Week 3, Impressions on Human Genetics

When I try to sit and think about how genetic mapping makes me feel, I realize that it is hard for me to really come up with an opinion. Firstly because genes seem like something beyond comprehension to me: I know they are there doing their thing but I don't feel a necessarily strong connection to my genes (I can't focus my mind enough to feel them working...at least not yet :)). Secondly, genetics seem to me to encompass a part of who we are, but certainly not our totality. I feel genes are like the architect's blueprint for a house, giving it its shape and way of working, but our experiences, energy, and uniqueness color us in, like when a house is painted, decorated, and made into a home. So should scientists be mapping our genes to figure out where we came from and how we dispersed? Maybe, there seems to be some touchy social and scientific issues involved. In any case, however, they won't lead to a complete understanding of where we came from. 

It does not surprise me that we share so much genetic information with chimps and with all other animals. In fact, it seems to make sense. All animals seem to me to be pretty similar in physical form as well as in terms of needs. For so long we have tricked ourselves into thinking that we are somehow separated from the rest of our animal family, that somehow at the moment of our creation a trench arose and cut us off from the rest of the planet. I think the differences between humans and animals (as well as the differences among animals) are real and true...Humans have done things that no other animal has done, both good and bad. Somehow, thanks to the environment at the time and some new form of genetic combination, humans have been blessed with a capacity for reflection different than any other animal. But to say that that makes us completely different and not bound to the laws of nature is preposterous. Whenever I am blessed to look into an animal's eyes, there is always a hint of recognition, a knowing that makes me sure we are not that different after all. 

Week 3, Answers

D

B

D

C

D

D

Week 2, Impressions of Links

"What these examples remind us is that Darwinism is not only a scientific theory but also the basis of a worldview--and it has implications for the way we define human nature and morality and a host of other worldview questions. Of course, this is where the rubber hits the road for most of us who are not scientists. What we want to know is, what difference does Darwinism make, and what impact has it had, on questions like morality and the law, the family and education?" -Nancy R. Pearcey

I really liked this paragraph in one of the links because it really sums up a lot of the social and cultural effects that scientific ideas and theories (like evolution) make. Often times, I feel as though no one ever discusses science directly, but scientific issues are a lot of times the bud of many of the long-standing debates that go on in any society (just one example: the long battle between creationists and proponents of evolution). Science has such a subtle power to impregnate society with a lot of our world views, but we don't seem to give them the credit or blame for it. 

Week 2, How does Darwinism matter to me?

I am one of those few people who is completely fascinated by evolution and evolutionary theory. My fascination comes from a place of pure awe and respect to whatever it is that has enabled for the planet to exist and the natural world to thrive. Every time I see a tree or an animal, I am reminded that so many things and events had to happen for that being to be here and for it to have its own uniqueness. And while I understand that the history of evolutionary theory is full of notions of superiority and racism, I can really respect the people that dedicated their lives to their own version of the awe and respect that I feel. So I guess that my version of evolution is actually pretty important for me and informs a lot of the ways in which I see and relate to the world. 

Week 2, Comments on Evo-Devo

I have actually studied a lot of evolution and a lot of evolutionary theory and evo-devo is completely new to me. It really makes me wonder why I never heard about it during my undergrad and wether that had anything to do with the department not wanting us to learn about it (which is always one of those scary possibilities). In terms of the theory itself, it sounds really fascinating and seems to me to make a lot of sense. It has always struck me that development is scientifically and biologically the one crucial moment of becoming a distinct member of a species...I think the whole of creation is made up from a few relatively simple building blocks (like genes), and the way we get such an explosion of diversity comes from the interaction and construction of these building blocks. It also sounds fascinating to know how the whole development mechanism works, and how genes are "turned on and off" to create everything we see around us.  

Week 1 Impressions of Links

Personally, the history of the evolutionary theory is almost as fascinating as evolution itself. People seem to forget that evolution is a pretty old concept that has been in people's heads for a long time, even if it was never referred to as evolution. Unfortunately, it seems that the way evolution is being explained today in schools and in the population at large is reductionistic and overly simplistic. When I listen to people talk about evolution, it really seems like they are talking about Darwinism, a concept that no longer holds any real space in the academics of evolution. I studied a lot of evolution and evolutionary theory at college and the world of evolutionary theory has itself evolved and moved beyond Darwin's amazing yet archaic insights. I think it's a shame that a more appropriate and modernized version of evolution is really not known by most people.  

Week 1 Discussion Issues

Do we really understand or biological selves?

         From an allopathic, western medical perspective, it seems that we understand some of the aspects of our biological selves pretty well. We seem to know quite a bit about the way our body works in a mechanical way, our anatomy and physiology, most of the functions of the different organs, and other ways in which our bodies live and sustain themselves in the world. At the same time, however, there are a number of experiences and events that baffle the Western understanding of our being, especially functions connected to our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves. While other approaches of understanding such phenomena are denigrated by the scientific community as religious or spiritual explanations that are not based on hard facts and evidence, the western paradigm does not really offer a language in which to talk about the non-physical parts that make up who we are. It seems to me that to truly understand how all the aspects of our being communicate and work with each other we need to be more integrative in our approach of understanding the body and self, taking information from many different places and using a more holistic stance. Personally, I don’t think it is possible to completely understand everything about ourselves because we are the subject of our own study. I think that mystery, however, is a pretty amazing part of being alive.

Bio

Hi! I am Nati. I just moved to Berkeley to begin my Masters and I am in Trimester 0. I am excited to be in such a wonderful new place, surrounded by interesting people, and studying Oriental Medicine in the way that I want to study it. I look forward to getting to know all of you more as we begin this new (for some of you old) adventure together.Hi! I am Nati. I just moved to Berkeley to begin my Masters and I am in Trimester 0. I am excited to be in such a wonderful new place, surrounded by interesting people, and studying Oriental Medicine in the way that I want to study it. I look forward to getting to know all of you more as we begin this new (for some of you old) adventure together.