“Blind Patient Reads Words Stimulated Directly onto the Retina.”

“Blind Patient Reads Words Stimulated Directly onto the Retina.” Biologynews.net, Web. 22 Nov. 2012. http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/11/22/blind_patient_reads_words_stimulated_directly_onto_the_retina.html

           

In the article, “Blind patient reads words stimulated directly onto the retina” the author speaks mainly of this new breakthrough for scientists and all people affected by blindness. This discovery is, for the first time ever, scientists have found a way to send braille patterns right into the eye of a blind person. This, therefore, allows them to view and then decipher the braille patterns depicted, which essentially is almost allowing them to read.

This article and information is an incredibly important and groundbreaking discovery because it serves as the light at the end of the tunnel for all blind people who believed that regaining their sight was an insurmountable feat and can also lead to more discoveries in this field of research. “…We projected and then read individual letters in less than a second with up to 89% accuracy,” stated a researchers and although 89% accuracy may not seem perfect, in a situation where you are allowing the blind to view braille it is a huge success.

Although this article was impeccably written, there were a group of things the author could have added, or changed to make it even better. One of these changes could have been a simplified explanation of the process with which these scientists accomplished the stimulation of braille. The author also could have also cut down on the confusing, long excess explanations he gave. Another thing the author could have done was give his/her opinion on the experiment, its results and its impact. 

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http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/story/2012-04-12/baboons-reading/54213126/1

Peyton Elder

11.26.12

            I read the article, Baboons can recognize word shapes, it is about a new study out saying that baboons are able to recognize a word like a human and tell whether it’s a word or not. They set up several trials with about 10 different baboons, they had this machine the baboons would climb up to. On the screen a word would pop up, if it was a word the baboon would hit the circle if it was not a word that baboon would hit the plus sign. This was very interesting to me, and showed an advancement in technology. The article also said the baboons were able to recognize around 4 words at a time which is very impressive.

            This article is significant to our world now because it has given us new knowledge on dyslexia, researchers said that a point to a visual-attention shortfall as a explanation for dyslexia. This research has been helpful to people with dyslexia and also given us more information on monkeys like baboons that have some human capabilities in learning.

            Although this article was very interesting and impressive to read, it was a little short and didn’t explain much about the dyslexia research and how they found that baboons had the capability of doing this. I think there could have been more information presented but overall it was a fascinating article. 

Ancient Microbes Found in Buried Antarctic Lake

Ancient Microbes Found in Buried Antarctic Lake." LiveScience.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. http://www.livescience.com/25032-ancient-antarctic-microbes-found.html

            In the article “Ancient Microbes Found in Buried Antarctic Lake” we learn that researchers have now discovered a new type of bacteria under the icy surface of an Antarctic lake that has been living there for a millennium. This is very interesting because there is a lack of light and oxygen in this lake. Because of this, scientists may believe that live may be able to live on other planets. The ice on this lake is so thick that nothing can get through it naturally. To examine the water, scientists had to use drills and heated pipes. Even with the surface covered in ice, the water temperature is 7 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists are amazed that something can live under these harsh conditions. Scientists say that the microbes may have been able to live because of chemical reactions in the water.

            This article is very important to today’s society. Because the bacteria can live under these conditions, scientists believe that they may be able to live in “alien” worlds. This is a big step because now other researchers are drilling other lakes to see what else they might have missed. This is a big step because by seeing the boundaries of life on earth, scientists will be able to then know what to look for and where.

            Although this article was written well, there are a few things he could do to make it better. First, he could have given other examples of where they may be doing this to find other living things. Also, he could have given opinions on this topic from multiple scientists. He could have given some examples of where these microbes could live. Lastly, he should say if this is the first time that this has happened. 

Reactions to Everyday Stressors Predict Future Health

Penn State. "Reactions to Everyday Stressors Predict Future Health." ScienceDaily, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.

            The article, “Reactions to Everyday Stressors Predict Future Health” contradicts past beliefs that stressors cause future health problem, when the truth behind stressors are that your reaction determines health problems later in life. A professor of human development and family studies, David Almedia, conducted the research going into the study of chronic health conditions. He decided to collect information about a subset of people’s daily life and see how their reactions affect them in health ten years later. The researchers would call 2,000 people up every night for eight days straight asking about what had happened to them in the past twenty-four hours. Along with this, the researchers also collected saliva samples from the 2,000 individuals. From the salvia samples, they were able to determine amounts of the stress hormone, cortisol. This experiment was conducted in 1995 and in 2005 the research was proven that people who became upset by daily stressors suffered from chronic health problems ten years later. The amount of stress symptoms a person develops depends on the level of activity, education, and experiences that is seen in ones daily life. Reducing the exposure to the stressors isn’t an option because that would cut you out from your life completely. People need to learn how to manage hard situations in ways that would be beneficial to them.

            Stress is a major factor that most teens live with because of extracurricular activity and the amount of schoolwork that is given on a daily basis. The higher the levels of education, the more stress a person will carry because of the high expectations. Today many teens feel pressure to do well in school in order to get into a good college. The stress developed from these desires can lead to inadequate decision making skills and further stress related health problems down the road. Teens today need to learn how to deal with their stress rather than let it take over their lives. Dealing with it responsibly will prevent further issues physically as well as mentally. Learning to deal with everyday stress will help people know how to deal with it better in the future, helping to prevent further suffering.

           This article displayed good statistical information to help back up the claims that were made. It showed the different types of researching tactics that David Almedia used throughout his experiment. The article was easy to understand which is good because it can reach out to a bigger audience. This article can persuade people into learning the importance of dealing with their stress rather than letting it rule our lives. Overall, the article was interesting to read because of how easily teens and adults can relate to the stresses of everyday lives.

Sunlight Worsens Jet Pollution

Ornes, Stephen. "Sunlight WorsensJet Pollution." Science News for Kids. N.p., 23 May 2011. Web. 04Nov. 2012.  

           

In the article “Sunlight worsens jet pollution” by Stephen Ornes I learned how airplanes are producing more pollution then many think. In a recent study done by Allen Robinson, it was found that sunlight is worsening the amount of pollution that the airplanes create. A chemical reaction takes place when the sunlight hits the tiny molecules that the planes create. The scariest part about this is that mass of pollution particles multiplied by 35. Allen Robinson said, “Those numbers “sort of blew our minds.” Those numbers are very scary considering the amount of air traffic in our world. In order for Robinson and his colleagues to complete this experiment they needed to capture the pollution. They used big, inflatable bags called smog chambers. Once the scientists had captured the jets emissions, they would either allow sunlight to stream in, or turn ultraviolet lights. The light began a process known as photooxidation, which happens when light and oxygen mix. Photooxidation sparked an increase in the number of pollution particles created by the planes. So as the planes are waiting to takeoff, or in the air, they are doing a lot more damage than one would think.

            This study is something very relevant to our world considering there is a high concern for pollution, and global warming. Airplanes are so essential to the world, and the fact that they are giving of more pollution then we think is frightening. With so much concern on lowering the pollution given off from cars, we need to start thinking about lowering the amount of pollution given off by planes. Airport emissions have been on a steady increase the last few years, which is not good. In a world that is nervous and scared of global warming, people need to recognize all of the pollution threats, including airport emissions.

            I found this article interesting, as well as resourceful. I enjoyed the fact that this is such a big issue in the world, and to be honest I had never really heard about airplanes giving of a lot of pollution. I thought the writer did a great job, and all and all I enjoyed this article mightily.