I may not always like the lenses which make me delusional, but I can work to change them when they make themselves known. I rather accept trust as a positive delusion. I do know that some day that may hurt me, but then it also may not. The uncertainty is probably worth the forgiveness and happiness which I have experienced in my life so far. I wonder what other value lens make us delusional by psychological standards. I would guess love also for sure. Love colors our worlds and makes us able to live with and accept other people despite lots of bad experiences. Those experiences matter less when you love another person in any way. I might rather have a kinder world in which we are all 'delusional' because of trust or love. How about you?

Have a Science Talk on Me

I like my Lenten study so much. Reading and reflecting on the science of the day has been a lot of fun and has given my mind some thing else to wrestle with. Today I read two articles. There are too many articles that I want to read and cannot keep up with them all. Neither were about scientific breakthroughs or cool scientific techniques or anything, but they were interesting and things that as someone in the religious world I need to think about. The first was about how we can use cancer as an analogy for social injustice in the world. I think that is a good analogy. http://cancerincytes.scienceblog.com/2013/02/26/the-cancer-that-is-social-injustice-2/ Apparently there is an institute looking at and helping healthcare needs of the products of social injustice. I don't know much about psychology, so I don't know if there is study about the creation of social injustice and what fuels people to tear other people down. Certainly, I do not know anyone that likes to be torn apart on a daily basis, so I don't know why we tear each other apart on a daily basis. I do understand that there is a lot of misplaced anger in the world because we cannot blame the real structures which create our suffering. And granted there are simple people who create suffering for others. Whether all such cases are products of structures which perpetuate social injustice, I cannot say. However, I can say that we need to take a careful look at the structures we employ to see if they are creating or maintaining social injustice. Then we need to do something about them to change them.
On a different note of Christian moral life, I also read an article about pushing the boundaries of science. http://thebrainbank.scienceblog.com/2013/02/25/pushing-scientific-boundaries-how-far-is-too-far/ It is interesting to me that the article talks about the motives driving the boundary pushing studies in order to judge whether they are acceptable. I am not sure how scientific boards which regulate such things determine what is pushing the boundaries and so forth, but I can say that I am glad the author did not take an end justifies the means approach. We cannot know where we will be in another hundred years and what we will accept as normal at that point. I am so looking forward to seeing what changes over the course of my life. As painful as the discussions about scientific boundaries has been and as painful as the discussions about public ethics and morals are, I am very glad that we have them. I do believe that talking through issues with people of differing opinions helps the general understanding. If you don't agree, talk to me about it. ;)

Uniqueness is Proveable

I don't know about you, but I love the xkcd comic. Even more I love his what if weekly blog where people send in questions and he searches for an answer and shows a bunch of the steps he took to find an answer. The ridiculous things that come up with physics and imagination. I wanted to write about it today because he uses some fun mathematics and also because I have been thinking about the phenomena of Twitter. The question today is "How many unique English tweets are possible? How long would it take for the population of the world to read them all out loud?" And to put the answer in perspective, he incorporates the old story about the bird sharpening its beak on a mountain and wearing the mountain down to show how long is a day of eternity. You may remember my own thoughts on eternity here last year. Eternity is heady stuff. The answer to the first question is effectively never. The calculation shows that it would take 'ten thousand eternal years' to read it all out loud. Long enough to get bored with it all. Although the creativity of humanity, and especially those speaking the English language, is just ludicrous enough for you perhaps not to get bored all that time. Yesterday in theology class we were talking about the image of God in humanity and how historically what is considered to be the image of God in humanity has changed through rationality, creativity, and community. I wondered, out loud even, if perhaps since God could be described as so many things, that every human has something different as the image of God within them. Interesting idea for theology perhaps. Apparently because of the definite article which has always been used in talking about the image of God, there can only be one thing amongst all of us. However, since the phrase comes from the Old Testament, I am going to look it up in Hebrew. Why does everyone have to be made in the same image of God? We are all very different people. I will have to think more about it. Uniqueness can be proven mathematically in some areas. I think it is amazing how we are all unique. 

Solar Power Baby!

The article I read was about a new kind of solar energy collection system. The system is based on different metals than most solar energy collection systems. I am always amazed at what we can find metals to do. When you learn about metal in grade school it doesn't seem so special. Its usually hard and sometimes shiny and it conducts electricity. However, that whole conducting electricity and energy is so special and widely used in our technology. This article is much more in depth and scientific than many others I have written about in the last week and a half, but it is good to stretch the brain. They have found a new way to have usable electrons which could split water molecules and not tarnish or harm the metal that was providing the electrons. That is rather great. The do say that it is fast becoming an efficient manner of collecting solar energy and that is really worth the cost. We need efficiency and clean solar energy and other types of alternative energy to help our future have a future. There is only so much energy in the oil and plant life on this earth, but there is a lot more energy in the every day processes that feed the earth.

 http://scienceblog.com/60546/a-whole-new-kind-of-solar-energy-technology/

Save the Water!

http://scienceblogs.com/significantfigures/index.php/2013/02/21/on-the-back-of-an-envelope-brush-your-teeth-but-turn-the-water-off/

This is a nice article for all those people who really wonder if turning off the faucet during teeth brushing would help the environment. I have never seen anyone do the math on the figure, but I am glad now that I have learned to turn the water off. I also never realized how fast and the pressure of sinks. A water flow of 2.5 gallons per minute seems so high! I couldn't imagine that a sink would fill a gallon in a minute, but here the figure is more than two gallons! I will have to test my sink for a minute with my five gallon bucket and see where it fills to. Simple science for determining the flow rate. I have thought about the excess water from showers and toilets and diets before, but I haven't seen the ideas that are in the comments there. I could easily save the cold water from the shower and use it in my toilet or for my fish tank or water my lawn (gasp! that was a joke, I don't really have a lawn and I certainly wouldn't ever water it). I am not sure how to make the laundry idea work with my washer, but I suppose I could find out some how. I could also just drink it. Its the same water that comes out of the other sinks. And its already cold!

What ways do you think you could save water?

PS. I timed my sink and in a minute it almost filled the bucket to 2 gallons. My pressure is not as high as the article's calculation says, but I do live on top of a plateau.

Easy Visual Science Saturday

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/02/22/friday-cephalopod-octophotography/

I read two articles today, however they both befit a Saturday in which I have already baked six different kinds of breads and crackers and run nine miles. Meaning of course that they are easy and cool reads. The first is really short article, but highly entertaining. The author of the article went sea diving and the octopus he was video taping stole his camera! The picture at the top is just one still frame from the video and I highly recommend watching the three minute octopus movie. Who knows, it may become the next big thing and you don't want to miss out on seeing the first. The music is quite appropriate and plays into the emotion of the video very well. It is a wonderful adventure. :)


http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/02/22/for-the-love-of-science/

The second article I read is a very accurate description of how everyone is a scientist. I think that lots of people forget that they are scientists and exploring their worlds. The point of view adds a little bit of fun to the way we learn and grow everyday, but most people move away from understanding themselves as scientists because they were no good at academic science. There is a large difference between academic science and the exploration of the world we all do as scientists. The pictures in the article not only help make some of the points the author is trying to make about the way we advanced in academic science because of the differences between scientific theories and the actuality, but also are really cool and pretty. Especially the last one. So I suggest you make it to the end of the article just to see the picture. Reading about science won't hurt you either. ;)

Psychology of Giving and Other Stuff

http://ucresearch.tumblr.com/post/43085813026/if-your-valentines-day-is-less-than-ideal-dont

I am thoroughly enjoying getting to explore scienceblog.com. It is helping me feel more connected to the world while here in seminary without having to watch or look at the news and feel depressed about all the bad things being reported. I do care about the bad stuff that is happening in the world, and it is now very close by with the internet, however I do not need to be depressed about it all everyday. I would like to be able to think that there is good stuff going on in the world every day. I know there is. Good stuff happens in my life, so it has to happen in others' lives too. That is one reason I am liking exploring the science. There are good and bad things going on in science and obviously people are passionate about these things. Passion makes life more vivid. I really enjoyed the comic above, not because I have broken up ever, but because of how the science was easy, accessible, funny, and makes you feel better. Your hat is awesome. Especially if someone who puts you down regularly speaks against it, as a general rule. And speaking of people who build you up versus people who put you down, I also read this article: http://scienceblog.com/60480/in-rich-and-poor-nations-giving-makes-people-feel-better-than-getting/ about how people feel better after buying something for someone else rather than for themselves. It is really funny in a culture that highlights and emphasizes retail therapy and buying stuff for oneself, that we actually feel better when we buy stuff for other people. Even more interestingly enough, people across the world have the same feeling when it comes to buying stuff for other people. How great! We should spend more of our money on others and making sure other people have what they need as well as ourselves. Sadly, as the person who commented pointed out, this does not work in some situations. We do not feel the same way about giving part of our money to the government or other organizations who will then buy stuff for the poor themselves. I wonder if it also has to do with the reception. One of the reasons I was turned down from a summer mission trip to Panama was that I would not be able to eat the food the poorer folks I would be working with would try to feed me. I was slightly appalled when I read that the trip planners allow the volunteers to eat the food of the poor. However, I know how hospitality works. When you invite someone into your house, you like to be able to offer them something. I have myself gotten told off for being rude for bringing my own food into other people's houses, even when they know that they cannot adequately feed me without making me sick. I get stuck in that catch twenty two frequently. Most people just then shy away from inviting me into their homes. It works. The feeling of being able to give something to someone else, to share what we have, to provide for someone is powerful. Psychology and science may link it to the evolutionary needs of humanity. Humans helping humans probably will allow the species to live longer than us always cutting each other throats. Religion will link it to the gifts of God. I think both are true. Loving one's neighbor is sometimes easier than you might think.

What do you take for Granted?

http://scienceblogs.com/sciencepunk/2013/02/20/implanted-bionic-eye-allows-the-blind-to-see-again/

This article is very cool. It is impressive that scientists have been able to make forward progress in helping some people to see again. The article does say that the picture is not very good and the analogy is a fuzzy black and white tv, but for someone who has lost all their sight, being able to see anything would be very exciting. Obviously, I have never been blind. I could end up being blind at some point in my life, but I am hopeful that it won't happen any time soon. I have though lived with broken bones and the implication of not being able to use my dominate hand for a good while. That was painful and interesting enough to make me think differently about what I take for granted. I do not take my abilities to move and write and braid my hair and tie my shoes for granted anymore. When I am good, I remember to be thankful for all the things which I can do easily that other people struggle with. It is also kind of like being on a special diet. Knowing one's limits really makes a difference. There are not many worse things than trying to go too far with a broken bone or a health problem and then being in pain because of your own challenge. I am so glad that we can use some of our scientific knowledge to be helpful to people who feel that they have lost something. There are always opportunities in things, but we have to mourn our loses first. Lots of people get stuck on one side or the other, without allowing themselves to either hope or mourn properly. I am glad the article mentions about the perspective of the people in the study for whom even the littlest bit of returned sight is a gift. We should all be thankful for the gifts we are given, even if other people do not think they are gifts. I am grateful for every chance to be with my Latro. I am grateful for everyone who has struggled with dietary problems before me and has allowed me to use their recipes to make wonderful things without what everyone else takes for granted. Because even food isn't for granted.

The Climate Challenge

http://scienceblogs.com/significantfigures/index.php/2013/02/20/climate-change-snow-and-ice-and-water-resources/

I think this article is very good in its description of some of the changes happening with climate change in a short article. I think however that articles like this do not do enough to talk about the opportunities of climate change. I am not talking about pool contractors making a fortune in coming years in temperate zones because of increasing heat or whatever, but the opportunities to create new technology and reuse the resources we have better. Necessity is the mother of invention, correct? Humanity has a lot to invent soon. Otherwise I am going to cry every year when I cannot dream of a white winter because such things no longer exist. I love my soft snow and my blowing snow and my crunchy snow and my dense snow which never seems to go away despite warm days. I like my hot summer days as well, but I love snow. Granted, I am in no position to talk about making new things. I can barely keep up with my own work, let alone playing with ideas for new inventions. But imagine a world in which we could reallocate money so that education and welfare could be better funded and managed, then people could be challenged to be creative and work together. I guess that is really what is missing. The challenge. People are out there thinking and commenting on what is going on in the world. People are having 'parking lot' meetings behind the backs of all the people we think should be taking care of issues and we are judging how they are doing without necessarily helping. We need to help each other. We need to challenge everyone to share their vision and their voice. Perhaps one person cannot afford to build something which they have dreamed, but someone else doesn't have a dream but the time and resources. Matching them up might be hard, but it would be even harder if no one shares their positions. I have never worked in a lab and I have never worked with other people's ideas in building, however it does seem to me that we could help each other out. Who would we give these ideas to? Colleges? Corporations? Anyone know? More importantly, what are your ideas?

Keeping the Heart of the Matter - Marie Daly

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/schoolprograms/2014-role-models-in-science-engineering.html?pid=366&sid=767:Marie

Today is a history lesson. The first African American woman to get a PhD in the US did so in Chemistry in 1947 from Columbia. Her determination alone is enough to commend her to our eyes. Not many women at the time were able to set out and accomplish that which they wanted to at the time. Even still today, many women do not feel that they are able to accomplish what they want with their lives. For many it is family responsibilities, feeding, clothing, and caring for their loved ones. For others it is the institutions of the world who refuse to allow women to work in certain places or who do not take the words and actions of women seriously. Thankfully, I have grown up in a time and place which has afforded me the ability to be who I want to be and to work for what I want to accomplish. I am very grateful to the women who walked before in me in the world and in my chosen career field. (If you follow Lent Madness, I can tell you I will be voting for Florence Li-Tim Oi.) There are plenty of ways in which the world has worked against these institutions and towards better lives for women. Recently we had the One Billion Rising campaign day, which goes against violence towards women in the world.
I don't know much about Marie Daly, but she obviously followed her heart and I think that is what is great about anybody who makes their own life in this world. Its an especially easy analogy to make considering she studied heart health as related to cigarettes and diet. Marie Daly is not the only woman or man or person who is notable because they followed their heart and made an impact on the world. I am hopeful that in the coming days I will get to think and learn about other new people in science who followed their hearts and made an impact for which we can all be grateful.

Jobs in the Water Industry? I'll get my floaties!

Http://scienceblogs.com/significantfigures/index.php/2013/02/14/smart-water-new-jobs/

We go for meta here. I write little articles about articles, which are usually about other articles. How far away from information can we get while still passing along information? I am not sure of the answer, but I do know that the article today was talking about the outcomes of different kinds of investment in sustainable water jobs. It seems that some investments are creating more jobs than others while still covering the necessary problems needing more work. The article of the article compares the same amount of monetary investment in alternative water supply projects which creates 10-15 jobs whereas that investment in storm water management projects creates anywhere from 10-70 jobs. It seems we need to have better accountability to where our money is going and what it is producing in the water industry. Water is such a precious commodity. My religious reflection this morning was from Deuteronomy where Moses is giving a speech to the Israelites who are about to enter the promised land. Moses reminds them that they best not forget what God has done for them because they could not have managed to do what God has done for them by themselves. It is a good reminder for all of us and it seems pertinent to the water situation we have in the world now. Well, to many situations we have in the world now. We did not always put ourselves in the situation we are in. That does not mean we should blame those who came before us. We can however change the parts of the situation which we can and be grateful for the parts of the situation that are good. The water industry takes care of something lots of people in the United States takes for granted, clean water in our homes. However most of the worlds population cannot take that for granted. Clean water in their home is a product of much work and see worry. Granted, we cannot care about everything all the time. However, money accountability is something we can ask for. Transparency and good investing.

A Serious Distance Problem

http://scienceblogs.com/universe/2013/02/15/what-distance-is/

I really like this article. More of just a description of something we all know and feel, but do not talk about per se. I have been struggling with distance issues myself these past few months. First, because I am in a long distance relationship and that changes how and what forms of connection and communication are intimate. Second, on the opposite side of the spectrum, there is a classmate of mine who violates my sense of space whenever he comes near by. My thoughts on this second problem have bridged that knowledge and distance divide since I get annoyed that he has touched my arm even though he does not know me at all. The presumed closeness without true knowledge is disturbing at that point. Constrasted totally with the true knowledge that my boyfriend has without the ability to be in any close distance.
I always loved the Powers of Ten video. Mostly for me it showed how things are so relative. What we think of as close range from inches to feet, but the real close things are things so close we cannot see or feel them. I do not wear socks to bed and when comparing with other people I explain it as not being intimate with socks so they can't be in bed with me. Yet, they surround and enclose my feet at a distance of nanometers and I rely upon them to keep my feet warm.
Relativity poses a serious distance problem.

Water, water, and not a drop to drink!

http://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2013/02/15/how-using-the-restroom-may-be-harmful-to-fish/
It's even worse for the fish! Can you imagine the substance all around and within you to be toxic to you? That is not a good environment. It would be like having smog problems everywhere and having it cause mental and physical health problems. The poor fish! I don't know anything about the drug they researched in this article, but I would imagine that it is not the only harmful drug that is going through human systems and ending up in the water. Perhaps we can invent some kind of filter for people who take serious drugs to use so that excess drugs do not end up in the water. Installed in the toilets and then disposed of in another way, we could cut down on the pollutants in the environment causing havoc with the natural ecosystems. I don't know what would filter such toxins out or how best to dispose of them, but I am sure there are researchers who could figure those things out. I can't say we should all just taking serious medicines, because the quality of life given by the existence of the drugs is worth it to them. We should just be better about where we allow such things to go.

A little water + dry Math = Fun, Vivid Math

'"Vividness" in Mathematics'
http://scienceblogs.com/evolutionblog/2013/02/14/vividness-in-mathematics/

Of course I choose the article this morning about mathematics and literature. Mathematics in conjunction with other subjects is awesome. Mathematics does not get the credit and attention it deserves. Coming from the girl who double majored in college in Mathematics and Religious studies. However, I do think all of the men in the article make a good observation about the state of mathematics in the United States. Math is presented and taught in dry little lines of pure notation and you really have to stretch your own imagination to understand or figure out what is important and useful about the mathematics beyond the problems given. While I really disliked my integrated math program in middle and high school, the greatest thing about that program was that the mathematics was presented in vivid ways. The problems were vivid and obviously showed what good the mathematics would do for you. I remember the calculus projects I did in high school where we had to figure out the volume of a Hershey kiss and a Reese's peanut butter cup by calculating the area under the curves, after of course figuring out the curves, so that we could figure out how many of each we could pack on a trip. The project was a little in depth for normal practical application, but it was fun and we saw calculus in normal areas of life beyond parabolas and limits. I think a little vividness in mathematics would help expand the way that people think about mathematics and why it is an important subject to learn, especially on higher academic levels. I am not totally sure about this, but it seems that teachers and textbooks do a better job of making math vivid for younger audiences, but when you get into high school and college, especially college, the vividness of what mathematics does is somewhat lost. Mathematics does take a certain way of looking at the world and a dedication in some areas to abstract notions, but even if mathematical ideas could be better taught with vividness, people may not be able to do the mathematics themselves, but they would have a better understanding of some natural phenomena. My senior mathematics thesis sealed this idea for me in that lots of people understand the idea of what I did and learned about, the recreation of the grid beyond MC Escher's Print Gallery print using math, though they could not do that themselves. In every case that I have explained it, people walk away with a little more appreciation for what mathematics can do.

Obviously I like math. I don't like its bad reputation and that people do not think it connects to anything else. I just connected it to food and art. Just ask me sometime to connect math and religion. I always have fun with that. ;)

Hooray for Brains!

"Unconscious processing improves decision making"
http://scienceblog.com/59688/unconscious-processing-improves-decision-making/

Funny enough, I have always thought this about my brain and have confused people who asked me for decisions by walking off doing something else and then coming back a few minutes later with a fully thought out decision that I didn't really think about. Human brains are quite impressive. I have always been rather grateful that my brain can handle continuing to think about things when I need to deal with something else. I bet this technique is something some people would be interested to learn. I don't know how far it goes, there are probably some situations when one needs to think through all the parts of a decision consciously to be able to make a good decision.
Do they teach effective problem solving techniques in schools these days? I know they do not teach effective coping methods well.
 The first comment on the article says "It’s interesting to consider the fact that our brains our so perfectly designed that when left to their own devices they function more efficiently than when we are in a position to control, and therefore restrict them." (by Jeremy Hensley) I am not sure I totally agree with him. Our brains take all sorts of shortcuts that are helpful in some situations, but when it comes to things like stereotyping, I disagree that the shortcuts my brain takes are always helpful. In those situations, people who are stereotyped can be very hurt that my brain made unconscious shortcuts around them. Those decisions may save thinking time in situations where other people do not matter, but I rather think that all people matter. Its a Christian love thing. All people for me are God's people and thus deserve some dignity and respect.
I do look forward to seeing more research on this kind of topic. I am always interested in research on the brain and the mind-body (brain) connection. There are so many aspects about our own brain which we do not understand. Especially those of us not in the field. (I can especially say that I am very grateful for my brain when it comes up with stuff that I know when I think I did not know it, like on tests, which I am hopeful will happen a little bit this morning!)

Programming Ancient Languages

For part of my Lenten practice, I am going to be reading and reflecting on a science article each day. Hopefully they will all end up here. Today is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. Today's article was:
Computerized 'Rosetta Stone' Reconstructs Ancient Languages

The article is pretty cool for someone who loves languages. In Ancient Hebrew class we sometimes talk about Ugaric and the way that Ugaric studies have helped understand some of the rare ancient Hebrew words in the Torah that were previously unknown. In liturgics we did talk about how in serious religious situations, people usually go back to the older, more archaic language/vocabulary to express time honored emotions. Not only are our abilities to program a computer to find aspects and sound connections impressive, but the idea that ancient languages are based on patterns which we still use today is kind of impressive. Human brains obviously have some traits that do follow through despite generations upon generations of small changes.
This is the kind of thing I would do more if I had more time in my life, study ancient languages. Along with study ancient mathematics. The article has an exception for Latin, which I am surprised about. What patterns does Latin not follow?
Humans create their own meanings and understandings through their symbols, and language is the principle vehicle for sharing those. Emotions, patterns, and music may be better vehicles, but language is probably the most used. And to think we are always surprised when what we find written are normal things about business and politics and religion. We have our patterns. If only we could change those patterns to reflect the joy and love we feel instead of the pain and hurt.
I wonder if they have or will send something like Ancient Hebrew through such a program. I wonder if we have missed stuff in our nuanced skilled language reconstructions. Just in taking Hebrew class, I have learned new things about the Torah which could change the way most Christians view the bible and their theology. Just because we like our worldview, doesn't mean its the best.

Dinner Guests -- Round 2.1

Finally! The next installment of my dinner guest tournament. For those of you that have bad memories, I've been challenged to select three fictional characters that I can invite to dinner (obviously, since they're fictional, I won't really be having a dinner, but that doesn't mean I can't pretend!).

First, here is the left half of the bracket after Round 1:

And my picks:

Abed v. Sawyer
This one wasn't too difficult. Although Sawyer's wit is amusing, it's going to be hard to pass up inviting Abed.

Neville v. River
While River is quite the character, I don't think I would want to spend my night making sure she doesn't kill anyone... I'll go with Neville.

Han v. R2D2
This was definitely one of the toughest this round, but I can't bring myself to kick out R2 just yet, he's just so cute!

Odd v. Leia
While Leia is pretty bad ass, Odd is too awesome a character to pass up having dinner with!

Captain Reynolds v. Hagrid
I'm going to have to go with Captain Tightpants on this one, sorry Hagrid.

Dumbledore v. Luna
This was a tough one, and my first thought was for Luna. But thinking about it more, I realize Dumbledore is not only a wise and powerful wizard, but he certainly has his share of wit.

Amy v. Dwight
I'm sure Dwight would not fail in making any party at least memorable, Amy Pond would have plenty of stories to share about her adventures with the Doctor.

Enoch v. Eliza
Eliza is one of my favorite Baroque Cycle characters, but Enoch would have many stories to share and questions to answer.

With that, here's the left side of the bracket so far: