Will Maze

Core Chem

Current event 9

4/3015

“Afraid of spiders? Try virtual reality.”

"Afraid of Spiders? Try Virtual Reality." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.  

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/29/technology/virtual-reality-therapy-phobias/index.html

Startups and universities are starting to treat phobias using “virtual reality.” With realistic and immersive technologies like the Oculus Rift, therapists could help a patient overcome crippling fear using safe, easy-to-wrangle simulated spiders. This new way to cure people’s phobias could lead to something much bigger than a pair of goggles. People that suffer from medium to severe phobia can be cured in a couple of months, weeks, maybe days! I am very scared of crocodiles and alligators (even though I hardly see any and if I do its on break). If I were to use the “virtual reality” method I could potentially get rid of my phobia in a couple of weeks. Roughly 9% of the U.S. population suffers from a specific phobia according to the National Institute of Mental Health, which classifies it as an anxiety disorder. For example, A child who was afraid of pigeons would be started by facing a single virtual pigeon. A therapist sat near him to help with their coping skills. Many more pigeons would be added as the child would then soon become increasingly more comfortable with the birds.      

This is important to society because it can help people with their coping skills with their phobias. At the end of the day, even with the best animators and video, patients know real tarantulas aren't crawling across the floor. It's possible some people won't find virtual reality real enough to trigger anxiety, but Maskey says they haven't encountered anyone who didn't react yet. Virtual worlds won't trick a person into thinking they're actually on a plane, in a crowded square, being pricked by a needle or facing a horde of birds. But for many people who are afraid of flying, just the sound of a plane's wheels going up is enough to set their heart racing. This is significant because week by week the people with the phobia can get used to new stages of the plane or in a crowded space.

This article was very short and only gave a summary of what is really happening with this virtual world. There were not many other speakers in this article meaning we could not hear any other types of coping theories. Overall, this article was interesting and I did get a full understanding of what the experts were really trying to express with us and what types of coping methods really are working with these patients.  

The Secret to Aging May Lie in How Our DNA Is Packaged.

Evelyn Kluemper

April 30, 2015

Current Event 9

Park, Alice. "The Secret to Aging May Lie in How Our DNA Is Packaged." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

http://time.com/3841620/scientists-discover-the-secret-to-keeping-cells-young/

In the article “The Secret to Aging May Lie in How Our DNA Is Packaged”, Alice Park describes the discoveries made by scientists at the Salk Institute. A team led by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte studied patients with Werner syndrome, a disease that rapidly accelerates aging. People with this disease carry cells that have loosely packed chromosomes that are located in the nucleus. This is a result of a mutation of the Werner gene that fails to organize the chromosomes and does not repair mistakes in the DNA replicating process. When scientists removed the Werner gene from a healthy embryonic stem cell, they aged prematurely. Their chromosomes loosened, as they would with a patient with Werner syndrome. Scientists hypothesize that how quickly someone ages depends on how tightly packed the DNA is.

Although this has only been done in a population of stem cells, in the future, this knowledge may develop medical technology to alter the packaging of DNA and slow or even reverse the aging process. However, further research must be done to justify that chromosome instability is the only factor to aging before scientists begin to alter genes in people.

This article was clear as to describing the how the chromosome behaves in a healthy person compared to a patient with Werner syndrome. However, the author did not clearly explain the role of the Werner gene. The author failed to write any statistics, for example, it would have been interesting to know how much quicker cells age without the Werner gene compared to healthy cells. Also, the quotes selected were redundant and did not add anything. Overall, this discovery is very promising and with further development may result in finding ways to lengthen one’s life.

Nepal Earthquake Offers Hints of Worse to Come

CHEM

Ned McCann

April 30, 2015

Current Event 9

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/nepal-earthquake-offers-hints-worse-come

Sumner, Thomas. "Nepal Earthquake Offers Hints of Worse to Come." Student Science. N.p., 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

In the article, Nepal Earthquake Offers Hints of Worse to Come by Thomas Sumner, it explains the recent 7.8 Earthquake in Nepal and the magnitude it has had on the world. It explains how the earthquake has killed thousands of people and that even larger earthquakes could be coming soon. The article explains what an earthquake is, saying that they happens along fractures in Earth’s crust which are called faults. It mentions that a few faults label the boundaries between tectonic plates. Earthquakes relieve stress in the Earth’s tectonic plates, and the earthquake in Nepal only relieved on some stress. This means that relieving stress of the nearby tectonic plates will cause even more harmful earthquakes. Kristen Morell, a geologist of the University of Victoria in Canada says, “The hazard isn’t gone... And strain is still building up in all the other regions from Pakistan all the way to eastern Tibet.” In the region of Nepal, the area has been building stress since its last devastating earthquake in 1505.

I choose this article because I wanted to learn more about the recent earthquake in Nepal and also about Earthquakes in general. The earthquake in Nepal has been all over the news and has affected thousands of people worldwide. This earthquake devastated the world and the people in the region. By reading this article I learned much more about earthquakes, and it has also encouraged me to try and see how I can help donate or help. In the past few days the entire world has watched the country of Nepal, and with articles like this, we can learn more about them.

The article was very well written, and Thomas Sumner did a very good job. He did a great job explaining what an earthquake was and why they happened. Also he did a really good job not only talking about earthquakes in general but the one in Nepal as well. I was also very interested in learning that there could be even worse earthquakes in years to come. The article consisted of informative details and vocabulary.

New Blood Test Shows Promise in Cancer Fight

iopsy.html?ref=science&_r=1

In this intriguing article, New Blood Test Shows Promise in Cancer Fight, by Gina Kolata, the author discusses the new way that could eventually help treat cancer. As a result of new research, now surgeons are starting to test the use of  liquid biopsies instead of cancer biopsies. A cancer biopsy is when a surgeon cuts out a piece of the patient’s tumor. However a liquid biopsy is a blood test that has only recently been recently used because of our great new technology. This new biopsy is very helpful because it is a much quicker and easier way to find out if a specific treatment is working or not. “This could change forever the way we follow up not only response to treatments but also the emergence of resistance, and down the line could even be used for really early diagnosis,” said Dr. José Baselga, physician in chief and chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Sloan Kettering is a prestigious cancer hospital, so if this doctor is a cancer expert and works at Sloan, he definitely knows what he is talking about.

This new research and data is very obvious as to why it is so helpful for humans. Cancer is a huge cause of death and is a very devastating disease for those who have it and even the people around the cancer patient. There are plenty of ways to help cancer, however we are yet to discover a cure for cancer. This new outbreak in research may not be the cure, but it could possibly lead to the cure. Anything to help reduce deaths from cancer is a huge step for humanity and will be used and remembered forever. Our society needs as much information as possible about cancer and how to help treat it. This article provides that information, the article tells us how cancer research has developed over time and how useful it actually is.

The article as a whole was beautifully written and well thought out. The author did a great job presenting all of this information and research to the reader while keeping it interesting. However, there were some flaws. The vocabulary in the article was impressive, but it was a bit extreme. There were multiple words i did not know and was forced to look them up. For example: transformative, feasible, onerous, etc., I did not know these words. There was not much else to critique besides that, I thought this author did an excellent job.

Posted for D. Meehan

Sam Powell 4/26/15

Current Event 8 Review:

New Study Links Weather Extremes to Global Warming

Gillis, Justin. "New Study Links Weather Extremes to Global Warming." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/science/new-study-links-weather-extremes-to-global-warming.html?ref=science&_r=0

Throughout the article, “New Study Links Weather Extremes to Global Warming,” written by Justin Gill, Gill describes the new developments that have come with global warming.  As a result of human emissions leading to frequent heat extremes, scientists have concluded that if interruptions are made in the process, the number of heat extremes will increase in vast amounts.  Furthermore, if these emissions continue at an extremely rates, heavy rain falls will occur much more often in the upcoming future.  While some might say that these problems have occurred since before human influence, although Dr. Eric Fisher agrees with the doubters, he says “But the odds have changed, and we get more of them.”  Not only is Fisher concerned with our future years down the road, but the common increases in temperature should cause our society today to worry about the present.  Heat waves continue to play a role on many members of the world, and if the average temperature of the world continues to increase by day, these heat waves will continue to grow and create havoc throughout many nations.  However, while these scenarios are quite possible, if we are able to limit the number of human emissions in the next few years, according to Dr. Fisher’s studies, the heat extremes will increase, but not by much.  In all, Fisher’s experimentation into this field has led many to wonder whether the use of human emissions is necessary.  

While these studies are based off one doctor’s intellectual opinion on global warming, I completely agree with Dr. Eric Fisher, in saying that these human emissions are completely unnecessary and can be avoided.  The impact on the economy and the environment, if these changes were to occur, would prove dividends in providing this planet with the safety and protection it deserves.  Not only will these heat extremes if not dealt with impact the environment in a negative way, but also the increase in heat waves could end the lives of so many innocent souls.  These changes need to occur, and I hope to do anything possible in future years to cure these withstanding issues.

Although I do believe Justin Gill did a terrific job in his analysis of Dr. Eric Fisher’s research, I see a few areas that need improvement.  For example, while Gill mentions Fisher’s research, he never cares to acknowledge the vast numbers of studies that have been done supporting other opinions on the sources of these temperature increases or the nonexistence of global warming.  Furthermore, I would have liked to see Gill, towards the end of the article, have a few paragraphs explaining his own view on the topic.  I truly believe these two small incorporations of detail would heighten the meaning and success of this paper.  

Chinese Scientists Edit Genes of Human Embryos, Raising Concerns

Nate Moore April 27, 2015

Chemistry Current events 8

Kolata, Gina. "Chinese Scientists Edit Genes of Human Embryos, Raising Concerns." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/health/chinese-scientists-edit-genes-of-human-embryos-raising-concerns.html?ref=science

The article I chose to review, “Chinese Scientists Edit Genes of Human Embryos, Raising Concerns” by Gina Kolata discusses recent testing done by Chinese scientists on human embryos, a decision that was highly controversial and raised many questions about the future of human gene editing. The article opens by discussing that prior to China’s experiment, leading researchers had decided to not test embryos until it could be proved to be completely safe as well as ethical. The Chinese scientists inevitably failed in their endeavours and for exactly the the safety reasons American researchers had not wanted to try the experiment. They tested 85 different embryos and altered a certain gene in every cell as a way to test whether gene modification could potentially be a realistic option in the future. The result that they got was not what they were looking for. Some of the embryo cells overcame the editing, rendering the process ineffective and others led to further DNA mutations. Many scientists believe this will lead to unsafe practices in which babies with all their cells modified being born. Dr. George Q. Daly, a researcher at Harvard, discusses the danger of the practice, saying, “This is an unsafe procedure and should not be practiced at this time, and perhaps never.” He argues that this was the Chinese scientists last attempt to modify genes, yet some think that this was just the beginning of their testing. They use a program called Crispr that allows “researchers to cut out selected genes and insert new ones.” However, scientists worry this program is not as developed as it should.

The possible implications for these tests as well as genetic modifying in general on our own lives is significant. Correct gene modification would be extremely helpful in eliminating horrible diseases from the earth and could save millions of lives. However, if a modification goes wrong then the embryo will often die or be even more impaired than before. If the process becomes successful then the inevitable next step is to modify physical appearance. Thoguh appealing, it would remove all individuality from human existence and everyone would look extremely similar.

This article was extremely well written and featured a lot of good opinions from several of the worlds leading scientists on the subject. The author used excellent vocabulary and commanded a wide range of knowledge in regards to the gene modification process. Furthermore, to back up his major points Kolata included quotes from significant papers as well as quotes from scientists from Harvard and Cal Tech. Despite much of the article being very engaging, I felt that the article did not give much background on the topic and people outside of the scientific community might not understand some of his analysis, particularly when she discusses the exact process the Chinese scientists went through. Aside from this, I thoroughly enjoyed the article and I learned a lot.

The Quest for extraterrestrial life, NASA takes it to the next level

Tommy Meade

Chemistry

http://www.esbtrib.com/2015/04/26/10525/the-quest-for-extraterrestrial-life-nasa-takes-it-to-the-next-level/

The Quest for extraterrestrial life, NASA takes it to the next level

By Empire State Tribune

The article “The Quest for extraterrestrial life, NASA takes it to the next level” by Empire State Tribune Starts with a good hook and is followed by a strong outside source. Another aspect of the article was the proof of evidence that was shown in the article to try to explain this extraterrestrial life that experts were searching for. The author also presented the author in a very reader friendly way to allow people of all age to have a sense of what NASA was trying to find. Could have used more than one resource to their advantage to help prove other theories or show the opposing side so the author could be more objective. The author may have also wanted to go into a more depth with the evidence on the topic and the search for this extraterrestrial life. I learned of something called an exoplanet which is a star alike to the sun and that the first discovery of one was in 1995. Now we have discovered over thousands of these from NASA’s Kepler space telescope.

Blob of warm Pacific water threatens ecosystem, may intensify drought,

William Maze

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/22/us/pacific-ocean-blob/index.html

In the article, “Blob of warm Pacific water threatens ecosystem, may intensify drought,” it talks about how there is a blob of water in the pacific ocean that has no life and where it should be significantly hotter than other places in the water. In the fall of 2013 and early 2014 scientists started to find this big blob of water that did not get cooler like the rest of the water around it. To most this blob is not a very big deal however, the salmon fishermen and other fishermen need the fish to make a living and to supply the markets. For the past few years, a ridge of high pressure has kept the West dry and warm, making the drought in California more frustrating. This weather pattern has been confusing for the experts in which some of them think that this is a long lasting el nino. Dennis Hartmann, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington, says, "I don't think we know … maybe it will go away quickly and we won't talk about it anymore, but if it persists for a third year, then we'll know something really unusual is going on."

This article is significant because if some of these experts are not correct about the blob being an el nino, then we could be dealing with global warming. This could also put people out of work. For example, if there is no more fish close to the shores of Seattle and the boat can only go so far then that business would eventually start to fall. This could also kill a lot of fish and sea wildlife if they stay in the blob for too long.

This article was very short and only gave a summary of what is really happening in the pacific ocean and the blob. There were not many other speakers in this article meaning we could not hear any other theories of what this blob could be. Overall, this article was interesting but i did not receive a full understanding of what the experts really think this is and what is really coming up on the weather radars.      

New Genetic Tests for Breast Cancer Hold Promise.

Pollack, Andrew. "New Genetic Tests for Breast Cancer Hold Promise." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

IN the article “New Genetic Tests for Breast Cancer Hold Promise” by Andrew Pollack, ANdrew speaks about studies being done to try to test the presence of the BCRA-1 and BCRA-2 genes, the genes which give women a higher risk of breast cancer. Tests are also being formed for ovarian cancer in ovaries and fallopian tubes. Many companies such as LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics (the two largest companies, also rivals) are pooling their efforts to try to come up with an inexpensive, effective test that tests the presence of  17 cancer-affiliated genes. The test is so inexpensive that almost any woman could purchase it out of pocket, which is a major advancement, because most insurance companies don’t cover tests similar to these. Although these tests are not available yet, they are on their way and look promising.

This article has a large on impact on many lives. If humanity was able to tell if women had mutated genes before they grew cancer, we would be able to almost cure ovarian and breast cancer, two of the most harsh and dangerous cancers. This would save countless lives and also would boost morale of women in a patriarchal world. Women have always been considered inferior to men, and if science could defeat the two largest cancers in women, than things would be more upbeat for women.

I liked this article a lot. I thought it was very well written, and it was easy to follow. I do wish they had talked more about the actual tests, and not just the research and companies involved. It would have helped the reader understand the article better. Despite that minor flaw, this article was well done.

Gene Therapy: Tame HIV

Gallagher, James. "Gene Therapy: 'Tame HIV' Used to Cure Disease." BBC News. BBC, 21 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

This article is extremely interesting and opens many new doors to the medical world. This article written by James Gallagher talks about 7 boys in Europe who have a rare genetic disease. The disease is called  Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. It affects about 1 in every million children born, yet it is pretty much exclusive with a few rare cases. These children had physical conditions like being bound to a wheelchair as well as extremely weak immune systems. For example, if they got small scratches or cuts the results, if not treated properly, can be deadly. The experiment done on these children was a bone marrow translate. But instead of your typical transplant the bone marrow was treated with a tamed strain of HIV. Weeks the surgery the boys were able to fully function as well as have stronger immune systems.

This experiment could help save a small population of young boys across the world. Besides the fact that they possibly cured a disease they tamed HIV. I had never heard that fact before. This, knock on wood, does not affect my life. My brother and I both are in good health and haven't ever been hospitalized.     

This article was very informative as well as to the point. The article was about 20 short paragraphs that included very important and helpful information to the topic. I wouldn’t cut any lines or add any to this article. I also learned a lot of new information.   

Sarah Flanagan

April 22nd, 2015

Current Event 8

Chemistry 

Listeria: What is it, how do you get it, and what's the risk?

Yan, Holly, and Jacque Wilson. "Listeria: What Is It, and What's the Risk?" CNN. Cable News Network, 21 Apr. 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/health/listeria-explainer/index.html>.

In the article, "Listeria: What is it, how do you get it, and what's the risk?" by Holly Yan and Jacque Wilson, it describes a common, harmful bacteria that has been found in many grocery store products over the years. On April 20th, Blue Bell Creameries has recalled its entire line of frozen products from grocery stores that were produced on March 17th and March 27th of this year. It was found that they were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria causing serious infections. The bacteria is 'resistant to extreme hot or cold' and it is pathogenic, meaning that it is infectious to humans. It is said that about 10% of humans are possible carriers of the bacteria. Listeria can easily be "transferred to raw foods such as unpasteurized dairy products, raw vegetables and raw meats."  It mostly affects people with weak immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, and newborns. It also says that pregnant women can experience a 'spontaneous abortion' because of infections due to the Listeria. The article states that, "In the U.S., an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill each year. And about 16% of those illnesses result in death." Some symptoms of the bacteria is muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, and high fevers, which can commonly be taken for the flu. Blue Bell was not the only company this year to issue a recall of products. Sabra Dipping Co. recalled 30,000 cases of their hummus this month and Amy's Kitchen Inc. recalled 74,000 cases of different products because of traces of the Listeria mynocytogenes. It was also said that, "In January, three companies issued voluntary recalls of caramel apples after seven people died from apples that may have been infected with Listeria." One of the worst outbreaks documented was in 1998 when 21 people were killed from contaminated hot dogs and deli meats. In the United States, about 800 cases of Listeria are reported a year. With Blue Bell, there have been about eight cases recorded so far. The Blue Bell CEO and president, Paul Kruse, has now promised to amend the conditions and testing in the Blue Bell factories. Companies will constantly have this problem, putting their reputation at risk. 

Companies not being careful when testing their food products put the people in great risk of not only being infected by the Listeria bacteria, but maybe other harmful things as well. This is certainly not a new problem that we face. It has gotten better, but it isn't completely gone. There are some recommendations in the article for keeping food safe from bacteria. It says to cook meat to the suggested temperatures, wash fruits and vegetables, keep the fridge below 40 degrees, and eat leftovers within three to four days of putting it in the fridge. Some may think that this bacteria is not serious, but there have been many cases where it has caused people to die. Food companies and the overall public need to keep this in mind. 

I thought that this article was able to explain and give a lot of detail about all the aspects of Listeria. Though the article was informative and gave many good facts, the set up of the article was quite strange. It was like a mix between a question and answer and a regular article. It made it easier to find the information, but I felt that it would have flowed better if the article was written regularly. I never knew that companies recalling their products happens so frequently and that this was the reason they did it so this article was very interesting for me.  

Katie Gordon

April 19, 2015

WWII Ship Used for Atomic Bomb Tests Found 'Amazingly Intact'

http://www.livescience.com/50522-uss-independence-shipwreck-discovered.html

Bryner, Jeanna. "WWII Ship Used for Atomic Bomb Tests Found 'Amazingly Intact'" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 17 Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2015.

After being on the floor of the ocean for sixty-four years the USS Independence aircraft carrier was located about a half mile off California’s Farallon Islands, this aircraft carrier was used in World War II. By using autonomous underwater vehicle the “Echo Ranger” and a 3D-imaging sonar system, scientists were able to create an underwater detailed picture of the ship that lays 622-feet long at the bottom of the ocean. "After 64 years on the seafloor, Independence sits on the bottom as if ready to launch its planes," James Delgado, chief scientist on the Independence mission, said in a statement. "This ship fought a long, hard war in the Pacific and, after the war, was subjected to two atomic blasts that ripped through the ship. It is a reminder of the industrial might and skill of the 'greatest generation' that sent not only this ship, but their loved ones to war," added Delgado, maritime heritage director for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The Independence was one of the ships used in World War II to test atomic bombs on. These tests were called Operation Crossroads, the project consisted of two atomic bomb tests: an airstrike and an underwater strike meant to reveal the effects of a nuclear explosion on a naval fleet, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

By finding this ship, it has brought up the nation’s past wars. The finding of this ship can affect many peoples lives, especially scientists by helping them understand the past more. Also, more people can understand that there are still things we are finding and our technology is only helping us find these things.

Although I found this article were informative and interesting, the base of the explanation of the ship was sometimes confusing. Throughout the article the writer tried to explain the purpose of the ship and how it was found, I had to do my own research to actually find how these facts because the article itself did not portray these facts easily.

Shannon Hendrick

Current Event

Core Chemistry

4/19/15

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/health/blood-test-shows-promise-as-alternative-to-cancer-biopsy.html?ref=science&_r=0

In the article, Blood Test Shows Promise as Alternative to Cancer Biopsy, by Gina Kolata, the main point is to try and get across how a new cancer biopsy could be more accurate and efficient. Usually, surgeons use something called a cancer biopsy. During a cancer biopsy, surgeons must cut a piece of the patient’s tumor. However, a newly discovered alternative, called a liquid biopsy could be a better alternative. A liquid biopsy is a blood test where doctors will get data on the patient about the treatment assigned to see if it is working properly faster. “This could change forever the way we follow up not only response to treatments but also the emergence of resistance, and down the line could even be used for really early diagnosis,” said Dr. José Baselga, a physician in chief and chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Many Cancer Institutes do not have the option to perform a liquid biopsy yet. And being a new study, it must be tested to make sure that it is working correctly. People have been testing liquid biopsies on certain cancers such as, lung cancer, colon cancer, and blood cancer. From the tests on these types of cancers, it seems that the liquid biopsy is a positive factor in finding early developments. “...the test predicted recurrences more than three months before they were noticeable on CT scans. The liquid biopsies also identified patients unlikely to respond to therapy.” This could be helpful in the future.

This article gives an immense amount of information as to how the liquid biopsy could be helpful in the near future. Not only does the test provide data much earlier than a cancer biopsy or a CT, but it is much easier to preform. A cancer biopsy or CT scan cannot be done every week, however, a blood test can. This would allow for more results to insure the doctors and patients that they are getting better,“I cannot do a weekly liver biopsy and see how things are going,” Dr. Baselga said. “But I can do a blood test every week”. The article also states that by finding out information about the cancer earlier, it will be easier to decipher if the patient needs stage 2 chemotherapy. This could be helpful in the future because chemotherapy is a very serious process that should only be done if completely necessary, and by finding out if the patient needs it earlier, there is a better chance that they will live.

Overall, I think that the author did a great job on writing and explaining what the article is about. It was helpful how the author got first hand sources about the new test:  liquid biopsy. However, there is room for improvement. Within the first two paragraphs, there were already many words that I had to look up. I understand that it is probably because this is an article written for an adult, and it is on a very serious topic but it slowed down my thought process. “They call it the liquid biopsy, and it is a blood test that has only recently become feasible with the latest exquisitely sensitive techniques,” from this sentence, I did not know what the word feasible meant, but I looked it up and now know it means possible to do easily. Other than that, I think that this article was helpful in understanding what scientists think about the new liquid biopsy, and how it will be effective in the future.

Kolata, Gina. "Blood Test Shows Promise as Alternative to Cancer Biopsy." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Chimps That Hunt Offer a New View on Evolution
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/science/hunting-chimps-offer-new-view-on-evolution.html?ref=science&_r=0

Gorman, James. "Chimps That Hunt Offer a New View on Evolution." The New York Times.

The New York Times, 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

The article Chimps That Hunt Offer a New View on Evolution by James Gorman, explains how scientists have recently uncovered the large role female chimpanzee’s play, when hunting. This information was discovered in a ten year study on chimpanzees in Senegal. In the experiment, scientists uncovered lots of information on the chimps, and their huntings styles. In the article it explains how 70 percent of male chimpanzees, hunt live prey by chasing it down, however, almost all of the females kill their prey by using tools, like broken branches with jagged edges. Soon, the scientists began to realize that the females played more of a dominant role when hunting, and were more successful in the act. As time went on in the experiment, the scientists soon began to see the females playing more of a dominant role in the bands of chimps. As the scientists saw the females, picking up things like hunting, and modifying them to make the process smoother, they concluded that the females were much smarter than the males, and appeared as the brains of the operation.

The knowledge obtained from this experiment, allows us as humans to grasp a better understanding on evolution and what we evolved from as a species. This study is very important due to how it broadens our perspective, on how chimps began to slowly evolve, like when using tree branches as hunting tools. With this information at hand, scientists can obtain a better understanding of human evolution.

James Gordon, did a fantastic job when writing this article. He did a great job of explaining the role of female chimps, while at the same time explaining how it affected human evolution. The author also did a great job when linking together different studies by stating their similarities and differences. There were no glaring grammar or spelling errors that I could notice. In conclusion this article was well written.  

Clues to How an Electric Treatment for Parkinson’s Works

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/science/clues-to-how-an-electric-treatment-for-parkinsons-works.html?ref=science&_r=0

Zimmer, Carl. "Clues to How an Electric Treatment for Parkinson’s Works." The New York                             Times. The New York Times, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

  The article I chose to critique is about how the electric treatment for Parkinson’s disease works. Parkinson’s disease is a disease that destroys brain tissues and a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which causes people to become paralyzed. Dr. Starr from the University of California claims that even though the treatment usually shows immediate effects, it is still not known as to why or how it works.  Deep brain stimulation (dbs) is where electrodes were put into people’s brains and when they were switched on, people could move.  In the beginning, it was thought that DBS helped stop the neurons that were causing the problems due to a lack of dopamine.  Scientists discovered that one of the electrical waves produced by the brain called beta rhythm helped harmonize different parts of the brain. If the beta rhythms are too strong, sometimes parts of the brains cannot produce more signals. The motor cortex is the part of the brain that gives out commands and scientists found out through tests that the signals in that region were synchronized, which makes it hard to move. The scientists found out that DPS helps people with Parkinson’s disease by causing the motor cortex to be less synchronized.

This article focuses on Parkinson’s disease which could affect everybody. By doing experiments to find out how DPS helps stop the disease, the new information can help scientists and doctor understand the causes of the disease, and help find new ways to improve upon treatment.

I thought this article was nicely written. There was an in-depth look into what Parkinson’s disease was and the article talked a lot about how the experiment was performed. The use of quotes was good and I liked how the article was very clear. It explained what everything was (beta rhythm, motor cortex, etc.) and why certain experiments were done. I liked how the article talked about what scientists had originally thought the DPS did, and in the end, it talked about what Dr. Starr discovered through experimentation. The article talks about how this new information could treat people with Parkinson’s and even helps people with other conditions like depression.