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July 28, 2013
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By:
Naseem S.
"Hello."
You hear this phrase everyday, as you greet family members in the morning, as you meet friends that you haven't seen for a long time, or even as you pass the completely new face of a stranger walking by on the street.
I am saying hello to you right now, Reader, because you may be unaware that, though I've never met you before, I actually know you (the most essential aspect about you). You are just like me. You go about, day by day, continuing a journey that every single person on this world has embarked on since birth. Some could say I know you because we are both breathing at this very moment, living our lives until our internal clocks run out. Others may say I know you as a distant relative who shares 99.9% of the genetic code that developed my body. Yet, it is the same reason for all walks of life; we all know each other formally as Homo sapiens, searching for a means to an end. You, Reader, are a human just like me (and neither of us can explain the meaning of life).
Sure, you must be thinking that is the simplest malarkey you've ever heard. Of course we're both human, what's my point? Well, I wanted to show you one of the most important realizations you are ever to make using the word that is responsible for our mutual existence today: Hello.
This 5 letter word stands for the epiphany that developed our species for the past many many years (right up to modern day when you are able to read these words right now via the Internet), when grunting shrieking primates became complex, syntax-rich individuals through an inherent phenomenon called human communication. Did you ever imagine the simple Hello to another person that we take for granted each day, could be the basis of everything you know? The idea is somewhat farfetched, maybe even a stretch, but to me it stands for what fundamentally distinguishes us humans from all other types of creatures that inhabit this Earth. It’s "the exchange of thoughts, messages or information" that takes place between two people, is passed on from person to person, and is the key to a door which opens up an infinite amount of collaboration that leads to invention, progress, vaccines, spaceships, and the Hadron collider. Hello is the door humans passed through, the one not matched by other species.
You see, communication in any form is essential to every single living organism that lives or ever existed, simply because it lengthened their days by allowing them to stay alive long enough to mate with that special someone and have offspring that could continue their legacy. This aim of 'surviving to reproduce' is common to humans and non-humans alike.
To the Turkish, this idea is evrim, to Swahilis it is mageuzi and to the Azerbajanis it is tekamul. But 154 years ago, a young Englishman visited an island and from his experiences he wrote a book that extensively explained this idea on paper. His name was Charles Darwin, and in his "On the Origin of Species" he proposed the theory of evolution.
I’m just getting started. Tune back in soon for the next post in this series on Evolution on the misconceptions of evolution. Meanwhile, consider saying “Hello” in my comment section
July 22, 2013
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By:
Naseem S.
The rebirth of Our Science
The most important lesson I've learned in life so far, surprisingly, is that timing is everything! As the Scitable blog network relaunches, so is Our Science, recycling into a new stage of its existence.
Say goodbye to encyclopedic articles that throw up words and words of information , and hello to my renewed focus!
To truly define the new Our Science would impossible, because I don't know what is it either. Some days you might see journal-like entries about my personal experiences wrapped around science factoids, or commentary-filled covers of current controversial scientific debates, or explanations of significant news events & discoveries which may seem ridiculously irrelevant to you (I'll prove that you're wrong), or simple investigations into some fundamental concepts I've learned in my classes, or even the run-down on some nifty experiments performed in the past. Whatever it'll be, I promise a new exploratory Our Science that gets down and dirty into exploring my curiosities of everyday life without getting all caught up in the net of minuscule details.
The words 'time to update the blog!' have been breathing down my neck during the last couple of crazy months, so here it goes! Summer is finally here, and with it brings a slew of new experiences, discoveries, and blog posts. I have just finished my junior year of high school, including several AP's which have given me the gift of a bucket of information brimming to the rim. I'm now fueled up for compelling discussions, especially on topics in psychology and biology.
So, what's coming up?
I'll start with what's been most inspiring. Back in April, here in New York City, I was on the planning committee of the Science Online Teen (#scioteen), an unconference for high school students interested in the potion of online communities and science. Myself and a few classmates were struck by this potion a few years ago, when we connected up with blogging and organizations like Science Online and the Scitable blog network, thanks to our biology teacher Stacy Baker of Extreme Biology. So we were something like the teen "elders" at the unconference, bringing to it a friendly and mingling atmosphere and leading a session that introduced newcomers to the thought stream that is blogging. The day was overall really successful, and having helped as a conference organizers, I was excited about how it went; I'm sure not one student left that day without feeling a sense of empowerment. What I mean by empowerment is that, despite still being a 'kid,' young students do have the capability of doing anything if they set their mind to it. Our generation was generously given the gift of the Internet, a virtual portal, the information hive mind, melded from previous generations, which today gives us easy access to almost anything and tomorrow it may give us access to everything! Most of us who are lucky enough to have access to the Internet also have the power to decide how we are going to use it. But--I shouldn't go on a deep tangent, you'll read about it later!
The teenage guests at the Science Online Teen conference weren't the only ones who left with motivation and a renewed sense of opportunity, I did too! I managed to connect with some cool teens in other schools, who are turning into blogo-collaborators. So I'm looking forward to finally adding guest blog posts written by other teens, including interviews with a few real-life scientists/journalists/brainiacs that make up the virtual science realm, so I can introduce their work to you!
Here's what else has been going on...During the past months my family has introduced me to a new branch of science I have come to love: marine science. I've learned that you cannot just go out into the ocean and expect to find fish. Well, you will, but I've found that I've had to turn to the textbook, or the Internet, to learn many new things you wouldn't even expect could change a good day into a bad one. Did you know that the high and low tides are really pulled by the gravity of the Moon? Ok, maybe some of you did. But did you know that the infamous 'swimmer's itch' is an allergic reaction after your skin is exposed to parasites in seawater? I personally discovered many new things through my "adventures and times" becoming a boater, and as I continue to discover them this summer I am looking forward to travel-logging how those everyday experiences broadened my scientific scope.
Wait! - there is one more thing I must add! Last month, I embarked on a new journey by attending (a different sort of conference this time) the National Youth Leadership Forum in Boston, Massachusetts. As I hinted back in freshman year, I have always had an eye on medicine and I'm looking forward to going into detail about my introduction to the field I'll be eagerly jumping into as an adult from my exposure to many sessions, ranging from attending seminars by some of today's leading medical professionals, debating about current global medical & ethical issues, and seeing for myself the real-life action happening in medical schools and hospitals that I visited during my trip. This experience allowed me to harness my leadership abilities and realize how important they are to utilize in the real world.
Remember when I first started this blog, and I urged you not to be discouraged by its strict dictionary definition that made science seem to you as a constant force heavy-lifted by piles and piles of textbooks? I thought it would be a proper way to start this blog, but I will admit that I came at science from the wrong direction. It does not matter how one defines science, but the lens through which one views it. Science is everywhere; it is all around you right now. It is dynamic, changes day by day, and I hope through this blog I can teach you that all you need to be a scientist are the right tools to explore it.
Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts! My question is: what do you want to see explored on Our Science?
July 31, 2012
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By:
Naseem S.
7 Billion and Counting
You've heard of most world issues (that you think won't affect you at all)--from climate change to poverty, but do you know what is Earth's worst problem right now? It's called overpopulation, when the number of individuals in a species' (like humans aka Homo sapiens) population becomes so high that it passes its potential carrying capacity, the magic number of resources available to stably support it. In 9th grade biology, I learned that populations like ours can grow exponentionally--but what goes up, must come down. Around last Halloween, the number of humans on Earth was estimated to 7 billion worldwide. That's 7 billion mouths to feed, 105 people per square mile, and 1.8 billion mothers at child-bearing age who can increase our population to 9 billion by 2045. When we grow up, it's possible that we can see the global population triple! A lot of numbers, right? Well, watch this video by National Geographic to get a better picture of this global issue:
Video Credit: National Geographic via Youtube
Neat video, right? It raises many of the concerns that I'll bring up extensively in my next post, questions that plague population experts everyday and can gravely affect our future adult lives. Most people would think that reaching the 7th billion milestone is a blessing to have been able to have experienced, others think that it is really a curse showing an ominous future. What do you think? Please comment below so we can have a discussion before I give you the inside out on this controversial, understated problem.
References:
Rosenberg, Matt. "Population Density." About.com, Last modified July 6, 2005.
National Geographic. "7 Billion." National Geographic, Last modified January 2011.
Science Daily. "Worst Environmental Problem? Overpopulation, Experts Say." Science Daily, Last modified April 20, 2009.
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