Graduation Speech: We Are the Future :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Today is our first day of being the leaders, doers, and problem solvers of the future. Those who persevere, who give it their all and approach each day with optimism will ultimately meet success and happiness. Of course, there will be many a failure on that windy road of life, but with dedication, we can do anything and make any dream come true. But, as we grow older and encounter success, we must not forget those who have had it rough, whose lives may have hit some potholes on the way, and we must take care of those who need a helping hand. As each of us leaves our mark on the world, be generous and be happy, and always remember the good times, good friends, and lessons learned at Marefat. Being Marefat's first graduating class to complete all four years, one can say we've acquired a higher level of school wisdom than any previous class. We've formed traditions, we've set records, and we've made a lot of friends along the way. I remember our freshman year when we could use the excuse of being a new school for every shortcoming we encountered. I remember our sophomore year, the last time I cleaned my bedroom, when Marefat had its first senior class, and the school seemed to shrink for some reason. Last year we were the juniors, and we conquered the SAT tests: And made it through those busy days where you hadn't quite found room in your schedule to pencil in a bathroom break, dinner or sleep. Well, this year we were the kings and queens, there was Star Wars, Starbucks, and a certain football team lost its winning streak to the mighty Knights. Looking back we can see our accomplishments and the marks we made. Now, we must take all that we have learned in our years at Mare fat and apply it to our future. Just as we have set traditions here, we must enter the world ready to tackle new problems and work out new solutions. We are the ones who can break all of those records that have been set, and have our names etched in history. It's our turn -- the world is ours and we just have to decide what we want to do with it. Throughout our successful lives, though, we can't forget those who struggle and we can't forget to take care of our families and community.

Psychology of Human Sexuality

65 million people are living with an incurable STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) in the United States. This is an extremely high number which includes many different types and forms of diseases. Some are curable and others are not. So this is a huge problem in the USA and all over the world that I had no idea about or put much thought into. It is incredible the outstanding number of people with STI’s and the growing rate. This truly is in every sense of the word a pandemic as referred to in the book. I will discuss a few things from this chapter about STI’s that I found most interesting besides the STI’s themselves that almost made me hurl due to some of the graphic pictures. Some issues that are related and need to be learned include the lack of symptoms, lack of accurate information, unhealthy sexual emotions and attitudes, poor sexual communication, and substance abuse and its relation to STI’s. All of the above mentioned things I will discuss are important to me because they are risk factors that I needed to learn and be aware of. For example, not all STI’s have symptoms or show signs of physical problems such as rashes or a discharge. Most sexual transmitted infections have symptoms that are often absent. That is scary due to the fact people may not know they are infected and maintain their normal sexual activity with no knowledge of infecting others. This is a huge problem to me because it’s not like people carry their results with them of their last STI test results. In my case I get tested in 3 days due to the fact ignorance is bliss and I don’t want to be irresponsible in my actions. I also think that some people don’t get tested for the mere fact they just don’t want to know even if they have been involved in risky sexual behaviors. Asymptomatic means that symptoms may not be produced at all. Not know if you are infected and affecting others leads to a bigger problem because most STI’s leads to greater health problems down the road. A sexual act of of love or lust can turn into a nightmare. Lack of knowledge is a huge risk factor because the number of our youth participating in sexual activities is indeed increasing. They partake in oral sex and think it is ok because pregnancy can’t occur. However, being one of these ignorant kids’ years ago myself I didn’t know that oral sex increases the chances of STI’s or what an STI was. Especially, these hormone and sexually driven kids don’t care or have the knowledge of knowing the ease at which STI’s can spread through sexual activity and oral sex, or even the lack of knowing how severe this problem can occur. I’ve heard a lot of my friends say oh man I just got tested after I hooked up with that slut and I’m clean, guess I dodged a bullet. It is a complete joke and the severity of these issues is not driven home properly. Sexual emotions and attitudes are something I have learned to be true. I know a lot of girls who were told sex is bad by their parents and they seemed to take it out on their college exploits. Avoiding the safe sex talk and that sex is not a horrible thing when handled correctly can lead to better understanding and decision making by the child. Also, the the fear and stigma of people who have STI’s or don’t want to be tested for fear they might have one creates more issues for them and may lead to them not telling their partner out of shame and embarrassment. This I thought I knew but this chapter justified that thought. I for sure learned that sexual communication is important for a healthy sexual relationship. It is healthy for my relationship and makes things more comfortable and easy. I learned that not just condoms and knowledge are important in preventing STI’s, but communication has an essential role as well. Parents must discuss safe sex with their children and openly discuss sexual matters due to the fact it is normal eventually inevitable. Talking to your partner about being tested or that you have an STI is the responsible thing to do. I knew that substance abuse had to play a role in increasing the chances for the spread of STI’s. it only makes sense due to the fact we all know what it feels like to be under the consumption of alcohol where our morals and principles go at that point. Things become more in the moment as mentioned in the book and risky sexual behavior is more likely to occur. For example, I know a lot about this from attending San Diego State University a big party school in California, but the statistics provided in the book that 1 in 5 teens reports having unprotected sex while under the influence of drugs and lcohol just solidifies that theory. I learned a lot and was shocked about the STI pandemic and all the issues related such as the lack of information and health risks associated with it. This really does scare me to know that my previous partners could have unknowingly passed an STI to me. I was tested before my girlfriend and I started dating but I will get tested again in three days just to be sure. It is really important to do so and people should be made aware of the severity and problems related to STI’s followed by knowledge and prevention methods. I am thankful for this class and my newfound knowledge.

Pigs - The Domestication History of Sus Scrofa

The domestication history of pigs (Sus scrofa) is a bit of an archaeological puzzle, in part because of the nature of the wild boar that our modern pigs are descended from. Many species of wild hog exist in the world today, such as the warthog (Phacochoreus africanus), the pygmy hog (Porcula salvania), and the pig-deer (Babyrousa babyrussa); but of all the suid forms, only Sus scrofa (wild boar) has been domesticated. That process took place independently about 9,000-10,000 years ago in two locations: eastern Anatolia and central China. After that initial domestication, pigs accompanied early farmers as they spread out of Anatolia to Europe, and out of central China to the hinterlands. All of the modern swine breeds today — there are hundreds of breeds around the globe — are considered forms of Sus scrofa domestica, and there is evidence that the genetic diversity is decreasing as cross-breeding of commercial lines threatens indigenous breeds. Some countries have recognized the issue and are beginning to support the continued maintenance of the non-commercial breeds as a genetic resource for the future. Distinguishing Domestic and Wild Pigs It must be said that it is not easy to distinguish between wild and domestic animals in the archaeological record. Since the early 20th century, researchers have segregated pigs based on the size of their tusks (lower third molar): wild boars typically have broader and longer tusks than domestic pigs. Overall body size (in particular, measures of knucklebones [astralagi], front leg bones [humeri] and shoulder bones [scapulae]) has been commonly used to differentiate between domestic and wild pigs since the mid-twentieth century. But wild boar body size alters with climate: hotter, drier climates mean smaller pigs, not necessarily less wild ones. And there are notable variations in body size and tusk size, among both wild and domestic pig populations even today. Other methods used by researchers to identify domesticated pigs include population demography  Ã¢â‚¬â€ the theory is that pigs kept in captivity would have been slaughtered at younger ages as a management strategy, and that can be reflected in the ages of the pigs in an archaeological assemblage. The study of Linear Enamel Hypoplasia (LEH) measures the growth rings in tooth enamel: domestic animals are more likely to experience stress episodes in diet and those stresses are reflected in those growth rings. Stable isotope analysis and tooth wear can also give clues to the diet of a particular set of animals because domestic animals are more likely to have had grain in their diets. The most conclusive evidence is genetic data, which can give indications of ancient lineages. See Rowley-Conwy and colleagues (2012) for a detailed description of the benefits and pitfalls of each of these methods. In the end, all a researcher can do is look at all of these available characteristics and make her best judgment. Independent Domestication Events Despite the difficulties, most scholars are agreed that there were two separate domestication events from geographically separated versions of the wild boar (Sus scrofa). Evidence for both locations suggest that the process began with local hunter-gatherers hunting wild boars, then over a period of time began managing them, and then purposefully or unconsciously keeping those animals with smaller brains and bodies and sweeter dispositions. In southwest Asia, pigs were part of a suite of plants and animals that were developed in the upper reaches of the Euphrates river about 10,000 years ago. The earliest domestic pigs in Anatolia are found in the same sites as domestic cattle, in what is today southwestern Turkey, about 7500 calendar years BC (cal BC), during the late Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period. Sus Scrofa in China In China, the earliest domesticated pigs date to 6600 cal BC, at the Neolithic Jiahu  site. Jiahu is in east-central China between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers; domestic pigs were found associated with the Cishan/Peiligang culture (6600-6200 cal BC): in Jiahus earlier layers, only wild boars are in evidence. Beginning with the first domestication, pigs became the main domestic animal in China. Pig sacrifice and pig-human interments are in evidence by the mid-6th millennium BC. The modern Mandarin character for home or family consists of a pig in a house; the earliest representation of this character was found inscribed on a bronze pot dated to the Shang period (1600-1100 BC). Pig domestication in China was a steady progress of animal refinement lasting a period of some 5,000 years. The earliest domesticated pigs were primarily herded and fed millet and protein; by the Han dynasty, most pigs were raised in small pens by households and fed millet and household scraps. Genetic studies of Chinese pigs suggest an interruption of this long progress occurred during the Longshan period (3000-1900 BC) when pig burials and sacrifices ceased, and previously more or less uniform pig herds became infused with small, idiosyncratic (wild) pigs. Cucchi and colleagues (2016) suggest this may have been the result of a social-political change during the Longshan, although they recommended additional studies. The early enclosures used by Chinese farmers made the process of pig domestication much faster in China compared to the process used on western Asian pigs, which were allowed to roam freely in European forests up through the late Middle Ages. Pigs Into Europe Beginning about 7,000 years ago, central Asian people moved into Europe, bringing their suite of domestic animals and plants with them, following at least two main paths. The people who brought the animals and plants into Europe are known collectively as the Linearbandkeramik (or LBK) culture. For decades, scholars researched and debated whether Mesolithic hunters in Europe had developed domestic pigs prior to the LBK migration. Today, scholars mostly agree that European pig domestication was a mixed and complex process, with Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and LBK farmers interacting at different levels. Soon after the arrival of LBK pigs in Europe, they interbred with the local wild boar. This process, known as retrogression (meaning successful interbreeding of domesticated and wild animals), produced the European domestic pig, which then spread out from Europe, and, in many places replaced the domesticated Near Eastern swine. Sources Arbuckle BS. 2013. The late adoption of cattle and pig husbandry in Neolithic Central Turkey. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(4):1805-1815.Cucchi T, Hulme-Beaman A, Yuan J, and Dobney K. 2011. Early Neolithic pig domestication at Jiahu, Henan Province, China: clues from molar shape analyses using geometric morphometric approaches. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(1):11-22.Cucchi T, Dai L, Balasse M, Zhao C, Gao J, Hu Y, Yuan J, and Vigne J-D. 2016. Social complexification and pig (Sus scrofa) Husbandry in ancient China: A combined geometric morphometric andiIsotopic approach. PLOS ONE 11(7):e0158523.Evin A, Cucchi T, Cardini A, Strand Vidarsdottir U, Larson G, and Dobney K. 2013. The long and winding road: identifying pig domestication through molar size and shape. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(1):735-743.Groenen MAM. 2016. A decade of pig genome sequencing: a window on pig domestication and evolution. Genetics Selection Evolution 48(1):1-9.Krause-Kyora B, Makarewicz C, Evin A, Girdland Flink L, Dobney K, Larson G, Hartz S, Schreiber S, Von Carnap-Bornheim C, Von Wurmb-Schwark N et al. 2013. Use of domestic pigs by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in northwestern Europe. Nature Communications 4(2348).Larson G, Liu R, Zhao X, Yuan J, Fuller D, Barton L, Dobney K, Fan Q, Gu Z, Liu X-H et al. 2010. Patterns of East Asian pig domestication, migration, and turnover revealed by modern and ancient DNA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(17):7686-7691.Lega C, Raia P, Rook L, and Fulgione D. 2016. Size matters: A comparative analysis of pig domestication. The Holocene 26(2):327-332.Rowley-Conwy P, Albarella U, and Dobney K. 2012. Distinguishing Wild Boar from Domestic Pigs in Prehistory: A Review of Approaches and Recent Results. Journal of World Prehistory 25:1-44.Wang H, Martin L, Hu S, and Wang W. 2012. Pig domestication and husbandry practices in the middle Neolithic of the Wei River Valley, northwest China: evidence from linear enamel hy poplasia. Journal of Archaeological Science 39(12):3662-3670.Zhang J, Jiao T, and Zhao S. 2016. Genetic diversity in the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region of global swine (Sus scrofa) populations. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 473(4):814-820.

A Compare and Contrast of Horror and Science...

The good thing about films is that we not only have the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of different genres, but also compare them and understand their purpose in the world. The Horror genre has used the basic principles throughout time, and as a result, films of this type have not proven to be as timeless as another genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy. At first, these two genres might at times seem similar as they have at several occasions been blended together, but their basic, common theme serves different meanings about humans. I shall compare and contrast these two genres and focus on both classic films and modern films. From the Horror genre perspective I shall discuss Psycho (1960) and The Mist (2007), while in the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre I will examine 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and Serenity (2005). Although the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre and the Horror Genre share some similarities, the differences lie in their focus on human progress. The genres relationship lies in the danger of human lives in an unfamiliar milieu. There is a threat to the lives of the characters whose fear and danger is a common element. The source of this can be from both humans and imaginary monsters. The horror films Psycho and The Mist both have humans as the real threat to the main characters. Schizophrenic Norman Bates in Psycho is a heinous, disturbed killer who dresses up in woman’s clothes when he is about to kill someone. The danger is firstShow MoreRelatedHitchcocks Film Psycho Essay1575 Words   |  7 PagesHitchcocks Film Psycho Ever since the first horror movies were produced they have attracted huge audiences seeking to be scared, chilled and thrilled. 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Analysis Of Anton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard

The Ties that Bind In Russian writer Anton Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov tells the story of a family in crisis and instability at the beginning of the 20th century. He also shows us that there are many forms of slavery. The family is about to lose their beloved cherry tree orchard estate because they cannot pay the mortgage. The play, written in 1904, only one year before the first Russian Revolution (1905-1907), is a rendering of the social changes and reform that Russia was experiencing. Chekhov died in 1904 just months before the uprising called Bloody Sunday and was himself the grandson of an emancipated serf (Marks, n.d.) In The Cherry Orchard, there are no riots or raised and clenched fists, but it is a subtler reflection of the times, and the death and demise of the Russian aristocracy and the making of a middle class. However, post slavery or serfdom the chains that bind humans are not always visible. The way Chekhov portrayed the former serfs in his pla y seem to whitewash reality and allowed the audience to conveniently forget the past. In American film and literature, we took the same tack until the latter part of the 20th century. In Chekhov’s play and in America â€Å"the help† comes across as one of the family, free of the emotional pain of the past and are portrayed as happy and willing to serve. The emotional slavery represented in The Cherry Orchard is not limited to the former serfs but to aristocratic and middle class as well. In modern times,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Anton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard 2328 Words   |  10 PagesTies that Bind In Russian writer Anton Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov tells the story of a family in crisis and instability at the beginning of the 20th century. The family is about to lose their beloved cherry tree orchard estate because they cannot pay the mortgage. The play, written in 1904, only one year before the first Russian Revolution (1905-1907), is a rendering of the social changes and reform that Russia was experiencing. Chekhov died in 1904 just months before the uprisingRead MoreAn Analysis Of Anton Chekhov s A Play The Cherry Orchard 1675 Words   |  7 Pagestragedy seems more devastating (Tragicomedy). In a play The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov demonstrates many themes including childishness, clinging to the past, and hypocrisy of humans. Chekhov depicts the conflict between the necessity for change and the nostalgia for the past, which establish controversial emotions throughout the play; the internal drama of everyone appears more important than external events. In comparison with Chekhov, Athol Fugard in his play â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys demonstratesRead MoreAN ANALYSIS PAPER ON ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE SEAGULL AND THE CHERRY ORCHARD12092 Words   |  49 PagesEnglish IV AN ANALYSIS PAPER ON ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE SEAGULL AND THE CHERRY ORCHARD Submitted to: Mrs. Joneth D. Vibar Submitted by: Vincent del Castillo IV-St.Francis of Assisi Outline of Analysis 1 Author’s Style 1.1 Anton Chekhov as a Playwright and Author of Short Stories 1.1.1 Russia’s best known Modern Playwright 1.1.1 Master of the Modern Short Story 1.2 Anton Chekhov and his Influences Read MoreAnton Chekhovs The Cherry Orchard1933 Words   |  8 PagesAnton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard – Analysis of Comedic Characters Anton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard is one of his most famous plays, despite the fact that the comedic aspect is often questioned. The Cherry Orchard records the tale of a wealthy Russian family who are faced with the loss of their estate due to bankruptcy, while also facing the reality of losing their beloved cherry orchard. Titled as a â€Å"comedy,† it seeks to disclose the family and household dynamics during this brief period.Read MoreThe Cherry Orchard2124 Words   |  9 PagesThe Cherry Orchard: Critical Analysis The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is about a Russian family that is unable to prevent its beloved estate from being sold in an auction due to financial problems. The play has been dubbed a tragedy by many of its latter producers. However, Chekhov labeled his play a farce, or more of a comedy. Although this play has a very tragic backdrop of Russia#8217;s casualty-ridden involvement in both World Wars and the Communist Revolution, the characters andRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesWalter G. Moss 1 Table of Contents (with links) 1 Wisdom, Perspective, and Values 2 Humor’s Contribution to Wisdom 4 Humor and Wisdom in Europe: Some Highlights 5 Renaissance Humor: Erasmus, Rabelais, Cervantes, Shakespeare 5 Two European Russians: Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Soloviev 9 Reflections on Humor from Nietzsche to the Theatre of the Absurd 12 Humor and Wisdom in the United States: Lincoln, Beecher, Twain, Sandburg, and Buchwald 17 From The Times (of London) obituary on him (January 19, 2007)

Deception Point Page 23 Free Essays

It appeared the astrobiologists had been right, Tolland thought. ET is a bug. Rachel’s legs felt weak beneath her. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 23 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"I can’t†¦ believe it,† she said, turning the fossil in her hands. â€Å"I never thought†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Give it some time to sink in,† Tolland said, grinning. â€Å"Took me twenty-four hours to get my feet back under me.† â€Å"I see we have a newcomer,† said an uncharacteristically tall Asian man, walking over to join them. Corky and Tolland seemed to deflate instantly with the man’s arrival. Apparently the moment of magic had been shattered. â€Å"Dr. Wailee Ming,† the man said, introducing himself. â€Å"Chairman of paleontology at UCLA.† The man carried himself with the pompous rigidity of renaissance aristocracy, continuously stroking the out-of-place bow tie that he wore beneath his knee-length camel-hair coat. Wailee Ming was apparently not one to let a remote setting come in the way of his prim appearance. â€Å"I’m Rachel Sexton.† Her hand was still trembling as she shook Ming’s smooth palm. Ming was obviously another of the President’s civilian recruits. â€Å"It would be my pleasure, Ms. Sexton,† the paleontologist said, â€Å"to tell you anything you want to know about these fossils.† â€Å"And plenty you don’t want to know,† Corky grumbled. Ming fingered his bow tie. â€Å"My paleontologic specialty is extinct Arthropoda and Mygalomorphae. Obviously the most impressive characteristic of this organism is-â€Å" â€Å"-is that it’s from another friggin’ planet!† Corky interjected. Ming scowled and cleared his throat. â€Å"The most impressive characteristic of this organism is that it fits perfectly into our Darwinian system of terrestrial taxonomy and classification.† Rachel glanced up. They can classify this thing? â€Å"You mean kingdom, phylum, species, that sort of thing?† â€Å"Exactly,† Ming said. â€Å"This species, if found on earth, would be classified as the order Isopoda and would fall into a class with about two thousand species of lice.† â€Å"Lice?† she said. â€Å"But it’s huge.† â€Å"Taxonomy is not size specific. House cats and tigers are related. Classification is about physiology. This species is clearly a louse: It has a flattened body, seven pairs of legs, and a reproductive pouch identical in structure to wood lice, pill bugs, beach hoppers, sow bugs, and gribbles. The other fossils clearly reveal more specialized-â€Å" â€Å"Other fossils?† Ming glanced at Corky and Tolland. â€Å"She doesn’t know?† Tolland shook his head. Ming’s face brightened instantly. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you haven’t heard the good part yet.† â€Å"There are more fossils,† Corky interjected, clearly trying to steal Ming’s thunder. â€Å"Lots more.† Corky scurried over to a large manila envelope and retrieved a folded sheet of oversized paper. He spread it out on the desk in front of Rachel. â€Å"After we drilled some cores, we dropped an x-ray camera down. This is a graphic rendering of the cross section.† Rachel looked at the x-ray printout on the table, and immediately had to sit down. The three-dimensional cross section of the meteorite was packed with dozens of these bugs. â€Å"Paleolithic records,† Ming said, â€Å"are usually found in heavy concentrations. Often times, mud slides trap organisms en masse, covering nests or entire communities.† Corky grinned. â€Å"We think the collection in the meteorite represents a nest.† He pointed to one of the bugs on the printout. â€Å"And there’s mommy.† Rachel looked at the specimen in question, and her jaw dropped. The bug looked to be about two feet long. â€Å"Big-ass louse, eh?† Corky said. Rachel nodded, dumbstruck, as she pictured lice the size of bread loaves wandering around on some distant planet. â€Å"On earth,† Ming said, â€Å"our bugs stay relatively small because gravity keeps them in check. They can’t grow larger than their exoskeletons can support. However, on a planet with diminished gravity, insects could evolve to much greater dimensions.† â€Å"Imagine swatting mosquitoes the size of condors,† Corky joked, taking the core sample from Rachel and slipping it into his pocket. Ming scowled. â€Å"You had better not be stealing that!† â€Å"Relax,† Corky said. â€Å"We’ve got eight tons more where this came from.† Rachel’s analytical mind churned through the data before her. â€Å"But how can life from space be so similar to life on earth? I mean, you’re saying this bug fits in our Darwinian classification?† â€Å"Perfectly,† Corky said. â€Å"And believe it or not, a lot of astronomers have predicted that extraterrestrial life would be very similar to life on earth.† â€Å"But why?† she demanded. â€Å"This species came from an entirely different environment.† â€Å"Panspermia.† Corky smiled broadly. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Panspermia is the theory that life was seeded here from another planet.† Rachel stood up. â€Å"You’re losing me.† Corky turned to Tolland. â€Å"Mike, you’re the primordial seas guy.† Tolland looked happy to take over. â€Å"Earth was once a lifeless planet, Rachel. Then suddenly, as if overnight, life exploded. Many biologists think the explosion of life was the magical result of an ideal mixture of elements in the primordial seas. But we’ve never been able to reproduce that in a lab, so religious scholars have seized that failure as proof of God, meaning life could not exist unless God touched the primordial seas and infused them with life.† â€Å"But we astronomers,† Corky declared, â€Å"came up with another explanation for the overnight explosion of life on earth.† â€Å"Panspermia,† Rachel said, now understanding what they were talking about. She had heard the panspermia theory before but didn’t know its name. â€Å"The theory that a meteorite splashed into the primordial soup, bringing the first seeds of microbial life to earth.† â€Å"Bingo,† Corky said. â€Å"Where they percolated and sprang to life.† â€Å"And if that’s true,† Rachel said, â€Å"then the underlying ancestry of earth’s life-forms and extraterrestrial life-forms would be identical.† â€Å"Double bingo.† Panspermia, Rachel thought, still barely able to grasp the implications. â€Å"So, not only does this fossil confirm that life exists elsewhere in the universe, but it practically proves panspermia†¦ that life on earth was seeded from elsewhere in the universe.† â€Å"Triple bingo.† Corky flashed her an enthusiastic nod. â€Å"Technically, we may all be extraterrestrials.† He put his fingers over his head like two antennas, crossed his eyes, and wagged his tongue like some kind of insect. Tolland looked at Rachel with a pathetic grin. â€Å"And this guy’s the pinnacle of our evolution.† 25 Rachel Sexton felt a dreamlike mist swirling around her as she walked across the habisphere, flanked by Michael Tolland. Corky and Ming followed close behind. â€Å"You okay?† Tolland asked, watching her. Rachel glanced over, giving a weak smile. â€Å"Thanks. It’s just†¦ so much.† Her mind reeled back to the infamous 1996 NASA discovery-ALH84001-a Mars meteorite that NASA claimed contained fossil traces of bacterial life. Sadly, only weeks after NASA’s triumphant press conference, several civilian scientists stepped forward with proof that the rock’s â€Å"signs of life† were really nothing more than kerogen produced by terrestrial contamination. NASA’s credibility had taken a huge hit over that gaffe. The New York Times took the opportunity to sarcastically redefine the agency’s acronym: NASA-NOT ALWAYS SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE. How to cite Deception Point Page 23, Essay examples

Describe the process by which genes and environmen Essay Example For Students

Describe the process by which genes and environmen Essay t operate together to influence development. Describe the process by which genes and environment operate together to influence development. Discuss the significance of these processes for our understanding of child development. This essay will give a detailed account of the process by which genes and the environment operate together to influence development. Looking at Physical development and Language development and the perspectives of Natavism, Behaviourism. Constructivism and Social Constructivism it will explain the role of these perspectives in understanding child development. It is argued that the genetic blueprint can interact with the environment to encourage development. The process of genes and environment working together is often referred to as epigenetics and shows how environmental factors which can affect a parent can change the types of genes passed onto their children. Looking at Physical Development it can be seen if the process of genes and environment operating together influence development. As the environment is constantly changing humankind needs to have changeable characteristics, some of which are physical, this is known as Developmental Plasticity. Piaget studied water snails and found that shape of the snails shell varied depending on its habitat. Pond snails had longer shells than lake snails who had shorter shells to suit the water turbulence. Suggesting that cells have the properties to change and become self-organising, cells can change the way they are developing in response to environmental stimuli. It is argued that genes can be switched on or off in response to this environmental stimuli and can alter the characteristics they produce. Piaget called this process Epigenetic Development, Epigenetic information is constantly being acquired throughout development, giving the environment an active role in influencing development. The environment is shaping information in our genes and changing our physical development. Humankind standing on two legs and walking was a response to environmental changes. This has had a significant effect on our genetic makeup from the shape of our pelvis to the size of our skull. Epigenetic systems can only change things during the period of maturation and once a characteristic is adapted it can not change back. Richardson, 1994, argues in relation to child development this would mean that once a child has learnt a particular behaviour this can not be changed or removed. Richardson argues because of our changing environment humankind need genetic characteristics which are changeable and can adapt through out a lifetime. We are constantly learning new things, and adapt our behaviour to what we have learnt. Learning is one of the processes which require our behaviour patterns to adapt through our lifetime. Life long developmental plasticity is a form of epigenetic development more suitable to child development as aspects such as language, behaviour adapt to suit our environment. Other theories exist which explain the importance of genes and the environment in child development. Belief that all human development can be explained by genetic make up is called genetic determination. This view sees behaviour as having end points and of humankind having little control over their development. The Genetic theories are rigid or Canalised systems. Plotkin and Odling-Smee, 1979, argue genetic determination needs environment to remain constant for many years in order for advantages of adaptation and natural selection to emerge. This is unlikely to happen in our ever changing environment, humankind can change its own environment. This can be seen by the creation of nuclear weapons, and the cutting down of rainforests. By studying twins and heritability it is possible to see to what extent genes influence our development. Heritability is what geneticists use to measure genetic differences, similarities are rated between 0 and 1. The higher the score the higher the heritability, indicating less genetic difference. Twins are usually reared in the same environment, monozygo tic (identical) twins share the same genetic make up and dizygotic twins (non-identical) share only half of their genes. So if development is determined by an innate blueprint then monozygotic twins should have higher heritability characteristics. E.g. Temperament, intelligence etc. than dizygotic twins. Buss and Plomin, 1984, studied twins at 4 years of age and found identical twins were similar in emotionality, Activity and Sociability heritability. Non-identical twins showed no similarities. Buss and Plomin argues this was evidence of genetic influence on development. Berscheid and Walster, 1978, found problems with the relevance of twin studies it was suggested that because monozygotic twins looked alike they were more likely to be treated alike by parents and other members of the family. This could mean that their environmental influences were more similar than dizygotic twins. NURSING NUTRITION PROJECT EssaySkinner a behaviourist disagrees with Chomosky, Behaviourists argue child development is based on conditioning and imitation. Skinner argues children acquire language not innately but through reinforcement. Skinner argues adults try to interpret a childs babbles into words and praise babbles that sound like words. Adults then reinforce the words by repeating them back to the child. The child then imitates the words of the adult and gains more praise for sounding like an adult. Behaviourists argue language is the result of the environment a child is in, as children do not invent new languages but acquire the language from the environment around them. Chomosky accepts environment does have a role to play in language development, as environment decides which language is learnt, but argues the capacity to learn language is innate. Another way of looking at language development is the child constructs its own language acquisition. The Transaction Model by Sameroff, 1991, can be applied, this follows the pattern of gene and environment creating development but the child then reacts to the feedback of development and influences its own development. Sameroff argues that as a result of a difficult birth a mother could become anxious, creating a baby that is has irregular patterns of sleeping and feeding and the mother sees the baby as difficult. The mother will spend less time with the baby and as a result the child may not attain average language development. The child is seen as active in development and creates interactions which lead to development processes. Piaget also sees the child as active in language development. Piaget reflects the constructivism theory of child development, which sees genes and environment working together to influence development. Piaget argues children do construct their own language acquisition. Piaget accepts maturation and learning are part of language development but argues a child can construct its own knowledge through its environment. Piaget says that children are born with basic actions called sensorimotor schemes and build on these foundations through interaction with environment. Piaget argues in the first two years a child has no need for language. Piaget argues that language develops through shared experiences and knowledge of the world. Piagets theory had an impact on the world of education and how teachers viewed learning. If as Piaget argues children are active learners, methods of teaching which involve lecturing students and students taking notes would not be a productive method of teaching. Teaching methods which actively involve the child and encourage exploration and self-knowledge would be more productive. A move away from examination based education and the introduction of more course work based elements is a reflection of this theory in t he world of education. In contrast Vygotsky, a social constructivist disagreed with Piaget as his theory ignored the social environment. Vygotsky argued society was essential to child development as it allowed child interaction with others. He argued that language is acquired by the child internalizing social interactions. A child learns from another person and after interactions are repeated several times the child internalizes it. Vygotsky argued this can only be achieved with another person and carried out in the childs zone of proximal development. Both Vygotsky and Piaget felt a child was active in the their own development. Vygotsky argues environment and its interactions shape the child, in contrast Piagets theory is more biologically linked. In conclusion it can be seen from looking at physical development and language development that genes and the environment operate together to influence development. In relation to child development the gene-environment perspective is not the only one to be considered. Gene only perspectives, Environment only perspectives and the Transactional model which sees the child as actively shaping its own development all play important roles and help us to understand the process of child development.