Research Thesis - Topic Description

In history class, there is a month-long project on a research thesis about some international/global topic of our choosing. A description of our topic that includes (a) the topic and basic information or background (b) the reason of choosing the particular topic (c) any information that has been accumulated when searching for sources and (d) any particular focus or issues to be addressed in the thesis. My topic description is below:

The topic I will be writing about for the research thesis is overfishing. Overfishing is the focus of my thesis because I enjoy fish. A segment of my research will be the overfishing in Japan because I am fond of sashimi (a Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw fish). The Japanese cuisine that is not cooked is usually forms of sushi – and one of my favorite food preparation styles. But with such a popular style of food, how do Japan and other locations with heavy Japanese populations fish for a large audience. Understand that a whole tuna fish on auction in Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market (the largest fish market in the world) can cost the same price as a car. Even then hundreds of fresh, whole tuna are hauled in daily – thousands of frozen specimens are auctioned off on top of that. I want to learn how one of my favorite foods – fish – could be so popular that it becomes an international issue. After thousands of tuna are purchased daily in the world’s largest fish market, how there could still be fish left in the oceans.

My research suggests that commercial overfish originated with the Industrial Revolution. This dramatically increased human population and with it a sudden demand for the necessities of life – food, water, shelter, and clothing. It was during this time of industrialization in Japan when small, subsidence fishing operations evolved into larger commercial fisheries. Eventually, large demands for food (including fish) led to modern Japanese overfishing practices. Another case of overfishing in the 1980s occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently in New Orleans, Louisiana a chef popularized a dish “blackened redfish” which utilized Sciaenops ocellatus (also red-drum and incorrectly redfish). S. ocellatus suddenly became high demand from this popular dish. So many of these fish were pulled out from the ocean state departments of Fish and Game passed codes which limited the size and number of S. ocellatus which could be harvested for commercial use. These codes normally enforce effective protection to fish, however the development of red-drums seriously flawed the system. These fish can have a life of over 50 years. Logically the population of long-lived animals decline rapidly with large-scale commercial harvesting as the rate of harvesting exceeds the rate of reproduction and development – they eventually would become “non-sustainable” resources. Unfortunately, even the new state, national, and international protection could not entirely protect the redfish. S. ocellatus develops very quickly – usually within 3 to 6 years. However, thereafter most development halts in its entirety. Because of that, teenaged redfish are almost indistinguishable from its elder generations. Present day aquaculture (the raising of marine creatures in farms, then releasing them back to the wild) in addition to wildlife protection is now an effective measure to protect the once-overfished species. Nonetheless, in other parts of the world, overfishing is still an outstanding issue.

My thesis will attempt to focus on Japanese overfishing – especially tuna (for sushi) as mentioned above. This issue however is not only limited to Japan. Other countries are also suffering scrutiny for overfishing – including China and South Korea. However their focus will most likely be limited – and as I gather more research, I may find it unnecessary to my thesis. Another interesting Japanese issue that has sparked my interest is the killing of dolphins. So instead of general overfishing as my topic, there may be a modified topic of the Japanese fishing industry. This will greatly depend on the volume and detail of my research on the topics. In any case, I will be interested in my findings regardless of the specific topic I choose.

The Art of War (I)

2010.05.07
To Whom It May Concern:

There are many books on how to solve life’s problems. There are classes people take. There are seminars people attend. And there are websites people read. However, there is but one text that I have read several times and still find new information on how to solve, avoid, or battle these problems in life – The Art of War.

Written over two thousand years ago by a Chinese warrior-philosopher Sun Tzu, The Art of War is still one of the most prestigious and versatile texts in the modern world. It not only is studied by military strategists, but by professionals in politics and executives of business. The translator writes:

[…] The Art of War applies to competition and conflict in general, on every
level from the interpersonal to the international. Its aim is invincibility,
victory without battle, and unassailable strength through understanding of the
physics, politics, and psychology of conflict.
[…]
As a classic of Taoist
thought, The Art of War is thus a book not only of war but also of peace, above
all a tool for understanding the very roots of conflict and resolution.

Sun Tzu’s original masterwork Sun-tzu ping-fa was written sometime around 500B.C; somewhere in his thirteen-chapter work lays the secrets to success. Thomas Cleary translated Sun Tzu’s work into The Art of War. The book is structured into two sections: the Translator’s Preface and Introduction and the actual The Art of War.

In the Translator’s Preface and Introduction, Cleary relates The Art of War to the Chinese philosophies of Taoism. It compares The Art of War with additional Taoist classical literature, such as The Way and Its Power (Tao-te Ching) and The Book of Balance and Harmony (Chung-ho chi).

In Sun Tzu’s world, war is a matter of life and death. However, he stresses one of his main philosophies – “To win without fighting is best.” Unlike the European views of battle, Sun Tzu does not promote battle front warfare. Instead, another highly-stressed concept suggests “avoid what is strong. Attack what is weak.” Fighting costs lives and money. For centuries, armies fought head-to-head to determine which army is stronger and more courageous. However, Sun-Tzu does not care about the glory – he only wants to win. He commends those commanders who can outwit rather than outfight his enemy.

A Brief History of Time (Final)

Prof. Stephen W. Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA authors A Brief History of Time: from the big bang to black holes – a popular-science book about cosmology. Cosmology is a branch of astronomy that deals with the origin, structure, and space-time relationships of the universe. Hawking covers topics from the origins of our universe to space-time dimensions and black holes. This book covers a general scope of material and aimed for those interested in cosmology with minimal science background. Even though the mass-energy equivalence equation is the only mathematical equation in the entire book, a firm foundation and understanding of the fundamentals of chemistry and physics will help in advancing through the text at a faster and more comprehensible rate. Prof. Stephen Hawking writes A Brief History of Time with informal science vocabulary that can be understood to all. As my first Literature Circle book, A Brief History of Time provides a good start point to construct a reading foundation.

 

Author Prof. Stephen W. Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA was born on 1942 January 08 in Oxford, England. At the time (during World War II), it was safer to bear children in Oxford than in his parent’s house in north London (which was subject to frequent aerial bombings by the Germans). In 1950, at eight years of age, Stephen’s family moved to St. Albans – a small town in southern Hertfordshire, England. Approximately twenty miles (thirty five kilometers) from central London, Stephen attended St. Albans School. Admitted at University College, Oxford (the college his father graduated), Hawking wanted to study Mathematics. Unfortunately, University College, Oxford did not offer any Mathematics degrees, so he practiced Physics instead. His father would have preferred his son to study medicine, but after three years of “not very much work,” Stephen was awarded a first class honors degree in Natural Science.

 

Hawking continued his education at Cambridge to complete research in Cosmology; Oxford did not have a qualified Cosmologist working in that area. Once obtaining a Ph.D. Steven accepted a Research Fellow position at Gonville and Caius College. After more experience, the College offered Dr. Hawking a Professorial Fellowship to become Prof. Hawking. He eventually moved onto the Institute of Astronomy, in which he left at age 31 in 1973. With a section at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Hawking holds a post of Lucasian Professor since 1979 in the Mathematics field. This elite award was founded in 1663 by the Reverend Henry Lucas. The first Lucasian Professorship was held by Isaac Barrow. Several years later, Isaac Newton would be honored the professorship in 1669.

 

Prof. Steven Hawking works in the field of Theoretical Physics. It studies the mathematical models and abstractions of physics to explain phenomena that occur in the natural world. He uses the basic laws with govern the universe in his work in order to explain the complexities of space-time. In conjunction with Roger Penrose, Hawking proved that the General Theory of Relativity (first proposed by Swiss physicist Albert Einstein in the early 1900s) could be used to imply space and time would have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes.

 

One goal of physics is to be able to use a single theory and formula to explain all the naturally occurring phenomena in the world (which is the goal of the String Theory). Hawking needed to take the proof further and unify General Relativity with Quantum Theory. In an attempt to unify General Relativity with Quantum Theory, Prof. Stephen accidently discovered that black holes were not completely black. In fact, they should emit radiation that eventually evaporate or disappear.

 

To date, the professor has twelve honorary degrees. He obtains international fame and receives hundreds of awards, medals, and prizes. To add Stephen is also a member of The United States National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1982 (age 40), Hawkins was awarded the CBE and made a Companion of Honor seven years later.

 

Prof. Stephen Hawking is not only famous solely for his advancements in Theoretical Physics, but for doing so in an extreme disability. At age 21, Hawking was referred to a specialist after noticing strange episodes of spontaneous “clumsiness.” After several dozen tests in the hospital (including x-rays to muscle samples), he was diagnosed with neuromuscular dystrophy (on which I composed a slideshow presentation for Biology class) due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly ALS). Initially, Hawking was unaware of his condition – he did not ask for specific results of his tests even after the diagnosis was confirmed. “I didn’t feel like asking for more details, because they were obviously bad.” (Of course, he eventually asked for his diagnosis and prognosis) With the realization that he was inflicted with an incurable disease, Hawking found more reason in life. “I was enjoying life in the present more than before.” Steven knew that there were people surrounding him with incurable diseases that were much worse than his (at the time).

 

Previously, he was slightly bored with his work and seemed uninterested. The doctors recommended Hawking to continue his study and research in General Relativity at Cambridge, and he was making more progress with his research. Dr. Hawking continues to laugh because he decided to study theoretical physics – one of the few areas of science that such a condition would not be a serious handicap.

 

While his scientific reputation increased with more discoveries, so did his disability. The neuromuscular dystrophy has resulted in paralysis throughout most of his entire body.

 

In 1985 (age 43), Prof. Hawking contracted pneumonia. The doctors needed to operate a tracheotomy – the surgical operation of cutting into the trachea (the system of tubes by which air passes to and from the lungs, extending down the front of the neck from the larynx/voice box). The operation removed his ability to speak altogether.

 

Prior to his pneumonia, the ALS started to affect his speech – giving a slur. Only colleagues, associates, family, and friends that were close to Hawking could decipher him. Nevertheless he was still able to communicate. Scientific papers were written by dictating to a secretary. Seminars were presented via an interpreter who simply repeated the professor with more intelligible English. For a short period of time, communication could be accomplished only by spelling out words, letter-by-letter, raising an eyebrow when the correct letter was pointed on a spelling card. An inefficient system that was difficult to converse, let alone to write a scientific paper.

 

Hope was almost lost until a Californian computer expert (Walt Woltosz) gave Dr. Stephen Hawking a computer program he designed (which Woltosz called Equalizer). This allowed Hawking to select words from menus and selecting words by pressing a switch with the hand. Naturally, because of the paralysis, another program was compiled to control the switch with head or eye movement. This could then be sent to a speech synthesizer to communicate. The whole system was mounted on a portable computer onto Hawking’s wheelchair. Now he still has limited communication (fifteen words per minute) to the surrounding world – writing dozens of science papers (on theoretical physics, of course) and several books.

 

“This (speech) synthesizer is by far the best I have heard, because it varies the intonation, and doesn’t speak like a Dalek. The only trouble is that it gives me an American accent.” –Prof. Stephen W. Hawking

A Brief History of Time (II)

2010.04.21

To Whom It May Concern:
Another week has passed. I should be completed with my book. The entire eleven chapters of A Brief History of Time: from the big bang to black holes need to be completed. From the last letter of 2010.04.14, I have completed minimal reading…again. I think this week I took a step backward compared to my previous progress. Then again, I did not have much time to read my book. It was a very busy weekend. And of course my weekday nights are hectic. Nevertheless – I still accomplished some reading.

In 340BCE ., Greek philosophers (namely Aristotle) started in depth studies of astronomy. Prior this time, most studies concerning the sky and space was astrology based. Now Greek philosophers started studying the round shape of the earth (and other heavenly bodies) and the patterns of their orbits. Although some predictions were incorrect, it was the first major step in understanding more about the universe in this scientific perspective.

By the second century C.E., the set of observations thus far were compiled into their complete cosmological model. The earth stands stationary in the center of the universe. Surrounding it orbit in circles that carry the moon, the sun, the stars, and the five known planets at the time: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. For some reason, ancient scientists think that for some reason –mystical, religious, or imaginative – that the earth was the center of the universe. The outer-most orbit consists of “fixed stars” – which always stay in the same position relative to each other but which rotate together across the sky as a whole. Beyond these fixed stars remained a mystery. It was by far beyond the observational power of the most advanced technology at the time.

However, Ptolemy (who added the final touches of that cosmologic model) recognized that the model was flawed. In order to predict the positions of the heavenly bodies correctly, it had to be assumed that the moon followed a circular orbit while somehow bringing it twice as close to the earth as at other times. Therefore, the moon technically could not form a circular orbit for his calculations. On top of that, the moon ought to have appeared twice as large as it did other times.

Albeit flawed, this model was adopted by the Christian church as the structure of the universe – as it was in accordance with the writings. The outer “fixed stars” sphere also allowed room for the Christian church to fix ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’.

For the most part, this flawed model was accepted. In 1514, Polish priest Nicholas Copernicus suggested that the sun was stationary and the center of the universe. Consequently, the earth and the planets moved in circular orbits around the sun and the moons (or other smaller bodies) can orbit other planets. This theory accounts for the fact that the visible moons of Jupiter did not regularly orbit the earth, but orbited in an irregular (and somehow complicated) patter around the sun.

In sum, what does that tell me? Regardless of how many times a theory is proposed, it is still possible that it requires modification or discarding altogether. We can only assume what are the patterns and forces of nature, and even after numerous years of observation, there is still more to discover about our universe.

The Mautam (I)

The Mautam:
On 2009 February 24, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) television series NOVA (in cooperation with National Geographic) aired Rat Attack – a documentary featuring the mautam in action.

In the remote corner of eastern India, freshly dug graves in numbers too many to count cover the land. Men roam the forests in search of food. Women dig for roots to fill their family’s bellies. Others walk hundreds of miles in search of rice to feed the stomachs of the starving children. The year is 1959 and the Indian government is confused as it watches thousands of people die from a natural disaster unlike any other – an unfathomable famine. It is caused not by the weather like a storm or tornado, but by small vermin – a plague of rats in the millions. The people call it the mautam and it fills them with dread.

Records from the early years of the British Raj verify an event so mysterious and rare that biologists still are puzzled by the mautam that is described so carefully in Indian myth. Evidence describes these mass rat outbreaks in India in 1959, in 1911, and before that in 1863. This odd proof clearly indicates this weirdly predictable schedule of a rat plague and famine every 48 years.

NOVA was able to capture footage of the most recent mautam beginning in 2006.

It is a warm September night. And in a small northeastern Indian village, the crop is ready. Rice hangs ripe in the stem and tall stalks are bearing plentiful corn. Harvest is scheduled to begin tomorrow and farmers soon fall asleep. However, under the cover of night, a force of nature is underway that will thwart the entire crop in the fields. The villagers have planted enough crops to feed their children and survive another year until the next harvest. But this year…there isn’t going to be a harvest. Within the next three nights, rats in the thousands trample out of the ground. As the farmers sleep in their bamboo huts, the rats overrun the fields and eat everything in sight.

In a small village of 40 families, the farmers in the village of Thlangkang expected a rich harvest of over four thousand pounds of rice. During this year – the mautam has won almost all of this. Farmers were only able to collect a little bit more than 50 pounds of rice. It will be a desperate year – farms all over India are experiencing similar catastrophes. Over a course of days, all the rice in the fields disappears. Now, there is not enough rice to even re-sow for the coming year.

The culprit at hand is not an uncommon foe to the world of plagues: the Black rat (Rattus rattus).
Originating from the tropical regions of Asia, the black rat found its way aboard ships to Europe. It was here where the rat’s fame of carrying diseases was born. R. rattus is well known for carrying numerous pathogens including the bubonic plague. These omnivores are able to consume almost anything; they eat what most humans eat plus more. It can thrive in both the city and the countryside – and take advantage of ultimately any food source.

A Brief History of Time (I)

2010 April 14

To Whom It May Concern:

This is the first Literature Circle letter that I have composed. At this point, I am still attempting to find a technique for reading quickly while staying focused to the text. I notice that there is progress in my reading habits. However, the pace at which I am reading is not truly at a satisfactory level. At this point, I should be at the beginning of Chapter 09 (The Arrow of Time). Thus far, I have completed Chapter 03 (The Expanding Universe). Wow – six chapters behind in my readings. Nevertheless, progress has been made – and I believe that is as valuable and powerful. In the coming months (and if there is time over the summer) my goal is to build upon this now-stable reading foundation and hopefully practice the ability of good reading.

The text I have selected for 2010 April is A Brief History of Time: from the big bang to black holes. Professor Stephen W. Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA authored this 1988 compilation. The book is densely packed with rich information in all branches of physics – ancient and modern. In the Acknowledgements, Hawking writes “Someone told me that each equation I included in this book would halve the sales. I therefore resolved not to have any equations at all. In the end … I did put in one equation, Einstein’s famous equation, .” Basically, the professor hints that A Brief History of Time aims for a more general audience. He wishes not to limit this informative to those with advanced degrees from the University of Cambridge, but to readers with interest in the subject of astrophysics and lack of a PhD.

Hawking attempts to address and answer several questions – to the best understanding of 1988 science. These are the questions that compelled him to further his studies in cosmology and quantum theory: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end – and if so, how? It may also be the questions that stir interest to us all, to make us wonder about the space beyond our earth. Beyond our solar system. Beyond our galaxy. And lead us to the origins of the universe we see today. What makes this book so extraordinary is how Stephen W. Hawking is able to beautifully word complex (and often abstract) ideas and advanced scientific concepts with minimal reliability on the mastered levels of mathematics. Only several specialists are able to master the mathematics and use them to answer the aforementioned questions. It is further impressive that this book utilizes only one formula and can still answer some of these questions (like the basic ideas about the origin and fate of the universe) in a form that people without a highly developed scientific background can still understand.

Hawking first starts the Introduction saying “We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world.” Many times when children ask, it is still common for parents and educators to mumble some religious texts or simply give a shrug. It is possible that some are still uncomfortable with these issues as they vividly show the limits of human understanding...

Assignment: What are your goals?

What are my writing goals?

Well, at this point, my goal is to actually finish all the blogs that I have missed. Ha. Let us see how much I can actually accomplish this week. Spring break gives me an awesome opportunity to make-up the blogs that I have missed and improve my grade. I should be making an A in this class and because I fail to complete the simple assignments, I receive such a low grade in the class. It is unfortunate really.

But what goals are there, what am I out to accomplish? Maybe there is no exact set goal. Thus far, I see myself simply typing up facts and compiling my research into an assignment for English class. Am I truly writing for myself or just for the grade? (Not like it seems to matter; I am neither writing for myself nor receiving the grade, ha). One aspect of my writing I want to improve is my efficiency. For some unknown reason, I am just not able to mold ideas in my mind into words on paper (or on the computer). At some points I am not able to even brainstorm good ideas. Just as an idea, I have been working on this post at the computer lab and at home for at least a total time of three hours – and I am only at word 275. And now after staring at that again, I am starting to work on this at a much faster rate.

In a grammatical viewpoint, my writing appears to have good syntax and a somewhat sophisticated vocabulary (or so I say…). Overall, organization may be an issue. I know that when I compose essays, I usually do not outline and plan out/brainstorm my works. Not too dissimilar to what I am typing now, I am composing the ideas the come to my mind. Maybe one aspect of my writing I should improve is my initial organization and processing of ideas. In turn, I would probably spend less time getting distracted and trying to pull my thoughts together because my general ideas will have been outlined already. Guess that might also be a valuable skill for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams – both of which have timed writing sections.

What is the purpose of my blog?

Primarily, I see it as a digital notebook for my English Assignments. I know that earlier in the year, I felt that the blog could be a site to share all the cool information that I researched. In some cases, I can agree with that – and it is true that the blog site shares information that I have researched. However I see the blog more as an assignment.

If I did have an additional purpose for my blog, it would be to educate the readers on topics of science. Science oversees almost all aspects of life, really. It provides structure to mathematics and explains the advanced and sophisticated complexities of our bodies.