Week 7, Our Genes

It would be scary if our genes weren't still being shaped by natural selection...I don't even know what that would mean! It seems kind of illogical to think of humans as a finished, fully evolved species that is no longer under the pressure of natural selection. The only reason that we can't see how natural selection shapes the human species is because changes caused by natural selection can be discreet and take millions of years to develop (and because our egos get in the way when we think we are the culmination creation of the universe). 

Week 7, TCM and Cancer

TCM, unlike Western Medicine, looks to the entire individual (physical, emotional, spiritual) and and his/her lifestyle to understand and treat cancer. Every cancer patient is a different case and must be treated differently according to his/her constitution, symptoms, lifestyle, etc. Although there are theoretical ways to explain how and why cancer develops in the body in TCM, how the causes interact with each person is different. Cancer, then, isn't just a problem with a person's cells going wrong and requires the entire body to heal in order for the disease to be gone. 

Week 7, Our Knowledge of Cancer

I think Western Medicine's knowledge of cancer is both very sophisticated but also utterly lacking. Scientists and researchers seem to know the cellular problem of cancer pretty well, and this type of knowledge seems to be accumulating yearly. They know the mechanics of cancer at a cellular level. On the other hand (and probably because they have been blinded by too much microscope use), doctors and scientists are completely unaware of the overarching causes, effects, and outcomes of cancer. They have seemed to forgotten that the cells they are so fond to study lie within an extremely complex, multi-layered being. 

It's positive that Chinese Medicine is gaining popularity and respectability in the West, especially among those in the Western medical profession. Hopefully, this is a sign of the changes that are beginning to occur in the world, where the West is finally ready to drop it's superiority complex and begin to respect other culture's traditions and systems of healing. It is also great for the population at large because it makes available treatments that can help people feel better and come in contact with their bodies more. 

Week 6, Chimps

The significance of the use of tools and language in chimps is that it acts as a mirror for us, reflecting back to us where we come from and how far back our culture goes. It's kind of like those old pictures of the grandparents of your grandparents: you don't really know them but there is a sense of recognition somewhere there. Although we don't see chimps making cars or baking cakes, it is pretty clear that they are social beings that are innovative in their environment. 

Week 6, Living vs. Non-Living

In my eyes, living and non-living entities combine to form living systems that then combine to create the entire ecosystem that is Earth. However, it is hard for me to distinguish between living and non-living because I don't want to presume something about what it takes to be "alive" (like I don't want to play God and decide whether or not things are alive because, after all, I am a mere mortal). It is pretty ridiculous to assume humans can judge what's alive and what isn't. 

Week 5, Broccoli

I'm starting to get annoyed at all these articles that proclaim that certain foods fight or prevent diseases. It seems very strange that we must have scientific proof that eating well proves to be good for you. It also scares me that we are so disconnected from our bodies that what a lot of people eat on an everyday basis is poisoning them. It should be obvious that eating vegetables in the scope of a healthy diet should be good for you, but I guess even that gets to be examined by the scientific method. 

Week 5, Chicken or Egg?

I vote for the egg, simply enough because the chicken had to come from somewhere. But I also think it takes several eggs (generations) for new chickens (species) to emerge. I don't think some prehistoric chicken-like bird laid an egg and out came a chicken...it must have taken a little longer than that. 

Week 5, Diversification

I think diversification is the natural state of any species. When there is a bottleneck in the genetic material, many times species either die out or evolve into some new form of that species. When diversification starts to decrease, especially due to the overproduction of one strain or the forced mating of particular animals, it would seem as though the entire population would suffer. Genetic material is being taken out of the genetic pool and not allowed to be distributed through out the population. If diversification was re-introduced, I don't know wether it would be able to save a dying species. 

Week 4, Chimps and Humans

I really don't know when chimps and humans diverged, and I am more confused now than I have ever been. When I was studying primatology in college, I was convinced chimps and humans were closer both culturally and genetically to humans  than everyone else thought. Then I shifted back into thinking we were still very different than chimps. And then I stopped thinking about it altogether. Now, I have no idea...and there seems to be arguments on both ends that appeal to me. I guess right now I am comfortable with not knowing. 

Week 4, Dopamine

Yes, I think any human being can potentially raise the level of dopamine or any other chemical in their body. The human mind has a tremendous power if it is concentrated, harnessed, and effectively used. However, I think it is easier to "trick" your body into doing it if you get a treatment or a pill. I think this is partly true because we can completely believe that the desired effect will come to be thanks to the pill or treatment, rather than the power of our mind-body connection. I think placebos are an amazing way to heal. It's just too bad we are not taught to heal ourselves with that inherent healing power we all posses. 

Week 4, Is there a drug for everything?

There seems to be drug around just for everything, and there also seems to be a named disease around for any symptom as well. It seems like a conspiracy from the pharmaceuticals to come up with all these diseases which they can then sell drugs for, which in turn make people more sick and an environment in which then new diseases can surge. I know this is a generalized and paranoid view to take on the matter, and I am not completely convinced of it myself. But it seems really sad and unnecessary to be doing this to ourselves. As the number of ailments and diseases increase, we keep on buying medication instead of taking a good look at what we are doing to get sos sick.