Brandon Avant
Wendy Sumner-Winter
English 1020
05 May 2010
Blog 13
What if I had a topic to write about? Maybe I wouldn’t be writing about nothing, but it looks like that is what is going to happen today. I meant to get more blogs done before now, but my procrastination along with studying for other things got the best of me once again. Overall though, I think I did much better this semester about doing my work before the last second.
In the past, I have waited until the night before it was due to start any assignment, regardless of length or complexity. Now I start at best a few days before it is time to turn it in. I think that is a pretty good improvement myself. I still want to do better though. I feel like my work could be of much higher quality if I utilized all of my allotted time instead of just the last little bit of it. I also think that I would be much less stressed overall, because I would not be constantly worrying about when my next assignment is due. If I started working on it right away, I could finish it in plenty of time, and probably get even better grades!
Hopefully, I will keep progressing towards this goal. Maybe someday I will reach it and be a much better learner because of it. Another area I still need to improve on is studying. I have a Biology test in a few hours that I haven’t studied for quite enough. Hopefully, my next few hours will be very enlightening and get me a good grade in that class. A “B” is still in sight for that class, and I desperately need A’s and B’s. Anyways, I guess that’s about it! I hope everyone has a great summer!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Blog 12, What if?
What if day and night were reversed? What I mean is, what if the majority of people were awake during the night and slept during the day? I think things would be very interesting, and some of our physical features would likely be different.
I think the eyes would probably be the biggest difference. If humans had evolved to be nocturnal, out eyes would probably be much bigger to take in more light. This would help us be able to function the same at night as we do during the day now. Our eyes would have probably evolved to the point where we would be able to see as well as any nocturnal animal. On the other hand, our eyes would be of very little use during the day. Similar to how we must use lights at night, we would probably have to wear veils over our eyes so that the sun wouldn’t blind us.
Another thing that would probably be different is our skin. Since we wouldn’t be in the sun as often, it would probably be much lighter. On the other hand, the dark skin trait might have still occurred due to it being able to blend into the night. I can’t really say which would be dominant, but it would be one way or the other. It could even be a combination of both.
Of course, none of this really matters, because it didn’t happen, but I think it is still a cool concept. I like to think about alternate realities and stuff like this. We may have even had a nocturnal ancestor at some point, but he didn’t make it to the current day. Either way, I really like this idea!
I think the eyes would probably be the biggest difference. If humans had evolved to be nocturnal, out eyes would probably be much bigger to take in more light. This would help us be able to function the same at night as we do during the day now. Our eyes would have probably evolved to the point where we would be able to see as well as any nocturnal animal. On the other hand, our eyes would be of very little use during the day. Similar to how we must use lights at night, we would probably have to wear veils over our eyes so that the sun wouldn’t blind us.
Another thing that would probably be different is our skin. Since we wouldn’t be in the sun as often, it would probably be much lighter. On the other hand, the dark skin trait might have still occurred due to it being able to blend into the night. I can’t really say which would be dominant, but it would be one way or the other. It could even be a combination of both.
Of course, none of this really matters, because it didn’t happen, but I think it is still a cool concept. I like to think about alternate realities and stuff like this. We may have even had a nocturnal ancestor at some point, but he didn’t make it to the current day. Either way, I really like this idea!
Blog 11, What if?
What if scientists had greater control over the traits plants exhibit(part 3)? As stated in my previous two blog posts, the THC-CBD balance in Marijuana has been upset by street breeders. A group of scientists are investigating this balance to find out how it affects the human mind. This idea brings about some interesting possibilities.
The article made an interesting point about the changes made to the marijuana plant through unnatural selection. If the street breeders were able to amplify a desirable effect in marijuana, then why can’t undesirable traits be bred out of other plants. For example, why can’t a coca farmer breed a coca plant from which less harmful cocaine could be made? Without the harmful effects to the brain, what is there to keep cocaine illegal? Another example, why can’t opium growers breed a less addictive opiate? This could launch a whole new generation of pain meds without the high risk of addiction. It could start a medical revolution. While I don’t ever see cocaine being made legal, this is still an interesting concept. The power of evolution quickened and changed through unnatural selection could dramatically change our drug market in the near future.
I don’t actually know the plausibility of any of the ideas in the above paragraph, and the article only mentioned these as open-ended closing thoughts. I do, however have some knowledge in the field of evolution and natural selection. Maybe someday these ideas will be a reality. Humans have been breeding traits in and out of plants for years. If enough studying is put into these things, who knows what could happen?
In conclusion, carelessness created by illicit activity has likely made marijuana more dangerous. Scientists are trying to confirm that the unbalancing of THC and CBD is truly the culprit. They are also trying to change the plant to make it less dangerous. If the scientists accomplish this, it could likely cause a big movement towards decriminalization. That will surely impact society in a large way.
The article made an interesting point about the changes made to the marijuana plant through unnatural selection. If the street breeders were able to amplify a desirable effect in marijuana, then why can’t undesirable traits be bred out of other plants. For example, why can’t a coca farmer breed a coca plant from which less harmful cocaine could be made? Without the harmful effects to the brain, what is there to keep cocaine illegal? Another example, why can’t opium growers breed a less addictive opiate? This could launch a whole new generation of pain meds without the high risk of addiction. It could start a medical revolution. While I don’t ever see cocaine being made legal, this is still an interesting concept. The power of evolution quickened and changed through unnatural selection could dramatically change our drug market in the near future.
I don’t actually know the plausibility of any of the ideas in the above paragraph, and the article only mentioned these as open-ended closing thoughts. I do, however have some knowledge in the field of evolution and natural selection. Maybe someday these ideas will be a reality. Humans have been breeding traits in and out of plants for years. If enough studying is put into these things, who knows what could happen?
In conclusion, carelessness created by illicit activity has likely made marijuana more dangerous. Scientists are trying to confirm that the unbalancing of THC and CBD is truly the culprit. They are also trying to change the plant to make it less dangerous. If the scientists accomplish this, it could likely cause a big movement towards decriminalization. That will surely impact society in a large way.
Blog 10, What if?
What if scientists had greater control over the traits plants exhibit(continued)? As I began to say in Blog 9, Since Marijuana was made illegal, it was bred on the streets. The street breeders have made it more dangerous by upsetting the balance of THC to CBD.
This has lead to many other scientist researching other, more balanced specimens of marijuana. They want to determine if a more balanced plant is less dangerous. The general idea is that the THC-CBD balanced pot will not have the psychosis inducing effects of the street stuff. If this is true, one of the biggest arguments against the decriminalization of marijuana will be thrown out the window.
This discovery very well could progress marijuana towards decimalization in the United States. While I don’t feel very strongly in either direction about it, I know people who share both views. As a teenager, I probably don’t have to tell you that I know people who smoke it, and I probably also don’t have to tell you how they feel about it. On the other hand, I know people who are completely against marijuana use. My dad is a good example of this. He has always held the common view that marijuana is a ‘gateway drug.’ This term means that it makes a user more likely to experiment with other, heavier drugs, such as cocaine, heroine, and methamphetamine. While I don’t know the scientific data behind it, from my personal observations, this may not be true. Most of the people that I have seen smoke pot don’t do anything. Also, please notice that the article I read didn’t address this issue, but I thought that my personal opinion and incite was worth including. (Continued in Blog 11).
This has lead to many other scientist researching other, more balanced specimens of marijuana. They want to determine if a more balanced plant is less dangerous. The general idea is that the THC-CBD balanced pot will not have the psychosis inducing effects of the street stuff. If this is true, one of the biggest arguments against the decriminalization of marijuana will be thrown out the window.
This discovery very well could progress marijuana towards decimalization in the United States. While I don’t feel very strongly in either direction about it, I know people who share both views. As a teenager, I probably don’t have to tell you that I know people who smoke it, and I probably also don’t have to tell you how they feel about it. On the other hand, I know people who are completely against marijuana use. My dad is a good example of this. He has always held the common view that marijuana is a ‘gateway drug.’ This term means that it makes a user more likely to experiment with other, heavier drugs, such as cocaine, heroine, and methamphetamine. While I don’t know the scientific data behind it, from my personal observations, this may not be true. Most of the people that I have seen smoke pot don’t do anything. Also, please notice that the article I read didn’t address this issue, but I thought that my personal opinion and incite was worth including. (Continued in Blog 11).
Blog 9, What If?
What if scientists had greater control over the traits plants exhibit? I decided to write about this topic because of an article I found while doing some research for another paper. The article talked about Marijuana and the way it has changed due to selective breeding by street dealers.
The legality of the usage of marijuana in the United States is becoming a hot topic. Many people, including several doctors, want it legalized for medicinal use. This is mostly because of it’s effects on cancer patients; the THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana allows them to cope with the pain and keep food down. Others want it legalized for recreational use, for obvious reasons. While other still want it kept illegal completely. A recent study may help to tip the scale one way or the other.
Studies have shown that marijuana use affects some people’s mental health later in life; it has been shown to lead to schizophrenia. This is only seen in a small number of people, but it is still a big deal. This psychosis inductive property is often misconstrued and used by anti-pot groups as propaganda for keeping it illegal. Amanda Feilding at Oxford's Beckley Foundation and Paul Morrison at London's Institute of Psychiatry did some experiments to try to find the cause of this mental change. They did numerous experiments on street grade pot and made an interesting discovery.
Since it was made illegal, marijuana has been sold on the streets. Since it has been sold on the streets, it has been bred for potency of THC. From this stems the problem. When the potency of THC went up, the concentration of cannabidol(CBD) went down. The CBD acted as a balance for many of THC’s psychoactive effects. This means that the street breeders not only made it stronger but also more dangerous. They seem to have upset a balance inside of the plant though unnatural selection. (continued on Blog 10)
The legality of the usage of marijuana in the United States is becoming a hot topic. Many people, including several doctors, want it legalized for medicinal use. This is mostly because of it’s effects on cancer patients; the THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana allows them to cope with the pain and keep food down. Others want it legalized for recreational use, for obvious reasons. While other still want it kept illegal completely. A recent study may help to tip the scale one way or the other.
Studies have shown that marijuana use affects some people’s mental health later in life; it has been shown to lead to schizophrenia. This is only seen in a small number of people, but it is still a big deal. This psychosis inductive property is often misconstrued and used by anti-pot groups as propaganda for keeping it illegal. Amanda Feilding at Oxford's Beckley Foundation and Paul Morrison at London's Institute of Psychiatry did some experiments to try to find the cause of this mental change. They did numerous experiments on street grade pot and made an interesting discovery.
Since it was made illegal, marijuana has been sold on the streets. Since it has been sold on the streets, it has been bred for potency of THC. From this stems the problem. When the potency of THC went up, the concentration of cannabidol(CBD) went down. The CBD acted as a balance for many of THC’s psychoactive effects. This means that the street breeders not only made it stronger but also more dangerous. They seem to have upset a balance inside of the plant though unnatural selection. (continued on Blog 10)
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