(this is one of many FAQ files found at Terry) What are genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? GMOs are plants and animals which have been genetically altered under laboratory conditions by the insertion of genes from other organisms into their natural genetic makeup. Why should I be concerned about GMOs? To understand the debate surrounding GMOs, we must first understand the problems associated with the world’s food supply. According to the United Nations (UN), the number of hungry people in the world rose to an astounding 852 million in 2002, an increase of 18 million since the mid-1990s. The harmful effects…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From November, 2005
A SUSTAINABILITY F.A.Q. (MCQUEEN REMIX)
(this is one of many FAQ files found at Terry) You hear sustainability mentioned everywhere these days, but what does it actually mean? In 1983 Norwegian Prime-Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland was commissioned by the United Nations to undertake a study into “sustainable development”. The study entitled “Our Common Future” was published in 1987. It has been referred to more popularly as “The Brundtland Report”. It is in this report that the most agreed upon definition of sustainability can be found. “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet…
CLIMATE CHANGE F.A.Q. (TATLAY REMIX)
(this is one of many FAQ files found at Terry) 1. CLIMATE CHANGE? HUH? Climate Change is the measured long-term shift or change in the climate of a certain location, region, and on a larger scale…the whole planet. These changes are seen in weather, temperature, rainfall, humidity and various other ecological features of our biosphere and are caused by both natural and human factors. In addition, the study of climate change engages atmospheric science and meteorology, but the subject is so complex that it involves many other areas of the earth sciences, as well as different disciplines, such as physics,…
ABOUT TERRY
Nancy started this… Essentially, it was her idea to get David and Allen together to work on a project that used and focused on interdisciplinary thought – connections between the sciences and the humanities, directed specifically towards the undergraduate community. Fortunately, and over coffee, David and Allen hit it off pretty quick and started to think a little (and then a lot) about such a grand educational initiative. The first thing they realized, of course, was that neither was at all comfortable talking about the sciences and the humanities. Allen, after all, specializes in international security, and David dabbles in…
SATIRE, SYRACUSE, AND SEA-LEVELS
I am an avid reader of The Onion. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about please be rest assured that I’m not some sort of weirdo who looks for messages in tea leaves and the like. Perhaps the name of a vegetable is a rather unusual choice for a satirical periodical, although I would have to disagree with anyone who felt that any prior publications of this genre had set lasting precedents. The more absurd the name is the better, and as we all know, absurdity is inherent to human existence. To clarify this thought I…
PARENTS AS A NARCOTIC
Last weekend, Candace, Will and I visited my mother. And, while I was there, I realized I was very tired. Granted, I had not slept well the night before, but it suddenly occurred to me that I am often tired when I visit my mother. Then, on the way home, it also occurred to me that I often feel tired when Candace and I visit her father or mother. I brought this up to Candace. I asked her if she thought I had some kind of problem. “Have I developed a mental association with our parents…some self-imposed Pavlovian condition…is it…
10 SAMPLES FROM THE INDEX TO CREATIONIST CLAIMS
1. Claim CA005: Evolution promotes racism. 2. Claim CA010: Homosexuality is considered acceptable and even desirable by most evolutionists, who point out that homosexuality is common in many species. 3. Claim CA041: Students should be taught all sides of a controversial issue. Evolution should not be taught without teaching the controversy that surrounds it. 4. Claim CB301: The eye is too complex to have evolved. 5. Claim CE010: NASA scientists, using computers to track planetary motions, discovered that a day of time was missing, corresponding to biblical accounts of the sun’s standing still for Joshua for almost a day, plus…
10 SAMPLES FROM THE INDEX TO CREATIONIST CLAIMS
1. Claim CA005: Evolution promotes racism. 2. Claim CA010: Homosexuality is considered acceptable and even desirable by most evolutionists, who point out that homosexuality is common in many species. 3. Claim CA041: Students should be taught all sides of a controversial issue. Evolution should not be taught without teaching the controversy that surrounds it. 4. Claim CB301: The eye is too complex to have evolved. 5. Claim CE010: NASA scientists, using computers to track planetary motions, discovered that a day of time was missing, corresponding to biblical accounts of the sun’s standing still for Joshua for almost a day, plus…
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: HOPEFULLY THAT PINK DOT ISN’T MY DAUGHTER
The Structure of Romantic and Sexual Relations at “Jefferson High School.” Each circle represents a student and lines connecting students represent romantic relations occuring within the 6 months preceding the interview. Numbers under the figure count the number of times that pattern was observed (i.e. we found 63 pairs unconnected to anyone else) REFERENCE: Chains of Affection: The Structure of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Networks. (2004) Peter S. Bearman , James Moody, and Katherine Stovel , American Journal of Sociology 110: 44–91 ABSTRACT: This article describes the structure of the adolescent romantic and sexual network in a population of over…