Wednesday, October 15, 2008
hello world. again. :>
THE WONDERFUL WORLD
OF
SECOND QUARTER
OF
LIFE SCIENCE
and this time, i shall greet you again with it. :>
Good morning sunshine again.
The earth says hello again. :>
and now, i quote it from Willy Wonka. A famous candymaker.
loved by children. :P
**this should give you an inkling of the world you're entering. :>
ps. oh booy. i gotta think of a better greeting next quarter. @@ hope it would be good afternoon next. :))
Posted by isay viola
before anything else.
Thinking about the quarter that has just so rapidly passed, I thought about the insights I gained. Honestly, as I now try to remember, I realized that the second quarter was a blur, everything happened so quickly. With all the requirements that needed to be submitted, the tests that needed to be taken--not to mention to be passed--sometimes an ordinary teenager such as myself just doesn’t know what to do or where her place in the world is. There were times that I wished I could stop time to do everything that needed to be done. I wished I could return to the times when all I did was have fun and enjoy myself; everything was taken cared of for me. And then an image of children playing carelessly came to my mind. That’s when it all came back to me. Second quarter of life science. Children. Childhood. The foundation of the personality and character of a person. The basis of the what-would-be of a person. Where life and consciousness starts.
True enough, as memories of the activities of the second quarter came back to me, they were all involved with children, childhood and the like. Such activities were::
--the film viewing of Wall-e
..which the class had so enthusiastically criticized and refuted while deep in their hearts still loving Wall-e and Eve
--creation of a children’s storybook
..and not just any storybook, it must have scientific concepts in it! How cool is that. :> And once again, I see the distinguishing feature of my beloved school – it’s a SCIENCE high school. And that’s why it’s special. :>
--the ball game
..this one’s interesting. A somewhat intellectual activity made simple and light with the use of a ball. It’s amazing what toys can do. We were asked to ask questions with a ball as our “microphone”. It would have been better if everyone participated more eagerly and enthusiastically but nevertheless, a pretty interesting game, if I may say so.
--some storybook workshops
..these workshops.. Well, what can I say. They made me realize how much I missed on my childhood. And I realized, compared to others, I had a pretty good one. :P Mine was not spent like other girls’ were. I was never fond of Barbies and dolls. I found them pointless. I was more of a social person, playing as if I was the actual doll. Odd as it may sound, I enjoyed those kinds of things. I had my childhood, and I am thankful to my parents for that. :)
And yeah. As you read on my blog-o-folio for this quarter, it would pretty much revolve on children, on being a child again and being young at heart. This is the theme I found this quarter, and I am more than happy to reminisce the old days. :)
Posted by isay viola
the family of the future.
During the sembreak, with nothing better to do, I decided to watch movies. I came across a not-so-old movie, which was released last year, 2007. While watching, I realized that I could include an analysis of the movie in my wonderful blog-o-folio. First off, thanks to IMDB again, I was able to get a holf of a nice summary of the movie. Oh. And the movie’s entitled Meet the Robinsons.
When 12-year old orphan Lewis can't seem to get adopted or make his inventions work despite repeated efforts, he begins to seriously doubt himself and his abilities as an inventor. He sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew. In the fantastical world of 2037, hip-hopping frogs and dogs that wear glasses are as common as talking dinosaurs. In an amazing twist, Lewis discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands, but he can't save it alone he'll need every bit of help he can get from the wonderfully wacky family named the Robinsons, who help him learn to keep moving forward and never stop believing in himself.
I really recommend this movie to all ages. It’s funny, light-hearted and entertaining to watch. And as most animated movies now do, it presents us with a situation seemingly comical and just for movies but can leave you wondering about the possibility. So, Meet the Robinsons presents us with the a lot of points, two of which I would like to make distinct. One is the possibility of time machines, and the other is the possibility of such technological changes in our earth.
About the time machine, while I was watching the movie, my friend asked me whether I believed it possible for time machines to happen. I thought about it, and said no. I reasoned out that technology can’t be that good, at least not for a million years. Nothing can defy time. It’s probably the only thing that cannot be stopped. It’s like a law or a universal fact. And then I remembered gravity. Come to think of it, gravity used to be absolute. But given years and years of experimentations, humans were able to defy it. Suddenly, I wasn’t so negative anymore. Interfering with the time-space continuum, is this really possible? I guess, we’ll just have to wait and see.
The other thing, the reason why I connected this to life sci and evolution is the possibility of such technological changes in earth. According to the movie, everything was created and done by a single man, Cornelius Robinson. His inventions took over the world in a good way of course. But is it possible? I guess it’s kind of an exaggeration. And can also be compared to the Mitochondrial Eve if I may say so. In this case, a misconception of ME was presented. ME was often confused with the idea that she is the MRCA of ALL humans, just like Cornelius Robinson was shown as the source of all high technological inventions. Highly unlikely. It would sound and be more appropriate if I’d phrase it as Cornelius Robinson was the source of all the inventions during the time he was a successful scientist also. You see, each word in the description matters. And I guess people tend to disregard the other words, causing confusion.
But then again, whatever. Meet the Robinsons is a good – no, WONDERFUL – movie. You should watch it if you still haven’t. you’re not going to regret it. :P
Posted by isay viola
from the heart of a robot.
Not so long ago, I remember that the second quarter of our Life sci started with a kick. We watched the newly-released movie, Wall-E. To refresh my memory and yours, too, I have so conveniently acquired a plot summary of the movie, courtesy of IMDB. :>
PLOT SUMMARY::
In a distant, but not so unrealistic future, where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, Eve, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with Eve. WALL-E rescues Eve from a dust storm and shows her a living plant he found amongst the rubble. Consistent with her "directive" Eve takes the plant and automatically enters a deactivated state except for a blinking green beacon. WALL-E, doesn't understand what has happened to his new friend, but true to his love, he protects her from wind, rain, and lightening, even as she is unresponsive. One day a massive ship comes to reclaim Eve, but WALL-E, out of love or loneliness hitches a ride on the outside of the ship to rescue Eve. The ship arrives back at a large space cruise ship, which is carrying all of the humans who evacuated earth 700 years earlier. The people of earth ride around this space resort on hovering chairs which give them a constant feed of TV and video chatting. They drink all of their meals through a straw out of laziness and/or bone loss, and are all so fat that they can barely move. When the auto-pilot computer acting on hastily given instructions sent many centuries before tries to prevent the people of earth from returning, by stealing the plant, WALL-E, Eve, the portly captain, and a band of broken robots stage a mutiny. Eventually, the good forces won and were able to return to Earth.
After the movie, the gears in my brain started working and wondering. My imagination was at large. I thought of all things that happened in the movie and if there was any possibility it might really happen. A classmate commented that it was the cartoon version of “An Inconvenient Truth”. At first I thought it was absurd, but after awhile, I had to agree. But their difference is, that Wall-E presented major issues about the environment in a very subtle way, so subtle that it was appropriate for even kids of the youngest years. Though the class has so enthusiastically debunked each subplot in the movie and identified each loophole possible, deep inside I know that they loved and appreciated the movie. How could they not like the cute and helpless-looking robot Wall-E and the robotic love he offers Eve? A classmate also even said, “Buti pa mga robots, may love life.” Pathetically funny. :))
Enough with the trivial stuff. Though I doubt teenagers like me would consider that trivial. :>
I found several changes and happenings in Earth and in space presented by the movie. First, let’s state the obvious, the deserted abandoned Earth. Not only that, it was filled with trash and wastes. Also, robots, specifically Wall-E’s, were the only ones left. The earth that used to be the living planet, was dominated by trash and robots. Though this was just a cartoon scene, I realized that is not far from happening. The rate garbage and trash are accumulating now is really alarming. Also the advancement of technology is notable. Interestingly enough, the more technology advances, the more nature crashes. Must humans be so selfish and intelligent? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-technology. I’m just saying, we ought to do something more for nature. Just as we spend billions and billions of dollars over technology.
Another point is that humans live. Yes, we did not go extinct. But we live not on earth but in space. Odd as it may sound, I believe that somehow, there’s a possibility that humans will soon move out of earth. As I reflect on it, we have always been so eager to find another planet that’s just like earth. We were always finding other places that can support life. Eventually, I think we will find one. And since it’s newer, people will move out. Though my belief doesn’t really match what happened in the movie, it was based on the same concept – life not on earth. Ironic, it is indeed. But nothing’s impossible, as they say. Another notable thing portrayed by humans on the movie was their pathetic dependency on machines and robots. They relied on machines to “walk” them around, to feed them, give them shade, heck, even to talk to people beside them. Come to think of it, it may be that those robots and machines are smarter than humans. Because of this sad situation, people have de-evolved. I remember that humans came from homo erectus first before becoming homo sapiens. From erect organisms, to human beings, to beings who cannot even stand; boneless if I may say; we will become. I might sound like a dietician but exercise and the proper diet, but in this case mainly exercise, prove to be one of the survival factors of humans.
And one thing I cannot miss out on Wall-E. Even robots have the ability to LOVE. Love was proved to be so strong that even in robots it existed. I realized that even in cartoons, love can never go extinct.Even in space! It’s true. Love makes the world - make that universe - go round. And without love, there’s no life. Come to think of it, it was love or something of that sort that made Wall-E show Eve the plant. It was love that made Wall-E go through hell to follow Eve. It was the power of love that saved the human race. It reminds us that if robots can love, why can’t we? If robots accepted the differences among their kind and of other kinds of robots, why can’t we? They were able to unite and cooperate for a common goal. Will humans be incapable of that? I sure hope not.
Wall-E is a great movie. It deserves praise and acclamation. Not only by kids but by human beings all over. It deserves to be a #1 Box office hit. *applauds*
Posted by isay viola
love for a child.
So, as I was casually surfing the net and downloading songs off Limewire, I came across this very enlightening song by Jason Mraz. I realized that though it might be a little off-topic, it was appropriate for the theme anyway. And besides, it provides great insights about children of this generation. It shows how ignorant and negligent parents create the wrecked future of their children. It tells of the great impact and influence parents have on their children. Apparently, the parents’ “evolution” or changing for the worse also causes their children’s “evolution”.
A sad, sad fact, but true.
by: Jason Mraz
There's a picture on my kitchen wall
Looks like Jesus and his friends involved
There's a party getting started in the yard
There's a couple getting steamy in the car parked in the drive
Was I too young to see this with my eyes?
By the pool last night, apparently
The chemicals weren't mixed properly
You hit your head and then forgot your name
And then you woke up at the bottom by the drain
And now your altitude and memory's a shame
What about taking this empty cup and filling it up
With a little bit more of innocence
I haven't had enough, it's probably because when you're young
It's okay to be easily ignored
I like to believe it was all about love for a child
And when the house was left in shambles
Who was there to handle all the broken bits of glass
Was it mom who put my dad out on his ass or the other way around
Well I'm far too old to care about that now
What about taking this empty cup and filling it up
With a little bit more of innocence
I haven't had enough, it's probably because when you're young
It's okay to be easily ignored
I'd like to believe it was all about love for a child
It's kinda nice to work the floor since the divorce
I've been enjoying both my Christmases and my birthday cakes
And taking drugs and making love at far too young an age
And they never check to see my grades
What a fool I'd be to start complaining now
What about taking this empty cup and filling it up
With a little bit more of innocence
I haven't had enough, it's probably because when you're young
It's okay to be easily ignored
I'd love to believe it's all about love for a child
It was all about love...
Posted by isay viola
The mother of us all.
And so, there we were, on a regular and seemingly ordinary life sci class, then Sir suddenly starts talking about the Mitochondrial Eve. Of course at first I wasn’t really able to grasp the whole concept. But as he asked questions, I was intrigued and immediately became interested. I was confused with the terminology. I guess I was intimidated by how scientific “mitochondrial” sounded. “Eve” was a giveaway. But honestly, I admit, the first time I read the word written on the board, I thought it was eve as in the night. =))
Another thing I remembered was that Sir gave us an assignment – to read about concepts regarding Most Recent Common Ancestors or MRCA. I admit I wasn’t able to read about it due to circumstances common in stressed and tortured students like me but when I had the free time, I checked it out. I researched and google-d it, just like any other student would, and made productive use of the internet. I found a useful site - not Wikipedia – which I think provided all the points needed to be understood about the Mitochondrial Eve.
So, after reading, processing and absorbing the scientific articles I have just researched, I can now safely say what the Mitochondrial Eve really is. The Mitochondrial Eve is not just a common ancestor. Specifically, the Mitochondrial Eve is the most-recent common ancestor or MRCA of all humans alive on Earth today with respect to matrilineal descent. I found the explanation of how they were able to trace “her” somehow amusing. You see, mitochondrial DNA can only be obtained from the ovum of the mother. For generations, the same mitochondrial DNA is passed on from the grandmother to the mother to the daughter. If it weren’t for the mutations, it can be said that the whole population of presently living humans contain the same mitochondrial DNA from the Mitochondrial Eve. Also, it has been made clear to me that there is no permanent Mitochondrial Eve – she depends on the “set” or population of humans alive during the era or period. All these, are no clear. I am proud of myself. I have met the mysterious woman, who is the Mitochondrial Eve.
On that fateful class, where I first heard of her, so many things ran inside my head. And as my research has proven, those things were common misconceptions. First misleading concept was the name: “Mitochondrial Eve”. Mitochondrial was pretty scientific, therefore distinct. How many synonyms can mitochondria have? But then there is “eve”. Previously I have confessed of thinking of eve as the night before. You can’t seriously blame me for that. The word eve does have several meanings and can be interpreted in many ways, especially for those who are not familiar with the concept. Another interpretation could be that this Eve could serve as proof to the Genesis, the biblical explanation of the earth. After discovering what the real thing is, I find it senseless to relate the two things. Also, this concept defies the multiple-origin theory of human evolution which states that the human species arose independently in different geographically separated populations and that the present-day ease of interbreeding is the result of a remarkable convergent evolution.
One might wonder, why women? Someone in our class commented that the idea was too sexist. Apparently, in a way it is. Since the Y-chromosome, which can be obtained from men can only be passed through males, it is somehow less relevant than the mother’s. The mother’s DNa can be passed to both sons and daughters while the father’s y-chromosome cannot be inherited by his daughters.
To end it, I quote the useful site I have just cited..
“Mitochondrial Eve is not a theory; it is a mathematical fact”.