What is GMO?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified organisms. A genetically Modified Organism is a living things like plants animals and bacteria that have been mixed with another species. Scientist take the DNA of one organism and force the DNA into another totally different organisms. Genetically Modified Organisms do not occur naturally in nature. They are all synthetically made in a laboratory by biologist and biotech companies. These organisms are made to create bigger plants that are more resistant to drought, bugs, pestidies, and so on. These Genetically Modified Organisms may be seen as a victory to man kind but maybe they are hurting us much more than they are helping.

History of Genetically Modified Organisms:

Before Genetically Modified organisms could be developed scientist first had to discovery where our genes were stored.In nineteen thrity five Andrei Belozersky isolated pure DNA. That was the very hidden start to Genetically Modified Organisms, but in ninteen eighty  the first Genetically Modified Organisms patent was issued. This was the first patent ever issued on a live organism.The first Genetically Modified organisms was actually made to eat up oil from oil spills and help our ecosystem not hurt it. In nineteen eighty two the Food and Drug Administration approved the first GMO declaring it safe for users. The approval of the Food and Drug Administration got things ramped up and in ninetten ninty four  the first Genetically Modified Organisms product was available at grocery stores. It was tomato that consumers were able to buy that was genetically modified

Government involvement in Genetically Modified organisms:  

The United States governments does not take an active role in the area of GMOs. They do not support the idea of labeling foods that are genetically modified. The government does not believe that GMO are bad as long as they are still making a lot of money off of GMO. The FDA does not require GMO to be  tested at their labs or any safety precautions. They just rely on what the producers say about the organism in question and then releases it into our grocery stores. The governments wants to keep labeling off GMO foods so people will continue to buy them.

How do Genetically Modified organisms affect your life and health?

Many people are scared on the affects of Genetically Modified organisms on the human body. A study on rats was able to discover the Genetically Modified organisms where not toxic to animals. By feeding the rats Genetically Modified organisms for food they were able to see if any rats died or developed any diesels or other problems. The rats were fine but how about their offspring. Well another group of scientist aso went to rats to solve this problem. They studied the rats for three generations while feeding them Genetically Modified organisms corn. The rats had no problems in fertility or changes in offspring. The Genetically Modified organisms did not affect their ability to reproduce in any way nor did the Genetically Modified organisms affect the organs of the rats or their children. However the exact affect on human still remains unknown. It may be a risk to eat Genetically Modified organisms but we all do it everyday even without our knowledge.

Advantages and Diadvantages of Genetically Modified Organisms

https://greengarageblog.org/13-main-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-gmos

Will GMOs Hurt My Body? The Public’s Concerns and How Scientists Have Addressed Them

Genetically Modified Organisms have many pro and cons that tag a long with it.  GMO can have pesticides within the plant that can kill very important insects in our ecosystem. They can kill caterpillars,spiders and many other tiny but vital creatures. On the other hand foods that have been genetically modified can have a higher nutritional value. Some Genetically Modified Organisms foods have more vitamins that can help keep your body healthy and strong. Genetically Modified Organisms organisms can also cause more weeds to develop. The Genetically Modified Organisms can pass on some of its properties onto weeds that make them stronger and harder to kill. Then farmers start using stronger pesticides that are harmful to many mammals and fish in the ocean where all these pesticides eventually runoff to.

There are millions of books in our world and in thousand of different languages.  Many people enjoy reading books as a way to past time, go on a wild adventure, or collect knowledge.  There are two main categories of books non-fictions and fictions and a whole wide range of subcategories.  There is even a book out there that even the most unenthusiastic readers will love. Here are a few of the worlds most famous books and a little about them.

1, Harry Potter by J.K Rowling

Harry Potter  is a series of seven books about a world with wizards and witches. The books are a series of wild adventures the Harry Potter and his two best friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasly go on.

2.Ulysses by James Joyce

This is a modern telling of the Odysses by Homer. Featuring thrilling adventures.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby take place during the roaring 20s. This book is about the life of one mysterious man.

4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

This is a classic in American literature about a white whale and the tale to capture it.

5. The Odyssey by Homer

The odyssey is a book about mythological creatures and one mighty crew who has to battle them.  During the time these tales were told they were believed to be true accounts of heroism.

But what is the draw toward books why do people like them so much. After all they are just words on a page. Some people cannot put down a book after they pick one up other cannot even stay focused long enough to read a single page. Why is that? Well avid readers grow with the characters in the book. Sometimes they feel like they become the character themselves. Others enjoy the adventure a book brings them on. They feel as if they are actually in the story. Some people enjoy the quest for knowledge, books are some of the most priceless primary sources in the world. History buff enjoy reading about the past. It always you to experience multiple realities.

Reading also strengthens your brain. Reading involves a complex process in your brain stimulating nerves and increasing tension.  Reading also increases a person ability to empathizes. As the reader you feel a connection to the characters feeling their loss,sadness, and joy.  The way we form social connections and relationship is through the “theory of mind”. Empathy is need to make social relations ship so in essence if you read a lot you are better able to form social connections.

Reading can also help the mental decline of your mind. It has been proven that reading can help older people keep a sharp mind. It helps keep your mind engaged. Think of the brain like a mussel it need to workout in order to stay in shape.  As you grow older your body gets weaker, it may be harder to pick up objects same as it gets harder to remember names and places. But by reading and working out the brain you can slow this process down. It has even been known to slow the progress of dementia patients. Dementia is a progressive disease that eats away at the brain.

Reading books also has great stress relieving qualities. Instead of watching tv at night to go to sleep try reading a book. The blue light from the tv will keep you up longer but reading a peaceful story will help you relax from a long stress full day. But experts recommend reading in another room other than your bedroom.  Reading for 30 minutes helps lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Depression can also be alleviated by reading a bit. People with depression often feel estranged from the rest of society. Reading allows you to temporarily leave your version of reality and join another. For people with depression they become swept up in the characters and their lives. Sometimes during the winter months people get seasonal depression because of the gloomy weather and the lack of outdoor activities. Reading a book is an amazing way to escape the weather and join a sunny tropical island. It has been known to decrease the effects of seasonal depression on people.

 

 

https://thegreatestbooks.org/

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#prevents-cognitive-decline

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#what-to-read

 

Steal Pans are a musical instrument in the shape of a concave drum. They are made out of some type of high quality steal. These Steal pans can also be refereed to as steal drums. Steal Pans are part of the percussion family along with drums.  The musicians that play the steak pan are known as pannist and are known for their loose movements and dancing while playing. these instruments however can be tricky to play if you hit it in the wrong spot it may go out of tune. They also have an extremely limited octave range, its only about one and a half octaves. Steal Pans can cost upwards of three hundred dollars just for one single pan. With these rather expensive instruments you must be careful because they can be damaged in the sun and by dropping them. The steal pan or steal drum was born out of poverty. These are unique instruments that origins lay in Trinidad and Tobago’s with Ellie Martel

Ellie Martel was know as the father of steal drums. He created the first steal drum that was concave instead of convex. This gave him a better rhythm a better sound that is easier to control. He adapted an instrument to fit his personal style. Ellie Martel was gifted with an ear for music and was able to make a steal barrel into a know world renewed musical instruments. People had been banging on drums for year begore Martel but by making the drum concave he was able to create better sound.

The only way to tune pans is by using a small hammer

Tuning a steal pan to some people is seen as one of the hardest occupations in the world. It required a steady hand with precise movement. In order to make the correct notes it is a long and tedious process. Ellie Martel has dedicated countless hours to perfect the notes of steel drums. But being that it is still a relatively knew the process of tuning the pans isn’t that developed, and there may never be an alternative. But right now, only a small handheld hammer is how the steel drums are tuned nowadays.

Ellie Martel made the first 55-gallon steel pan

Martel took the phrase “when life give you lemons make lemonade” to heart. He had his famous concave steel drum named barracuda stolen from him. Martel did not let this lose affect him he went on to create the first 55-gallon steel pan.  He was beaten up from the robbery and many would have ended there career but no he continued on and was able to create a revolutionary version of the steel pans.

The steal pans are unique sound that have been growing in popularity. There are now professional steel pan bands and players. In the past steal pans were accompanied by cow bells, tins, and buckets, in order to make a melody. Know there are enough steal pan types to make an entire band. Many music artist are incorporation the sound of the steal pan into their musical pieces. Kokomo by the Beach boys,Somebody to love me by Mark Robinson and Business Intl, Close by Nick Jonas, and Crank that by Soulja Boy are ll examples of songs that have the steal pans as an instrument.

Trinidad has had the largest steal drums festival since 1964, where the best steal pan or drums bands play. They call this musical festival Panoramoa. In 1992 the steal pan became the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobaga. In the beginning days of the steal pan the bands would make the instrument themselves as to hide the secrets from the other bands. Some drums were louder, softer, different octaves, and even shapes. Today the steel pan or steal drum is relatively standardized creating an original sound that can not be replicated.  Mast Academy actually has their own steel pan band called Mast Steal, who perform various times through the school year.

https://www.songfacts.com/category/songs-featuring-steel-drums

https://www.softschools.com/facts/music_instruments/steel_pan_facts/3002/

 

All the people of the world have many different cultures,believes, and ideals. In order to best understand and respect people if is best to know their beliefs and culture. Many people will argue that our world if based off of religion and religious beliefs. But their are hundreds even thousands of different religions. The top 5 religions are Christianity ,Islam, atheism, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion. These are the top 5 religions based of of the number of people who practice.

Christianity is based off the idea that is is your job as a follower of Jesus to spread Christianity. That is why many countries claimed and colonized land in order to “spread Christianity”. Many previously colonized lands still practice Christianity today because it was forced upon them decades ago by foreign people. This is a monotheistic religion they believe in only one true God or heavenly Father. He has direct involvement in human affairs and plays a daily role in human life. They do believe in disciples of messengers of god. The bible is essential the rule book and story of God and how he created the earth and people. The bible also illustrates a heaven and hell and how you it is determined which one you will go to after you die. They believe that Jesus of Nazareth was God son and he was sent down to earth and was crucified.

Islam is also a monotheistic religion. Believers are known as Muslims and their God is called Allah.  Islam was brought to the world by a prophet named Mohammed. He claims that Moses,Jesus and the people of the bible were Gods prophet but they strayed from his teachings. Muslims believe in the 5 pillars similar to how Christian believe in the ten commandments. Shahadah the first pillar is that Allah is the one true God and Muhammad was his messenger. Salah the seoncd pillar is that you have to pray 5 times a day. Zahat is charitable giving to church or people in need. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to the Mecca the Islamic holy city. Last Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Atheism is the third most popular religion in the world. Atheism is the belief in not God or higher divine being. Atheist believe in some type of evolution theory that humans are have just evolved from to where they are today perhaps from grater apes. Atheist do not believe in heavens or hells or even an after-life. They believe that when you die you simply die their is nothing after death. This no beliefs was looked down upon in most of the 20th century and before. Now it is more widely accepted and now frowned upon.

Hinduism is the next religion that mainly dominates the Indian subcontinents. Hinduism is a very complicated culture that is more ritualistic than Islam or Christianity.  By the people who practice it Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. And is based off of 5 traditions: doctrine, practice, society, story, and devotion.  The Veda is their religious doctrine and is taught in class. They believe in moksha that you are freedom from the world and karma that your actions affect your future lives. The practice of Hinduism has a strong belief in reincarnation and that your place in the hierarchy of society is based on your actions.

Chinese folk religion is actually a combination of many religions. Similar to Hinduism they do not see it as a religion but as a culture. In Chinese folk religion it is free to mix believes and practices from other religion which is strictly not allowed in Islam or Christianity. They believe in the super natural of ghost, magic, and spirits. They also worship deities meaning a polytheistic religion. It seems that each town or city has its own spin of Chinese Folk religion and is geographically based.

Although there are many religions in the world it is important to treat the all with respect. Everyone was raised in a different culture. You should not judge or treat people differently because of their religious believes. With over 4,000 different religions we should accepting of all religions no matter hos much they differ from your personal opinion.

https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/06/the_odd_body_religion/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism/General-nature-of-Hinduism

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/religion-

The Organization I choose to write about is the Conservation Teen Scientist program run through the Zoo Miami Foundation. Conservation Teen scientist is a teen volunteer program that takes place at Zoo Miami. The main goal of this organization is too educating the public about environmental factors that affect our world and the animals living in it. Global Warming, Palm Oil, Species Conservation, pollution, and poaching are only some of the topics that this volunteer group educates the public about.

As a member of the Conservation Teen Scientist program you are stationed at different animal exhibits thought the volunteer day. One full day is from nine thirty in the morning to four o’clock in the afternoon. Typically, you are partnered in groups of two sometimes groups of three are used for training. The animals exhibits have biofacts that the volunteers take to the exhibit, biofacts help draw in people curious to learn more about the animal in front of them. Biofacts can be teeth, pelts ,skulls ,claws, even traps used for animal poaching.  Most of these biofacts are artificial made out of plastic but accurate to the real thing. The set of young adults then talk to visitors at the zoo teaching them about the animal they see before them. What’s the animals name, age, history. Then they move farther into the specific animals species and why its important and specific characteristics and adaptions this animals has that help it survive in the wild. The most important part is the conservation message. The conservation message is what’s affecting this animals in the wild. Poaching and deforestation are some of the major human caused global phenomenon that are affecting wild animals causing their number to dwindle. Along with what is causing the decline of the species the member of the Conservation Teen Scientist also provides a solution on how the visitors can help. Sometimes its to donate to an organization specific to a cause or too by products that do not contain palm oil.

In order for their conservation message to be most successful and helpful to their cause a connection must be made between the guest and the animals. With small children it can be easy such as them having the same age as the animal or similar names. For adults making a connection is harder you have to search for facts. If a human mother is at the orangutan exhibit you could tell her that Orangutans and their children have one of the strongest bonds in the animals kingdom and the baby will stay with her mom for eight years. This creates a more personal connection, the stronger the connection the more likely the person is too care for the animal and want to contribute in any way to help aid the animal.

This Organization is very important helping to locate all people who visit Zoo Miami. This gives the conservation teen scientist a chance to educate many different international as well as local people about the environmental problems facing our world.  The Conservation Teen Scientist program is a local group in Miami trying to help the future of our environment and animals through young minds. It is essential that these volunteer are well educated on the topics they are talking about and able to answer questions that are asked to them. All the basic information is memorized by studying booklets that are made on each animal. These booklets include the animals names, date of birth, children, habitat, food, and even fun facts about the animals. In order to learn more about the specific animals many volunteers talk to their keepers. The zoo keepers often develop a personal relationship with the animals, bringing in personal aspects into the conversation with a guest allows for a stronger connection between the animal and person.

At the end of the day the Conservation Teen Scientist program is dedicated to educating the public about species conservation and how they can help. These teens range from eighth to twelfth grade with exceptional knowledge about the fauna that occupy our earth and the problems they are facing. With this knowledge thet spread it to all people that they can in order to help our environment and the animals living inside of it.

Many people especially  young adults overlook the importance of sleep in their lives.Lack of sleep greatly affects America and this can cause serious problems in our society. Some people are night owls that simply cannot sleep at night, others stay up playing video games or reading.Insomnia and other sleep disorders also plague the United States. In our day and age the stress of work or school is overwhelming and sleep takes the back seat. So how important is sleep to the human body and what happens when you don’t get the needed amount.

Sleep is divided into two categories NREM non rapid eye movement and REM rapid eye moment. REM sleep is where you dream it is deep sleep while NREM is light sleep. Caffeine is the enemy of REM sleep and prevents you from entering that deep sleep realm.

 

This sleep table below shows the amount of hours you should sleep based on age.

• Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours
• Infants (4–12 months): 12–16 hours
• Toddler (1–2 years): 11–14 hours
• Preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours
• School age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours
• Teen (13–18 years): 8–10 hours
• Adult (18–60 years): 7-plus hours
• Adult (61–64 years): 7–9 hours
• Adult (65+ years): 7–8 hours

Not many people get the correct hours of sleep for their age group so how does this affect people? Sleep deprivation can have serious affects on people studies show. Just by lacking 1.5 hours of sleep is can cause trouble concentrating and paying attention. That’s just the beginning, then drowsiness, impaired memory, and slower motor skills can occur.  The chances of a getting into a car accident increase drastically without the needed amount of sleep. Heart disease, heart attacks, and high blood pressure can also be a result of sleep deprivation. Sleeping is like recharging your batteries or fueling your car in order to keep your body functioning at its best capacity you need sleep to relax and recharge. Sleeping also allows time for regeneration and healing in the human body.

Lack of sleep also affects mental and emotional health. When your tired it makes you irritable and grouchy this can affects your relationships driving the people around you away.  Depression and anxiety levels have been known too increase when a person does not receive their very much needed levels of sleep. The affects of ADHD are also amplified if the proper amount of sleep is not achieved.

If you are having trouble sleeping or staying asleep there are things you can try to help you. The main one is too not use your phone,computer, or TV at least an hour before you go too bed. The blue light emitted from these screens deplete the amount of melatonin that the brain sends out. Melatonin is the chemical in your body that makes you sleepy. Another tip is to skip naps during the day. If you do need to take nap keeping it less than 30 minutes and before 3pm is the best. Meditation and relaxation exercises also work well. Doing physical exercise is also very important when your body is physically exhausted it is easier to fall into a deep sleep.

https://ouraring.com/sleep-stages

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/how-to-fix-sleep-schedule

 

Now that the Center for Disease control has said that the global pandemic COVID-19 can be spread through talking mask and face covering have been on high demand. However the demand for PPE or personal protection equipment has surpassed the supply.Since mask are on high demand there has been an increase on at home mask or DIY but do they really work? Healthcare workers and first responders do not even have enough mask to protect themselves, some have even turned to DIY mask as a form of protection. So can at home mask truly prevent the spread of the Corona Virus.

DIY mask  mostly mimic surgical mask rather than the N95 mask that are the mask in the highest demand. Surgical mask are considered loose fitting and protect the wearer from large droplets and sprays of liquids. A surgical mask does have leakage around the sides but most importantly does not protect the person from breathing in airborne particles. N95 mask on the other hand are tight fighting and prevent airborne particles from entering the nose and mouth region and also does not allow for any leakage. So that means DIY mask which replicate surgical mask do not protect against COVID-19. New studies have exposed that COVID-19 can linger in the air for several minutes, simply walking though it and breathing the virus in you are exposed.

So what are they used for? These mask do prevent large droplets of water or sprays from entering  your mouth and nose area, so DIY mask are not useless. An article relised by USA today says “The DIY masks, albeit creative, are only to serve as a reminder for us to not touch our face,”. We touch our face constantly and never relised till COVID-19 reached the United States.  The mask provides a simple yet effective barriers from the bacteria and germs on our hands to our faces. The main way for this virus to spread is through physical contact with the virus and then transferring it to your face. A homemade mask however does not protect your eyes, so do your absolute best not to rub them maybe a pair of glasses can help alleviate the itch.

Regardless we should all be wearing some type of mask if only to deter people from touching their face. Almost all homemade mask are made of some cotton fabric and elastic bands. They are relatively simple too make only needing few materials that are easy too find on amazon. There are even patters online that can be used to create a mask. JOANS which is a fabric and craft retail store have even offered free fabric and elastics to people who are willing to make mask for local hospitals and healthcare facilities in need of PPE.  Here is a helpful link to create these mask at home 003902oo-1 Olson Mask V07003902oo-1 Olson Mask V07

Overall DIY and Homemade mask might not prevent us from inhaling the virus, it does help the prevent and spread of COVID-19. If the CDC advises the general public its in our best interest to wear mask or face covering. They can really be no harm caused by wearing mask!