Week 13

Do we rely too heavily on supplements to provide antioxidants?

I believe that yes, we may rely too heavily on supplements for our antioxidant intake. There is an entire industry built around the well-known concept that antioxidants are the good guys in our diets that we want more of in order to protect ourselves from damage to our bodies over time. This simple idea is great for those who sell supplements and great for those looking to supplement their diets easily. I believe there is some merit to this but you should do your research and pick what supplements you feel may be beneficial to your diet and try not to overdue it or more importantly, try not to replace the nutrients you get from foods with supplements. I think it is better to focus on adding many colored foods to your diet (vegetables!) and take a supplement when you feel you may need it.

How might we deal differently with the effects of environmental pollutants?

Well, I think dealing with how we treat the environment from the get-go is truly the answer. We need to reduce harmful effects by preventing those effects in the first place as best as we can. I recall from an article we read in week 8, that humans use the planet’s resources to such a dramatic degree that we will need a 2nd planet by 2050. This is a devastating thing to realize. Perhaps if we can start becoming more forward-thinking with how we exploit resources and how we engineer pollutants and contaminants we could avert this possible tragedy.

I think the answer to environmental pollutants specifically comes with starting green and staying green throughout the process of manufacturing these substances. We want to minimize even the smallest amounts of harmful chemicals. One thing I realized from Larry’s class is how often I heard the idea growing up that certain products “contained only small amounts” of whatever harmful chemicals, to find out later that continued exposure to these small amounts over time can be very damaging. We need to be careful when accepting such claims and go green from the root to the shoot!

Memory and magic- how might you view things differently now?

In my brain’s effort to provide a world that makes sense to my senses, it has decided to function in a way that fills in the gaps. This is a dance between my unconscious, my expectations, my intentions and my imagination. It makes me wonder, is my mind playing tricks on me? Or, is my mind just trying to create a more seamless perception for me? A world that makes sense is a world that feels safe and predictable. A world that falls in step with my expectations will reinforce my own beliefs thus reassuring me that who I think I am is really who I am.

When you talk about magic and memory I believe that we are talking about how we let ourselves be deceived by visual illusions because those illusions are what make cognitive sense to our minds. Its funny how we then label this illusory experience as magic, something esoteric and belonging to a non-ordinary reality when in fact it is the preservation of the ordinary that is the goal of the brain in those moments.

Week 11: Cognition

• Would you agree that “to live is to know”?

I would agree with this statement. Every living being is conscious, interacting with the world around them. How we measure levels of consciousness includes the term cognition which is the process of knowing or taking in information and concepts present in the world around us. This is what makes consciousness and the act of cognition different.

As living beings, part of how we define living systems is the presence of cognition. I personally believe that everything in existence including rock, stars, dirt and other ‘non-living’ substances posses a level of consciousness. I am not sure if they posses what we define as cognition but they certianly posses a level of consciousness that is undeniable.

Week 10: Living Diversity

I live in an urban neighborhood but there is still quite a diversity of species around me. For example, there is a cat standing on my kitchen table as I write this waiting for a pat on the head. There are birds chirping outside my window and humans walking by outside. There is a collection of insects roaming around in the soil outside as well as a few ants making their way inside next to my sliding glass door. There are quite a few species of plants hanging out in my refrigerator- kale, broccoli, sweet peppers, etc…. I am also told that every person has their own custom bacteria roaming around in their skin and in their gut.

Review of Animation

I like the animations on the website. I just wish they were a little bit longer and maybe some narration added? Maybe thats asking too much, but it would be nice if they were a few seconds longer.

Definition

"Biochemistry is the chemistry of life, a bridge between biology and chemistry that studies how complex chemical reactions give rise to life."

Yes! Its seems completely logical that biochemistry should emerge from chemistry. I think the Bio gives life and dynamism to the study of chemistry, opening new possibities and ways of seeing how life interacts with itself.

Gene therapy

I like the idea of using gene therapy in the treatment of devastating diseases. I especially find interesting the use of a vector to deliver therapeutic genetic information into a cell. It seems like a very sophisticated and clever way to trick the trickster.

However, this interesting method also makes me concerned. I get distracted by the replication process that is inherent to viral activity. We are essentially manipulating a pathogenic process and using that process to reverse disease. But what if you get too much of a good thing? Perhaps I am too swept away by the science fictional aspects of this idea- but what if that specific virus you manipulate somehow goes rogue and gets into the general population and replicates itself? Does it still maintain its therapeutic effect? Or would it then just be messing with perfectly healthy genes? What if the vehicle for good goes bad? How is this process contained/controlled? Lotsa questions.

Perhaps what is underlying my concern is the thought of scientists’ manipulating genes in a way that would never happen in nature. It sort of reminds me of GMO food. The argument on the pro-GMO side was that it would enable farmers to grow robust crops and we could feed a large population. The picture that was painted for us was in the vein of Monsanto’s “Golden Rice.” We are going to feed the world! They proclaimed. There were images of starving children shown to us, a way to proclaim that humanitarianism was the premise for Monsanto's endeavours. On the other side, people argued that these manipulations would never occur naturally and we have no idea what the health effects would be nor could we know the consequences of introducing GMO strains into the worldwide food population. So, here we are today with reports of health problems related to GMO food and not a single bit of corn on the planet that has been untainted by this process.

That said, I hope this process goes forward carefully and consciously. I understand that the manipulation of genetic material is a next step in fighting disease and I would love to see some effective therapies come out of this process. I just think we need to keep a critical eye on how the process unfolds.

Semi-conductor of the week

Silicon (Si)

Silicon is the 8th most common element in the universe by mass. Silicon is mostly found in the form of silicon dioxide or silicates and is widely distributed in dust and planets. In the Earth’s crust, silicon is the 2nd most abundant element after oxygen, making up 27.5% of the crust by mass. Silicon is very rarely seen in its pure elemental form. Silicon is the principal component of most semiconductor devices, most importantly in microchips.

Review of 'What is a mole?' link

I was able to read the website's explanation of the mole with clarity and some understanding. I liked the way it was written and felt that the information was concise. However, the information is so dense and unfamiliar to my mind that I needed to go over it several times, which I didn't mind too much but it was slightly cumbersome only because it took so much concentration to really feel like I was even slightly grasping the content. I chalk this up to familiarity and the more I get familiar with the concepts, the easier it is to digest them.

What exactly is a Mole?

A mole is:

• a unit of measurement

• based on a reproducible formula (which gives us a consistent method for converting between atoms/molecules and grams.)

• the quantity of anything that has the same number of particles found in 12.000 grams of Carbon-12. (hence the name ‘the chemist’s dozen’)

What does Avogadro have to do with it?

Avogadro came up with the idea that “equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain the same number of molecules”

And then that idea was rejected because it did not appear to be consistent with conventionally accepted ideas.

Then the idea of a mole was introduced and the number of molecules in a mole is now called Avogadro’s number because he was the guy who originally conceived of the principle that defines the mole. Well done Avogadro!

Alkali Earth Metal

Calcium

Calcium has an atomic number of 20 and an atomic mass of 40.078.

Calcium melts at high temperatures and therefore remains sold in fire, hence giving it the name earth metal. Calcium is the 5th most abundant element in the earth’s crust, the 5th most abundant dissolved ion in seawater and the most abundant metal by mass in many living creatures. Calcium is essential for living things, particularly for cell physiology where the calcium ion travels in and out of the cytoplasm of cells which functions as a signal for cellular processes.

Calcium is a key component in nutritional health, it is necessary for life and keeps bones healthy and strong. While 99% of calcium is stored in bones and teeth, the rest of it is used in exocytosis for neurotransmission and muscle contraction. Calcium is especially important for the conduction system of the heart. Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium so if you take a supplement make sure there is some vitamin D along with it.

Alchemy!

Alchemy- science, magic, art- or all three?

The initial goal of the alchemist was an attempt to literally transform lead into gold or silver, to find a panacea or to attain the ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’. Then there was an emergence of a more philosophical or metaphysical aspect of alchemy where the process of transmutation was viewed as a metaphor for spiritual change or spiritual alchemy. As metals and substances were identified and categorized, the grand intentions of turning lead to gold were left to those with a more magical sense and there grew a more focused view which we now know of as chemistry. It is easy to divest chemistry of its alchemical background when we use a western linear viewpoint but I don’t think these disciplines are so easily disentangled.

For instance, when we practice meditation we are practicing an inner alchemy quite literally, magically and artfully. We are sitting down with the intention of changing our mind-state but we also change our physiology along the way. We change our bodies’ chemistry when we enter calmness, we relax our nervous system as we drop into a parasympathetic state where we are able to think more clearly and know ourselves in a more intimate, honest way. This is quite a literal change that can be measured in a literal way as well as a way to transform the spirit or mind which we feel on a more intangible level (magic). I think we are also practicing the art and science of alchemy when we make an herbal prescription for someone. We are matching that person’s inner alchemy with a substance that can enhance or improve the balance inherent to that person. There are physiological changes that occur and can be measured along with the art of diagnosis which matches the person with the right formula. You could say the process of differential diagnosis is a form of alchemy in its initial stages.

There are many ways to view alchemy, and as I have read more about the history of alchemy I understand that it cannot be confined to an easy definition. I used to think it was about some kind of crazy attempts at wizardry that existed only in the minds of ancient thinkers. I see now that they were onto something much more, a language and theoretical system that was seeking to tap into all the various ways of transmuting a present state, whether that be the state of lead or the state of one’s mind or spirit.

Halogen

Chlorine

When I think of chlorine I don’t think of warm and fuzzy things.I think of swimming pools and bleach. I think of chlorine’s oxidizing effects and reactive oxygen species which can damage cells. I think of chlorine gas.

The name for Chlorine comes from the Greek word ‘khloros’, which means ‘pale green’. Chlorine has an atomic # of 17, is a halogen and is highly reactive.

In nature, chlorine is found as chloride, a component of salt. Sodium chloride (salt) is found in abundance in nature and is key to life. This is quite ironic given the fact that chlorine can be so corrosive and dangerous to life in other forms.

Week 5

Colorful Kitchen

White. Sour Cream, Grits, Milk, half & half, rice, Cheese (swiss, jack, mozzarella), coconut milk, salt.

Yellow. Corn Tortillas, Polenta, Cheddar cheese, butter, tortilla chips, popcorn kernels, yellow onions, pasta, curry.

Red. Tomatoes, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots.

Green. Broccoli, green peppers, celery , tea.

Brown. Whole-grain bread, brown rice, eggs, cremini mushrooms.

Purple/Blue. Purple cabbage, blueberries.

Black. Pepper. Tea.

I’d say at the moment, there is a nice variety in my fridge. From these colors I conclude that there is a decent amount of folic acid, fiber, lycopene, antioxidants, anthocyanins, carotenes, glutathione, alpha-lipoic acid, etc..etc..

Plus a lot of tasty food.


Inert Gas of the Week

Nitrogen!

Nitrogen has an atomic number of 7 and an atomic mass of 14. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere by volume.

Nitrogen compounds are found in foods, organic materials, fertilizers, poisons, and explosives. Nitrogen, as a gas is colorless and odorless. In liquid form, it is also colorless and odorless and is similar in appearance to water.

The nitrogen cycle is very important to life. Even though nitrogen is inert, bacteria in the soil use nitrogen by converting it into a usable form and it becomes fertilizer for plants. Animals then eat the plants where nitrogen has been changed into protein. Then more bacteria convert the waste nitrogen compounds into nitrogen gas.

Catalyst of the Week: Nickel

The periodic symbol of Nickel is Ni. It has an atomic number of 28. The appearance of nickel is lustruous and silvery with a high shine and gold tinge. Coins made of pure nickel were first used in Switzerland in 1881. In the U.S., the term nickel was originally used for the Indian 1-cent coin made up of copper and nickel. This coin eventually evolved into the 5-cent nickel we know today.

Nickel is a very commonly known substance, it is most valued for the alloys it forms, especially superalloys like stainless steele. Nickel is one of four elements that are magnetic at or around room temperature (the others being cobalt, iron, and gadolinium). Nickel is used in stainless steel, magnets, coins, rechargeable batteries, and electric guitar strings.

Many people experience a contact allergic reaction to nickel, most commonly seen in those who wear earrings as an itchy and inflamed area around around the peirced area.

Nickel is found in an enzyme called urease which assists in the hydrolysis of urea.

VisionLearning.com

I enjoyed the visionlearning.com link the best. Honestly, the flash animations were quite nice, easy to follow and understand. I also appreciated that there was just enough information about the bonds to get a good grasp of the concepts without feeling overwhelmed.

Primo Levi

"Every two hundred years, every atom of carbon that is not congealed in materials by now stable (such as, precisely, limestone, or coal, or diamond, or certain plastics) enters and reenters the cycle of life, through the narrow door of photosynthesis."

It is clear to me that Primo Levi understood the importance of a good story and that one could be found in even the tiniest of places. I find his outline of the carbon life cycle fascinating and beautiful. It makes the sometimes cumbersome concepts of chemistry digestible and exciting when packaged in such a creative narrative.

Weaved throughout this story of the carbon atom are key chemical concepts and a lovely story of the adventure of life, bringing us to the truth of absolute interdependence down to the smallest parts.

Its funny to read a story about a tiny particle that exists in such abundance around me and to get lost in its travels from earth to sea to water and so on. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks Primo Levi!

Transition Metal of the Week: Manganese

The symbol for Manganese is Mn, its atomic # is 25 with an atomic mass of 55. Manganese is a required trace mineral for all known living organisms. Manganese is an antioxidant and also contributes to many health promoting activities such as wound healing, metabolism and bone development. Manganese helps the body absorb key nutrients as well as helps to synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol, maintain a healthy thyroid and healthy nerves. It also helps maintain normal blood sugar levels.

On the other hand, Manganese can be toxic at high levels, especially if inhaled directly. When this occurs over time (as in mines), the person can develop symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease with cognitive and motor impairments which are often irreversible. Manganese when inhaled goes directly to the brain which surpassing the important metabolic processing that is required by the liver in normal functioning. Individuals with impaired liver function due to diseases like cirrhosis may lose some ability to metabolize manganese and it can build up in the body.

Good sources of manganese in the diet are pineapple, whole grains, nuts and leafy vegetables. You can find more information about the merits of manganese here at the Linus Pauling Institute.

Atomic Properties Menu

I enjoyed the Atomic Properties Menu, found it easy to find my way around and best of all- in simple language I could easily digest!

Ozone

So far I have only asked my boyfriend the ozone question. He kind of looked at me sideways as if I was quizzing him and expecting him to know the answer (such a seemingly random thing to ask somebody- Hey, whatya think ozone is?). After some reassurance he stated that "ozone makes up the atmosphere and when there is a hole in it ultra-violet rays get in and that's not good." I thought that was a good answer!

I'll keep posting answers as I go along.

Platinum!

I chose my element of the week Platinum by closing my eyes and pointing my finger at the periodic table. Platinum is a precious metal that is quite rare here on earth taking up only .003 part per billion of the Earth's crust. It has an atomic number of 78 (thats 78 protons and 78 neutrons!) and an atomic mass of 195 (rounded). Platinum does not oxidize at any temperature and has a melting point of 3,215 degrees Fahrenheit. It has such a high melting point that you can melt away virtually all impurities out of platinum when processing it. Platinum exists in higher amounts on the moon and in meteorites. We believe the largest platinum reserve in the world (located in South Africa) was a result of a meteor crashing into earth.

Platinum is a symbol of prestige around the world. We are all familiar with Platinum memberships, platinum credit cards, platinum albums, wedding rings, etc..etc... This is due to its rarity, its durable chemical structure and its luster. There are many attractive things about platinum. However, it's most common use is as a catalyst in chemical reactions which is right behind watches, rings, the Queen's crown and other adornments. Platinum is ranked above silver, gold and bronze and just below diamond.

The Pharmaceutical Industry: Should there be more effective control?

Very simply, yes. First off, drugs should absolutely not be marketed toward patients. In many countries it is illegal to do so for very good reason. Second, Pharma Reps should not be allowed to target doctors in the way that they currently do, using slick sales and marketing campaigns. Doctors should not be allowed to make money producing papers, essays or testimonials for drug companies. Lotsa "should nots" here already, based on what we discussed in class we all know too well what the reality of this situation is and it is downright shameful.

I bristle every time I'm in my doctor's office or some other medical complex and there they are-the slick attractive Pharma Rep rolling their little suitcase full of pens, stationary and sample drugs. A couple of years ago I stopped one in the waiting room of my doctor's office and asked her some questions about what it takes to be a rep. "Oh my god, we have to learn so much about drugs and medicine, you wouldn't believe it. I was hired and after three intense weekend seminars I had my territory." Oh yea, how do you like it? I asked. She said the loves it and "makes so much money, but it all depends on the drug you rep. There is a lot of money right now in asthma meds."

Interesting.

Ridiculous.

Basically all I see is a marketing campaign and the tactics of high end manipulation being deployed in the name of profit. This is an industry that orbits itself around dollars, not patients. Its sick and sad and wrong.

Here is one of the best journalistic interviews with Bill Moyers interviewing Melody Peterson on this subject.

"Carbon Neutral" what does this signify for our planet?

Carbon Neutrality is an honorable and practical goal for earth communities. Striving to neutralize and/or offset carbon dioxide emissions is a good starting formula for cleaning up some of the mess we are creating here on our little blue ball. Perhaps it is too simple a goal, perhaps it poses some challenges to those communities who pledge to go this route, but we need to start somewhere. As one of my favorite Zen monks says, "Everything you do matters, even if its just making your bed in the morning, it matters."

There are already a few countries pledging carbon neutrality. In class we learned about a small town in Scotland called Biggar, but included in the carbon neutral pledge is Norway, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Maldives and several others. Yes, it seems these are small countries but perhaps they can set an example for the rest of the world to follow?

Some questions I would like to ask are, what does it mean to be carbon neutral, I mean, really? Does it mean that the entire system that produces carbon emissions is to be re-ordered in such a way that we will still be producing carbon emissions and offsetting these emissions with the planting of trees or some other such method? Kinda like a version of sinning all week and going to church on Sunday to absolve thyself?

I'm not saying to not plant trees. But just like I have seen the word "organic" go from meaning something to more of a brand, I have to let my critical mind loose on this one. I don't think going carbon neutral will mean much if we don't keep a close watch on our politicians and how this term could possibly be used or abused. I would like to see carbon neutrality as a whole-hearted effort to not only offset but reduce emissions entirely using different methods of harnessing power. I think some kind of economic initiative to promote new systems along with penalties for polluting the environment should be put into place.

Who am I?

Hi, my name is Amy and I, as Walt Whitman said, contain multitudes.

I'm a wood tiger piscean with a cancer moon and taurus rising. Someone told me once my vedic sign is Gemini. Not sure. That said, I believe in the power of metaphor and love a quote by Carolyn Myss who said, "When you lose power the text will speak to you literally." Amen. So, this whole wood-tiger-pisces-cancer-taurus thing means I can be moody, fierce, courageous, loving, sensitive, inquisitive, mothering, hermetic, opinionated and stubborn. But I try not to take myself too seriously or literally. It can be hard. But I try.

I live with two sweet, loving cats and one sweet, loving(and sometimes neurotic) boyfriend named Jason. I've been a student at AIMC for going on 3.5 years and I intend to finish fairly soon. TCM school can be grueling and long so early into the program I decided to pace myself a bit and let the information seep in and marinate. That said, I think almost 4 years in, I'm just starting to "get it." I am a bona fide political junkie with a 24-hour new cycle addiction (ugh!). Someone once said to me, "all that stuff is just somebody's opinion." Ok sure, but that is part of why I love it. My favorite founding father is probably John Adams (such a moody stickler of a man who never gets any credit but had quite a respectable amount of integrity, including having an awesome wife). I also absolutely love science and Larry's last class really sealed this deal for me. I am a rabid reader (yes, even in TCM school) and I have picked up quite a few books on physics and other various topics lately that excite me tremendously- right now I'm reading "The Secret History of Dreams" and a wonderful biography on Einstein.

I love Chinese Medicine. That said, I think there is too much of it in our curriculum. Some people will think perhaps I am nutso for saying this but maybe after a few years you will agree with me (or not). I have much appreciation for other acupuncture systems (French, Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc....) along with some more western "style" bodywork theories that align well with acupuncture (Travell's Trigger points, Gunn, Chaitow) and will strive in my practice to source from those systems that resonate and make them my own into a hodge-podge of what I deem a new American Acupuncture style (I stole that term from Mark Seem who is a practitioner out of NY and someone I respect for his work and all that I have gleaned from his books).

For more on why I chose tcm, check this out:

http://woodtygerburningbright.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-one.html

Thanks for reading!