What happens when a person has symptoms of a disease that he is unable to explain, strange movement disorders that are beyond explanation? There was a point in my life when my world collapsed from an obscure disease unknown to anyone in my family. Had I gone crazy? Were the pains I felt reality or just tricks of my own mind? I had only turned twelve years of age. My body was maturing; school was greatly impacting my sleep cycles; extracurricular athletics was intensifying to another level. Had my world suddenly caved into the stress, or was another, separate beast developing on its own?



I was beginning Grade 07 and attending a new school with an entirely new campus and a new set of teachers. Two weeks after the first day of school, I felt adjusted to the new middle school life: switching classes periodically, five different teachers, and a daily dose of PE. After I got in sync with the middle school schedule, I began to notice strange tingles, down my left leg. I figured these were only from sitting too long in the classroom in uncomfortable desks and lack of proper blood circulation. Weeks passed, maybe months, as these tingles persisted and progressed into twitches. But I paid no attention; it seemed rather inconsequential. Gradually, the condition began affecting my right leg as if the disease was spreading. One afternoon, during PE class, the condition took a sharp turn and took over my legs completely.



Running Day Wednesday was a weekly activity in which PE classes run off-campus on a predetermined route. The instructor gave us the signal to begin, and I attempted to spring and move ahead to the front of the pack. For no apparent reason, my legs froze. My toes clenched tight; calves flexed uncontrollably, and my hands fisted in pain. Without warning, my body tumbles onto the ground. In mere moments, the once motionless legs flail heedlessly. All in a matter of seconds, as mysteriously this attack occurred; I regained the normal function of my appendages. Dumbfounded and puzzled, I continued with my running day without addition issues. Only two days later and like the previous attack, the same set of events happened. This time it was in English class. From the clenched fists to the uncontrolled flails, I was reliving that nightmare. Although the attack lasted less than ten seconds, it was long enough to catch the attention of the teacher. What was I to say? It was beyond any explanation I could have come up with at the time. I quickly stood up and reassured my teacher that everything was fine, that I simply tripped on my own feet, clumsy me. Little did I know, these “trips” were far from fine. Ten seconds, that’s it. These spells were so short that I had no idea how to explain them. These episodes of mysterious attacks only bewildered me more.

“Take your mark.” It was the Spring 2007 Junior Olympic Qualifying swim meet. Maybe not a fast competition, but a minimum qualifying time was necessary to sign up. I was exhausted come time for my final swim of the afternoon. The starting signal started, and I dove into the water. I needed to complete two lengths of the pool, a short swim. Yet when I pushed off my turn, the same numbness shot through my legs and into my toes, rendering me motionless again. For two seconds my arms lay on the surface of the water as if they were dead. Both my coach and mother showed concern when I exited the pool. It was obvious that medical attention was desperately needed, lest I end up drowned by my own body.



With no complete understanding of the condition, I decided the best course of action was to talk to my primary care physician. His recommendation: undergo a complete MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan and see if any possible tumors or formations are pressing up or pinching the nerves of my spine. Thereafter, after consultation of the images with the MRI technician, my physician would refer me to either a neurologist or a neurosurgeon.



I sat in an MRI scanner for an hour, lying completely motionless. After enduring deep, loud bangs to ear-piercing screeches, the MRI image resulted negative for abnormalities of any kind. Two days later, I found myself sitting in another patient room at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland: Department of Neurology and Neurosciences. Patiently I waited. With each passing minute my heart rate continually increases. Questions start to fill in my head. What if this new specialist is unable to assist me? Or what if she is unable to understand what ailment I have based on my vague descriptions? Could it be possible that there is no cure or medication to subdue my symptoms?



Then she came, her nametag clearly printed “Dr. Robin Shanahan.” She started to ask the general questions. What is the reason for your visit? How long have you exhibited symptoms? How regular are these attacks? Do you notice them at a particular time of day or during a certain activity? And the list continued. I answered her questions as best I could, though I still felt my responses did not suffice the specifics she needed. After what felt to be hours of ‘interrogation,’ she finally left the room to do research. Hopeful that she may have a solution, I still couldn’t help to think that Dr. Shanahan would diagnose me with an incurable disease. Shanahan entered the room and explained she has two possible predictions – both of which were unavailable to solid medical testing without expensive procedures, and both of which had radically different prognoses.

Without warning, she shouted at me “GO, STAND UP! RUN.” Not wanting to disobey the doctor’s order (albeit strange) I attempted to take off to a sprint. Not so unusual now, I froze again, dropped to the floor, clenched my fists and curled my toes. Another attack. Flailing uncontrollably and kicking about the patient room floor. I was almost embarrassed to have another episode in front of the doctor. Then she explained she had the proper diagnosis. It was an unofficial test, but suffice it to say, conclusive enough to give a firm conclusion on the disease I had.

Final Assessment

English 02(P) - SUTHERLAND

 

Semester 02 Composition

Final Assessment

2010.06.07

 

English class – not only is it an academic class to learn vocabulary, syntax, conventions, and reading comprehension, but in a way, it is a social science class. Unlike español, français, Deutsch, にほんご, or 中文 classes that focus on vocabulary and grammar, English class explores the fundamentals of communication. In this way, an English class functions as a social science by studying the functioning of human society, because without effective communication, the sole function of a society could not form. With that, this class is far more than a list of California State Standards or school SARC reports, but a development of the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society.

 

As I mentioned in my first blog post A Statement of Purpose, writing is an invaluable skill – a powerful means of communication. As in any form of communication, writing connects us all as individuals – it helps share and spread ideas. These interactions transmit valuable information from the interpersonal to the international.

 

The creation of a blog for an English class was a unique perspective for executing assignments. English this year deviated from the normal structure of an English class with its structure (in its entirety). Generally, an average English class is encompassed by three major writing assignments with five outlying essays, all with high weighting in the semester grade. Moreover, literature and novels orbit around these compositions. In contrast, the compositions this year were scheduled weekly – with a major assignment scheduled monthly. The majority of the compositions were ‘freestyle’ in the sense that the subject of each assignment was of one’s preference. With the exception of two novels, the literature could be any genre of choice (provided it passed certain guidelines). Albeit less structured, this style of teaching promoted individual freedom.

 

Although I may be leading slightly off the trail, this concept of freedom in the class is important. As a student advance in his studies, the professor will not be able to individually assist every student in every situation because of a large body of students. Furthermore, because of the large class population, professors will spend less time grading homework (an Introduction to Chemistry course I completed over the summer 2009 did not event collect homework). Thus in order to succeed, a student needs to be able to motivate his self to excel in his studies and advance to the next level. By introducing this freedom now, students will be able to respect the class as an opportunity to further his knowledge and motivate his self for a successful future.

 

This is a shift – from seeing the classroom as a room to forcibly learn to a community to advance his self. And it is shift that evolves as the student matures. When he can see how writing a weekly assignment of a topic of his choosing can motivate him to write and communicate, then the true polish of grammar and syntax can be applied.

 

My writing initially began with simple classification of science and how certain branches of science fit together. The first few posts were simply a test of blogger – understanding its components and acclimating myself to this new system of electronic classroom assignments. At this point, I was interested in medicine and attempted two or three posts. I soon realized that my background was sparse and research to provide accurate information was a time-consuming process.

 

Then…at the end of October 2009, one idea struck gold – the science of cooking. Who couldn’t love the subject? There are two of my favorite things: food and science. My background in food science was stronger than that of medicine. And in all honesty, food is a subject to which more people can relate. Most (if not all) of my research and inspiration comes from one gentleman: Alton Brown and his Food Network show Good Eats. After I saw my first episode of Good Eats, I was attached to the show. If I could create a cooking show, it would be most modeled after Good Eats and the science Brown uses. All the facts that are in my Salt series of blog posts (I, II, III, IV) were collected from Good Eats Salt episodes (“Eat this Rock”). It is a fascinating world to know the history of food and the science which composes them. How could a simple egg be transformed into your morning breakfast? Or why would dredging a fish in flour help a batter to adhere for deep-frying? It is more than simply applying heat or adding powder.

 

[C]ooking involves science (albeit not distinctly in many cases). Chemistry, physics, biology, anatomy, botany, ichthyology, ornithology, crystallography (studying crystals, like salts and sugars), and many, many more sciences intermixed to have a foundation for cooking. Transforming raw ingredients to form succulent dishes involved thousands of years of tradition, experimentation, tasting to meld flavors or avoid certain combinations of food. Only until recently (compared to the length of human cooking) have scientists discovered the science behind some of the cooking procedures used in modern culinary compositions.

 

Then the mautam (and the mautam (II))

After watching Rat Attack, a NOVA (in cooperation with National Geographic) documentary, I thought writing about the subject would be an interesting twist to my blog. To think that every 48 years – nature’s clockwork at its best, over a billion tons of bamboo fruit flowers, matures, and falls on the ground…free for the eating. With a billion pounds of fruit come thousands of rats. These rodents coat the countryside with a swarm that could reach millions.

 

The bamboo grass purposely pumps out thousands of fruits each cycle to guarantee fulfilling its biological duty to reproduce and give off more plants. It “knows” that with the plentiful tons of fruits, there still won’t be enough rats in the forest to collect them all. But it is not solely the populous fruit bearings that have given the successful forests of bamboo. They have a secret that is hidden below.

 

In all, this year was successful. I learned more about my writing (conceptually) and started to concentrate on how to polish certain aspects – although it still needs work.

The Art of War (Final)

2010.05.28

 

Famous Military Strategist and General Sun Tzu composed The Art of War (Sun-tzu ping-fa) around 500BCE – immediately after a war among battling city-states of ancient China. After training a small army of only 10,000 men in the state of Wu, Sun Tzu was able to conquer the army of the Chu state with the resources of almost 30 times that of Wu. Shortly before Master Sun’s army conquered the state of Chu, he disappears fearing that the Emperor of Wu will become greedy for more territory – a position of which Sun Tzu does not want to be a part. In the years following his disappearance, Sun Tzu writes his wisdom of hundreds of bamboo sticks that were painstakingly stitched together to form his 13 chapter treatise. Known as one of the greatest military masterminds in history, Sun Tzu’s work was kept a secret for centuries – only accessible to a select few individuals. Now translated into English, The Art of War released the methods of Sun Tzu’s success. Limited not only to military and strategic planning, The Art of War helps understand not only the strategy of battle, but the roots of conflict and resolution.

 

Thomas Cleary takes the words of Master Sun and translates the ancient Chinese text into comprehensible English. However – even amongst Chinese interpreters – translations can be tricky. The language of the Chinese classics varies differently from dynasty to dynasty, even county to county. Not only are the ancient “slang” and use of words different, but the grammar structure and visual appearance characters have vastly changed in modern Chinese. As Cleary says in his Translator's Introduction:

 

It is only natural, therefore, that translations of ancient Chinese texts into modern Western languages, which differ so greatly from Chinese, should themselves exhibit a considerable range of variety. …There are many choices of techniques available to the translator for conveying the contents of classical Chinese writings to the reader in another language. In twenty years of translating, never have I (Thomas Cleary) seen or translated an Oriental classic that I did not find so rich as to be able to generate at least three possible translations.

 

Similar to a comparison to “Ye Olde English” and modern American slang, translator Thomas Cleary incorporates and modifies technical translations to dismiss ambiguity of Sun Tzu’s poetic wording. Cleary does a superb work of rewriting (or omitting) some of the references to local Chinese events or accounts of unpopular or unfamiliar content.

 

Not only has Cleary translated Master Sun’s work, The Art of War, but he has taken the liberty to translate the words of eleven separate interpreters to provide commentary on Sun Tzu. Many of these commentators were other military officials in throughout Chinese history that can clarify some of the metaphors used in The Art of War.

The Art of War is a text that does not solely refer to war strategy. It is a versatile work that can dictate the rules of conflict. If one follows the advice and wisdom of Sun Tzu, he will always prevail. Ignore Master Sun, and you fight in darkness.

-------------------------

 

Sun Tzu was summoned by King Helü of Wu sometime toward the end of the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China. This period could also be corresponded to the first half of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The eastern states of Wu and Chu have claimed independence from the rule of Zhou emperors (and thus the “Eastern Zhou Dynasty,” compared to the Western). However, tensions between the newly-founded Chu and Wu states begin to ascend. It is believed that land-locked Chu is planning an attack to conquer its smaller, neighboring state Wu (a coastal state) in order to gain access to the valuable resources (trade routes, fish, and greater territory). As friction increases among the two states, King Helü decides it is time to train a military army of its own. Chu is becoming a major threat. King Helü calls in military warrior Sun Tzu to test his talents before the king. Master Sun claims he can train anyone to become a warrior. Of course King Helü challenges Sun.

 

Helü asks Tzu if he can transform palace concubines into warriors. These palace concubines have been trained only in the art of luxury, pleasure, and royalty; they know nothing of the world beyond the palace walls. Since birth, these women of pleasure have no knowledge of the vast world that lies beyond a seemingly large royal courtyard. The palace is their home; the palace is their world. Never before have these concubines seen battle, weapons, or death. That is about to change.

 

King Helü gathers about two dozen of his concubines and allows Sun Tzu to prove his philosophy, to be able to train these spoiled, soft women to be a fighting force. As the king observes, Master Sun hands the two senior concubines swords and appoints them as platoon leaders. These senior of the group are to ensure discipline is in order. Sun Tzu demonstrates a basic command to assemble into a formation when the drum sounds. However, when he is ready to begin the exercise, all the women simply laugh.

 

Puzzled by the reaction, Master Sun rephrases the drill procedure in a more simple language: when the drums sound, line up in formation with your swords and stand at attention like soldiers. But when the concubines fail to heed Sun Tzu’s exercise instruction again, he not only quickly retires the senior platoon leaders but executes them on the spot. Sun Tzu appoints another two concubines to be platoon leaders and when the drums sounded again, they oblige without hesitation.

 

This was a simple demonstration of one of Sun Tzu’s principles in The Art of War. He says:

 

If instructions are not clear and commands not explicit, it is the commander's fault. If the instructions are clear and commands explicit, it is the subordinate officer's fault.

 

Now he has convinced the concubines that he is deadly serious. War is a matter of life and death in Sun Tzu’s philosophy. If this key principle is understood, everyone – from the highest commanding officer to the individual soldiers – will be motivated to win.

The Mautam (II)

The Mautam (II)

 

It was only four years ago when a mysterious plague swept across India. Unlike any plague today it has an eerie meeting every 48 years. What once was thought only to be an event out of myth now frightens the locals…they call it the mautam. This plague was not a virus or germ, but by a widespread famine that struck all of India.

 

NOVA of PBS (in cooperation with National Geographic) took documentation of the mautam in action. In 2006 Biologist Ken Aplin from the Australian National Wildlife Collection and local Indian biologist James Lalsiamliana travel to the province of Mizoram, India to catch the mautam in action.

 

The Mizoram is covered in 2,400 sq. mile forest of bamboo. And every 48 years – like clockwork – the bamboo grass flowers, fruits, and dies. The two thousand square miles of forest will drop 10 tons of fruit…per acre. Over a trillion pounds of bamboo fruit will ripen and drop onto the bamboo floor free for the eating.

 

At its peak performance, a female black rat can reproduce to yield a cycle of over 200 offspring. Take 50 females, and you have 10,000 rats. Only when the bamboo fruit supply diminishes do they move on to the crops of farmers. But the rats need to hurry; once the fruit sprouts, it produces a bitter compound and becomes inedible.

 

The bamboo grass purposely pumps out thousands of fruits each cycle to guarantee fulfilling its biological duty to reproduce and give off more plants. It “knows” that with the plentiful tons of fruits, there still won’t be enough rats in the forest to collect them all. But it is not solely the populous fruit bearings that have given the successful forests of bamboo. They have a secret that is hidden below.

 

After the atomic explosions in Japan during World War II, bamboos were one of the first plants to reemerge. Unlike trees, bamboo is a grass; moreover their roots are not botanically roots – they’re the plant themselves; bamboos are rhizomes. Like ginger, most of the structure of a rhizome is underground in what would normally be called a “root.” For that reason, it is possible to take a section of the rhizome, plant it, and be able to grow another organism. Of course, the initial section must be large enough to sustain itself until it a sufficient shoot can develop.

The Art of War (III)

2010.05.21

 

Leaders – it is an important aspect of all military strategy. Without a leader, a group cannot fully organize and become successful. Master Sun Tzu says that leaders are defined by five characteristics: intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness. Commentator Jia Lin explains how only these five virtues together make a functioning commander.

 

Reliance on intelligence alone results in rebelliousness. Exercise of humaneness alone results in weakness. Fixation on trust results in folly. Dependence on the strength of courage results in violence. Excessive sternness of command results in cruelty. When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate to its function, then one can be a military leader.

 

Being a good leader not only requires these virtues, but needs to be executed properly. Sun Tzu says that “discipline means organization, chain of command, and logistics.” In order to operate a successful cooperation of divisions, the leader must be able to organize the people and place them in a clear, direct chain of command. Failure to give generals unconstrained control from their leaders can lead to perilous results.

 

In World War II (WWII), the Allied command structure gave General Eisenhower absolute authority as supreme leader of all Ally forces on the Western Front. Beneath General Eisenhower are four commanders for the Navy, the Air Force, the US Army group, and the British Army Group – each with their own resources and defined responsibilities. This system is designed similar to that of an organized org chart, each being able to cooperate with Eisenhower, while having the freedom to independently utilize his own resources without restraint. The Allied command chain allowed all the units to collaborate efficiently and effectively to a specific set of commanders with a common goal.

 

One would assume a dictator as Hitler would design an even more defined and efficient system of command. However, it is quite the opposite. In fact, Hitler’s org chart is cluttered with responsibilities that are shared amongst some commanders, while resources are separated or split to different commanders. The system is confusing with overlapping authority. This was to ensure that no one person obtained all the information or had direct control over forces at their disposal. It was designed to direct all authority to the hands of Hitler; he would make the final decision on the allocation of troops and dispersion of weapons and materials.

Quick-write: The Rules of Love

Quick-write: The Rules of Love

Prompt: Answer any of the four questions provided below.

1. What rules govern the behaviour of young men and women in relationships today?

 

2. Name a situation in which the rules have clearly been violated. That is, what actions or gestures do women just do not do; what actions or gestures that gentlemen do not do…?

 

3. What are the possible consequences for being in violation of these rules?

 

4. Where do these rules originate? Who invented these rules and who enforces them?

 

A “relationship” for the purpose of this post refers to a romantic or passionate attachment to a person.

 

Although the term relationship in all respect of the word technically means simply the relation connecting or binding participants in a “relationship” – basically put as a kinship, the “rules of love” could apply to the aforementioned.

 

In my point of view, there are two schools of thought one what governs the behaviour of young couples. There is a more traditional school of thought that a gentleman should formally ask for a date (usually to a fine dinner or film), and the media-popular mentality that a man finds a woman based on his “sexual” drive toward her. I am much a fan of the former – a more sophisticated view – a significant other; while the latter seems to treat women as more as a means to please his…desires (if you will).

 

If the desired route is the formal presentation, the rules are generally strict and rigid with limited opportunity for independent variation. He (the gentleman) will ask her (the lady) on a date – usually, but not limited to, a fine dinner, a walk through a garden or park, a movie, or a tour (or variation thereof). He will dress formal or semi-formal appropriate for the scenario. He will treat her in a respectful manner with commonplace gestures – opening the door and allow her to enter first, picking her up, driving her to and from locations of the date, paying for the bill, speaking with language void of profanity, and not bringing his mother, etc. I assume there are many others that dictate the proper formalities of a date. The world of relationships is a complex state – true love is something difficult to come by. American media (along with other media) greatly influence the “modern” approach to relationships – especially with the younger “technology” generations.

 

To my understanding, current ideals of a date would be to go to a dance or club. He is to purchase drinks and other alcoholic beverages, possibly to get drunk. Thereafter sexual desires may affect the actions of him or her – possibly to the extent of sexual intercourse. Unfortunately, the “health” of the relationship is greatly jeopardised.

The Art of War (II)

2010.05.14

To Whom It May Concern:

Sun Tzu originally wrote Sun-tzu ping-fa around 500BC. For centuries, thirteen chapters that it composed held the secret to understanding the very roots of conflict and resolution; its knowledge was known only to the highest of Chinese and Japanese scholars and military generals. Now translations of Sun Tzu’s work fill the pages of The Art of War. Translator Thomas Cleary takes the time to read over Master Sun’s work and carefully translate his words. In addition to Master Sun, Cleary also selects eleven interpreters to provide commentaries in this translation. Most of the commentators were high ranking military officers of the Chinese military – often famous for some war or fight. Others were just famous Chinese writers and some with no known history or information excluding their commentary on The Art of War. Interpreters generally lived during the first to twelfth centuries.

The Art of War is densely packed with quotes of Master Sun. He says:

Planning should be secret,

attack should be swift. When an army takes its objective like a hawk striking its prey, and battles like a river broken through a dam, its opponents will scatter before the army tires. This is the use of the momentum of an army.

By reading Master Sun’s work, one will find that he repeats this focus on objectivity. Generals need to assess a situation with a dispassionate perspective, yet carefully calculate his actions. Sun Tzu is well known for saying, “to win without fighting is best.” Commentator Zhuge says:

Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered; those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win.

Sun Tzu believes war is either life or death. The first words in The Art of War are, “Millitary action is important to the nation – it is the ground of death and life, the path of survival and destruction, so it is imperative to examine it.” Master Sun has strong views of the layout of war. War is a means to an end – what that end is varies from political to economic. But in the end if you battle – battle till the death, you should either come out victorious and alive, or defeated and dead. This was a philosophy the Japanese used in fighting World War II (kamikaze suicide bombers). Of course, that is not to mention The Art of War solely influenced the Japanese philosophy. Strong Japanese culture on honor describe that it is best to die honorably than be taken prisoner.

Most wars during the medieval times of Europe generally attacked opponents head-on in a battlefront. For the most part, the goal was to show which army was most courageous and strongest. But fighting costs lives, supplies, and money – something that Master Sun’s army could not actually afford. However, Master Sun could care less about fame and glory; he only wants to win. Sun applauds those generals who can outwit his enemy, rather than outfight them.

Fighting also requires deception. Knowing while being unknown, this concept is repeated multiple times as one of the successes in battle. Zhuge uses inspiration from the Tao-te Ching, The Art of War (Sun-tzu ping-fa), and The Masters of Huainan and traditions from Taoist and Confucian philosophy to explain deception:

A skilled attack is one against which opponents do not know how to defend; a skilled defense is one which opponents do not know how to attack. Therefore those skilled in defense are not so because of fortress walls.

This is why high walls and deep moats do not guarantee security, while strong armor and effective weapons do not guarantee strength. If opponents want to hold firm, attack where they are unprepared; if opponents want to establish a battlefront, appear where they do not expect you.

Here Commentator Zhuge explains that relying on advanced technology and weaponry alone will not guarantee success in battle. Even the best of defenses cannot protect an army from all circumstances. The last sentence about attacking where they are unprepared and they do not expect you is better explained in another quote that I may use later.

The secret to this art of invisibility – this idea of knowing while being unknown – is precisely the interior detachment cultivated by Taoists for attaining impersonal views of objective reality.

[M]easure (military action) in terms of five things, use these assessments to make comparisons, and thus find out what the conditions are. The five things are the way, the weather, the terrain, the leadership, and discipline. –Sun Tzu

Interpreter Zhang Yu (Sung Dynasty, 960—1278) comments that discipline means that regulations are strict and clear.

Zhang Yu is only known for his commentary on The Art of War (and a collection of biographies of military leaders). Interestingly, Yu appears to interpret Master Sun’s work in a similar way that I do. The text of this translation is organized so that Master Sun’s original, translated line is printed in bold typeface. Following are the comments of some (or all) the interpreters; some quotations may only have one commentary, while others may have all eleven comment. As I read Sun Tzu’s philosophies, I interpret and comment in my mind. I notice as I read Zhang Yu’s interpretations, I agree in almost all situations or see similar points of view.

I know that as The Art of War continues, I will be able to find more insight on the understanding of conflict and strategic battle. As I mentioned in the first Literature Circle letter, The Art of War is not only a text on military strategy, it is a book on the understanding of conflict.

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.

Chemistry

Ok – my grade in English class is plummeting downhill faster than a spacecraft making its decent. For this reason, I am going to spend all of today to attempt to raise the grade. Ah, if only my blog posts don’t take an average of three hours to complete. Goodness, a day solely dedicated for English class. I guess is the sacrifice to make for failure to complete my work.

—Matter—

I have no idea particularly why I want to go into this subject on this post, but I want to blog about chemistry.

So, what is matter? In the most complex terms, matter is any material substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, that constitutes the observable universe, and that is interconvertible with energy.

In short, it is the “stuff” of which the universe is composed and has the two characteristics: it has mass and it occupies space.

To understand the nature of matter, it is classified in various ways. The three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas are defined by:

-solid: rigid; has a fixed shape and volume

-liquid: has a definite volume but takes the shape of its container

-gas: has no fixed volume or shape; takes the shape and volume of its container

The state of a given sample of matter depends on the strength of the forces among the particles contained in the matter; the stronger these forces, the more rigid the matter.

Substances have physical properties. Typical physical properties of a substance include odor, color, volume, state (gas, liquid, solid), density, melting point, and boiling point. A pure substance can also be described in terms of its chemical properties, which refer to its ability to form new substances.

An example of a chemical change is wood burning in a fireplace, giving off heat and gases and leaving a residue of ashes. In this process, the wood is changed to several new substances. Other examples of chemical changes include the rusting of the steel in cars, the digestion of food in the stomach, and the growth of grass in the yard.

In a chemical change a given substance changes to a fundamentally different substance or substances.


—Kinetics—

I still need to suck out one hundred words…so let’s continue with chemistry into the study of kinetics.

Chemistry is far more complex than mixing “stuff” and seeing what happens. In fact, chemistry is known as the central science as it focuses and links many of the other branches of natural and physical sciences. Without chemistry, the complex nature of biological functions would be difficult to explain. It is needed to explain reactions and interactions with the physical world – and thus physics.

So what is kinetics?

Kinetics is a branch of science that deals with the effects of forces upon the emotion of material bodies or with changes in a physical or chemical system. In short, it studies the effects of reactions. It also deals with the mechanisms or vehicles by which a physical or chemical change is effected.

Sugar II

When we think of sugar, usually the standard white granulated sugar that is seen in packets comes to mind.
But in the scientific world, sugar is a far more complex subject. Molecules of complex sugar molecules are more commonly known as carbohydrates, while more simple sugar compounds are plainly “simple sugars.” In actuality, all sugars are carbohydrates – they contain a carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the empirical formula C_n (H_2 O)_n. The underscore _ indicates the location of a subscript. In this configuration, it can easily be seen that carbohydrates are hydrates of carbon molecules – hence the name carbohydrate. For simplicity, carbohydrates are usually written in the form C_n H_2n O_n with {n ∈ Z 3 ≤ n ≤ 7}.

Carbohydrates are the main energy source of all organisms. As I mentioned before, these sugars vary widely in chemical composition – from the simple monosaccharides and disaccharides to more complex oligosaccharides – which contain up to ten molecules of ‘simple’ sugars connected by bonds. The root -saccharide derives from the Latin saccharum and Greek sakcharon. The Greeks modified this from the Prankrit sakkharā and Sanskrit śarkarā – all to mean sugar or gravel. Mono-, di-, and oligo- roots all refer to the numbers of saccharides (one, two, and ‘few’, respectively).

So how do plants produce sugars that we consume?

All plants have an organelle chloroplast which contains a green photosynthetic pigment that produces the chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy from the light of the sun. The photosynthetic pigment is also responsible for the varying colors of green in plants. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use radial energy from the sun (in addition to water and carbon dioxide) to form a simple glucose sugars molecule C_6 H_12 O_6. This process yields the energy plants need to survive – and it then can manufacture the more complex sucrose and fructose combinations. The photosynthetic process can be represented in a chemical equation 6 CO_2 + 6 H_2 O + sunlight →3 C_6 H_12 O_6.

In the culinary realm, because sugar does not occur in the form of glucose in plants naturally – it is usually modified from other sugar. Glucose is the main form of sugar in corn syrup. There is a distinct difference from corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup found in many processed foods. This difference is just how the syrup is produced and the enzymatic processes that occur in each.

How is normal corn syrup useful?

Because of its different chemical structure, glucose is known as a preventative measure for crystallization in simple syrup.

Simple syrup:

Although I still do not know why exactly it may be called simple – I know it is a simple combination of sugar and water; it also just happens to be very simpleto make. Simple syrup has many uses in the kitchen where a liquid form of sugar is required. The best example is adding sugar to cold drinks. Notice how it just settles to the bottom of the container…? It just does not want to dissolve.

Reading

This is only a quick break from science and the chemistry of cooking. But this month and the end of February has been an extremely tiring and stressful. With the start of Literature Circles, my homework load increased three fold. Literature circles are the newest installment of my English class curriculum. It utilizes small groups of two or three who read a particular text of no less than two hundred pages. The reading is to be completed in three weeks at one week intervals. I chose a partner who is a good friend of mine. Initially, we were undecided upon which book we were going to read. Another friend of ours in the class had no partner, but a book he was interested in reading. Soon the three of us obtained copies of Octavia E. BUTLER’s book Parable of the Talents.

Far beyond high school, I realized that the pace at which I read is far slower than the usual pacing of my peers. I rarely read books in my spare time, not that I truly have any spare time nor do I read for pleasure. At its most basic, the only time I read fiction works are for English-Language Arts class or other education.

Now in my hands, I hold a four hundred page book that I must complete in three weeks. Unfortunately, there was no time to reassign myself to another group or attempt to persuade both partners to switch titles. Four hundred pages – three weeks. My group decided to divide the book into even thirds based on the number of chapters. Luckily there were twenty one chapters and twenty one divides into three seven times evenly. Therefore it reasoned that twenty one chapters should be dispersed in three seven-chapter intervals. And thus it was set, seven chapters were to be read each week (if it isn’t obvious, that roughly can equate to one chapter per day). In Parable of the Talents, BUTLER writes approximately fifteen pages for each chapter…fifteen pages of reading each day. Yuck. I knew I should not have agreed to read this book of four hundred pages. I understand that many avid readers scoff at the idea of ‘only’ fifteen pages, which they could read in ten minutes. I am the complete opposite; I cannot read quickly, possibly five pages in a half-hour at most – depending on how dense the material is presented.

Anyhow, one week passes. I should be starting the second installment of my book. I should be starting chapter eight. I should be at page 135. But what have I accomplished in seven days? Almost nothing, absolutely nothing. The only time I spent reading was during class and lunch. My marker rests at page thirty. One hundred pages behind pace.

I decide it is time for a meeting with my English teacher. My English teacher (whose name shall remain undisclosed) and I shared a valuable conversation. We both learned something new about me and my reading. He told me to take a half-hour of reading time, and take notes on what thoughts are going through my mind, what distractions are around me, and what else is possibly hindering my reading pace. My teacher explains that the issue is less likely a problem with reading itself, but other aspects which may affect my reading. The notes I took gave a framework to build upon…

Sugar

The human tongue can essentially detect five different flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory (also: umami). What substances taste sweet? Sugar, of course – but why do we have a natural attraction to sugar and sweets? When we are born, we have a natural attraction to sugars, because sugars (usually) mean energy. On the same token, at a young age, many children dislike vegetable. When cooked (and exponentially worse when over-cooked) enzymes react in response to the high heat to form extremely bitter compounds. And in many cases in the natural world, poisons and toxics are bitter. As humans mature, our food pallet becomes more sophisticated and becomes more comfortable with pungent, spicy, sour, and bitter flavors. It is for this reason why adults are more comfortable consuming vegetables; their pallets are less affected to the bitter components of a dish more than the other complex harmony of aromatics and spices of a fully-‘developed’ pallet.

Studies have shown that there is a relation between the ability (and severity) of tasting PTC (phenylthiocarbamide) paper and the flavor of vegetables. PTC is a chemical which is extremely bitter to some of the population, while virtually tasteless to others. This strange difference of two extremes is dependent on a genetic encoding to taste certain bitter compounds. Those with high sensitivity to PTC (myself included) showed an extreme disgust to vegetables (I can recall placing the PTC paper on my tongue and immediately spitting it out. That taste lingered for hours – if it helps, the paper tasted like chloroquine or quinacrine that you would take for prevention against malaria.). Conversely, those who seemed to have no effect from the PTC had no issues with vegetable consumption. Therefore, some children don’t eat their vegetables because they don’t want to, but because s/he is too sensitive to the bitter compounds or even become unpalatable…so it is not entirely the kids fault.

Moving onto another subject of sugars… (I understand the majority of the text above is about bitters, but I thought it was interesting and decided to do the extra research)

Albeit not as complex as salts and flour, sugar has a unique array of varieties. Apart from the normal white granulated sugar, there is brown sugar (golden brown and dark brown), raw sugar, and all types of sugar syrups (like corn syrup). So how does sugar arrive on our supermarket shelves?

It all begins with the sugarcane stock.
Sugarcanes are any of about twenty five species of tall grasses (like bamboo) in the Saccharum genus which originated somewhere in Asia. In many cases, the sugar found in the sugarcanes at the grocery store is a hybrid of the twenty five. Cultivators carefully select the best characteristics of the sugarcane and decide which best moves to the next generation of crop. It is not uncommon for stocks to grow from six feet to as high as nineteen feet in height.

After harvest, the cultivators have several options to produce a consumer product, all based on its final destination. In Costa Rica, I have had the pleasure of taking the whole sugarcane, pressing it through rollers, and straining the pulp to produce a pitcher of a sugarcane juice. This elixir was served in a shot glass and looked like a clouded mixed drink. The taste was concentrated – sweet, but not overwhelming and with a nutty flavor. It was an opportunity to enjoy a rich Costa Rican delicacy of cold pressed sugarcane.

Flour

Flour:
If you walk into your local Safeway or other supermarket and head over to the aisle for baking, you may come upon six, seven, maybe even eight different types of flour. With so many options, which one do you choose?
Do you purchase the flour with the prettiest design on the box or the cheapest per-pound value? Is the brand of the flour important?

The answer lies in what is your baked good destination. Most supermarkets in the United States carry at least three types of flour on stock: all-purpose flour, bread flour, and cake flour.

The all-purpose (as its name would hint) is by far the most popular and versatile of the three major varieties. If I were to choose one type of flour to store in my pantry, I would always keep all-purpose (AP) flour on hand.

At its most basic, what differentiates the flours is protein content.
Approximately seventy-five percent of the wheat grown in the United States is hard wheat (that is, wheat that is high in protein). Most flours composed of hard wheat are marketed as bread flour. The high protein is needed to form the plastic and elastic structure demanded by crusty baguettes and chew sourdough breads.

On the contrary, soft wheat is that which yields lower levels of protein. Flours composed mostly of milled soft wheat are sold as cake flour. The lower protein content reduces the amount of elastic framework formed by hardier bread flours. This reduced protein is best suited to delicate baked goods such as light, airy biscuits, pastries, and (as the name suggests) cakes.

All-purpose (AP) flour is usually a mixture of soft and hard flours, which is why it is apt and versatile in the kitchen.

Less common flour includes self-rising flour. For the most part, self-rising flour is AP flour that has been laced with chemical leavening. This additional lift is best when working with dough that requires chemical leavening (usually baking powder) so that there is already carbon dioxide gas bubbles at work before the dough is completely formed.

Bleached or Unbleached:
You may also see several different variations of unbleached flours. They are identical to the flour of its original counterpart; except unbleached flour is void of the additional flour bleaching agents added to flour in order to make it appear whiter. Initially, when flour is processed at the mill it is slightly yellow in color. Most of the time flour is treated with calcium peroxide (CaO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), chlorine (Cl2), or chlorine dioxide (ClO2­). Albeit this chemical nomenclature appears complex and dangerous, do not be frightened. These chemicals are added in small proportions and only used to whiten the flour.

So why not purchased unbleached flour to avoid the chemicals in its entirety? It would probably be safer to consume products made by them. I see no reason the flour needs to appear white.

Ehh, it may not be the best approach to purchase unbleached flour solely for the absence of chemicals. Consider the final aesthetics of the baked good. Using the unbleached yellow-tinted flour can make yellow-tinted “white” bread. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have strict regulations that govern the addition and application of chemicals to food products intended for human consumption. These laws permit only certain bleaching agents are used in precise quantitative amounts.

In the end, the choice of flour to use in your products greatly depends on the qualities sought to yield the proper processes needed to arrive at your final destination.

Genocide

Prompt 03: Human Nature – Who participates in genocide, and why? What does the commonality of genocide lead you to believe about humanity?

The expression genocide did not exist in type prior to 1944. It was not until Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined the word to describe Nazi policies of systematic murder. However, genocide describes more than killing of Jews during the Holocaust and it has occurred throughout all periods of human history – far before 1944 and even today in the twenty-first century. Whether it is religious, political, racial, or cultural, genocide is a deliberate and systematic killing of a group associated by some common link. Some of the earliest genocides were recorded around 150 bce during the Third Punic War. And in recent news, the situations of Darfur, Sudan are genocide.

At some point in history, all societies have connection to genocide. What event is usually associated with genocide? Most often the holocaust is linked with genocide. The holocaust was during World War II, where Nazi Germany sponsored the systematic murder of over 11 million people, including 6 million European Jews. Much other genocide has occurred throughout history. In Asia during the thirteenth century, Mongolian Empire founder Genghis Khan had genocidal killings against the territories he conquered. Khan expanded his empire through his violence and killing of his enemies.

The Americas experienced an extensive genocide – most of which is disguised in thousands of social studies textbooks. When Columbus and the other explorers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries set foot on America, the natives welcomed these conquistadors with honor – as the Native Americans thought the explorers were gods returning to their sacred lands. However, these explorers were in for a different motive – power. Back then, for a country to be powerful, it had at least one of three mechanisms: land, spices, or money. With the Spanish in Central America, Hernán Cortés found the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan with plenty of gold. Eventually, he brought down the capital to take the gold –and did so by killing millions of Aztecs.

With the Spanish in Central America, the Aztec capital Tenōchtitlan was taken and overthrown in 1521 by Hernán Cortés. A similar set of events happened north of Tenōchtitlan in present-day Eastern United States. After Columbus set foot in the Americas in 1492, explorers from many countries in Europe traveled to the East Coast. Soon, they began to colonize and claim territory for their motherland – and started to force Native American tribes out of the region. More people arrived in the Americas and colonies were densely populated. Seeking more land, and more adventurous opportunity, individuals headed to the Wild West (American Old West) to see what the earth had to offer. To no surprise, the English pushed out, and in the process they had to ‘inconvenience’ thousands of Native American tribes. Some wars amongst the indigenous people and the colonizing English broke out because the Native Americans wished not to be forced into small reserves while watching the ‘foreigners’ take over their land, resources, and homes. Records of Indian wars are available from the mid-1500s to the early 1900s – and the summation of all these mini-war battles result in the Indian massacre.

Genocidal killings murder millions of people – and millions of homicides need people to participate. During the holocaust, Adolf Hitler was able to control the information outputted by media and use propaganda to persuade the common people of Germany to enlist in the military and kill off the European Jewish population. On the contrary, in the Rwandan genocide, two divisions – Hutu and Tutsi - did not choose to kill. Neighbors and friends were sometimes told to kill each other. People of all ages participated in genocide. Children as young as 12 years of age were able to pursue direct combat – whether voluntarily or involuntarily, depending on the situation. However, International Human Rights law mandates that the military use of children no younger than 18 years of age take part in direct hostilities - and those of who are between the ages of 15 to 18 years may be enrolled in the military.

What does this mean about humanity?
People will always find ways to differentiate themselves from other people. As mentioned in the Race Video, humans have always divided themselves into groups which they see have a commonality. This relates to a more primitive tribal society and is the basis of genocide-based killings. The killing of others may be just another sign of our primitive past. So have humans, the “most evolved” and sophisticated animals truly surpassed our chimp ancestors? And are our civilizations actually “civil”…?

The Chewy

This is the final installation in this three-blog series on cookies. I have taken the chocolate chip cookie further past the ingredients, past the procedure and technique, and into the science! Again I propose the question “How do variations in the proportions of ingredients affect a final product?”

The chewy cookie variation is my favorite. It provides the best characteristics of the Thin and the Puffy – a flat, dense consistency from the Thin, yet a moist interior from the Puffy.

For the chewy, the Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe must be modified to support more moisture. If you have become a dedicated reader to this series, you will remember the most important factor in cookie baking – the fat. Chewy cookies require something in order for it to have a slight chew. If you look at the ingredients list, none of them are chewy. Flour, salt, baking soda, brown sugar, white granulated sugar, butter, and chocolate are all powdered or soft solids. Vanilla extract and eggs are liquids. So where does the chew come from and why do the other cookies (which follow similar ingredient lists) not have such a defined chewy texture?

The answer lies in the flour. The starch in the flour is contains of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin. When water is added to the flour and agitation is applied, the two proteins cross-link to form this water-insoluble network of proteins called gluten. This gluten is responsible for the chew in baguettes, sourdoughs, bagels, and other breads.

Water is still needed to activate the production of gluten. So instead of using softened butter, it will be melted to take advantage of the water phase in butter. Therefore, when the flour is introduced to the batter, more gluten will form leading to a chewier cookie.

While on the note on flour, the type of flour matters just as much as what kind of fat is used. There are many varieties of flour, but at its most basic, three flour varieties will be available at the local supermarket: all-purpose [AP] flour, bread flour, and cake flour. The only difference amongst these varieties is protein content. Bread flour (as the name suggests) is excellent for baking bread because it has higher protein content. High protein is directly proportional to high gluten production. Conversely, cake flour contains low protein content, and thus lower gluten potential. And all-purpose is the middle-of-the-road flour, a balance of both worlds.

Because of the high demand for gluten, using bread flour that is high in protein will increase the chewiness of the final product. Also, bread flour has the ability to absorb more liquid, so more moisture will remain in the cookie.

In contrast to the increased white-to-brown sugar ratio for the Thin, we want more moisture to be in the cookie. Brown sugar is coated in molasses – and molasses loves moisture. The more brown sugar (and less white sugar) added to the batter will increase the moisture content and will be more likely to attract moisture from the air.

Recall in the Puffy that more egg whites make a cookie ‘puff’ more. Also, egg whites dry out batters and in order for a chewy cookie to live up to its reputation, it has got to stay moist. Removing one egg white and replacing it with two tablespoons of milk would be an appropriate modification to keep the cookie moist. Other than that, follow the procedures to make a standard chocolate chip cookie.

Follow some simple guidelines and you can modify any recipe for any food to your liking. That is what the science of cooking should encourage – taking a foundation of a well known recipe and adding the personal decorations to make that product your own.

I hope in this series of blog posts, I have opened your eyes to the science of the chocolate chip cookie and that anyone can make their own, unique cookie from slightly tweaking a few ingredients to produce Good Eats.

With that note, I bid you good eating...

The Puffy

How do variations in the proportions of ingredients affect a final product?

The Thin focused on deviations from Ruth Wakefield’s TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to produce a flat, crisp cookie that spreads before it sets. However, there are other variations of the chocolate chip cookie. As I have mentioned several times, there are three basic styles of the chocolate chip cookie: the thin, the puffy, and the chewy. All these styles are defined by its texture or appearance.

The Puffy suggests the baked cookie is airy. The texture should be light and soft – like a cake. What is needed to obtain such a texture? Consider…the fat.

From The Thin, I quote myself, “nothing affects the texture of a cookie more than the melting characteristics of its fat.”
Wakefield’s original ingredients call for butter. As mentioned in The Thin, butter has a low and sharp melting point. That means that the range of temperature at which the solid butter melts into a liquid phase is relatively narrow and is low – not much warmer than room temperature. With such a low temperature, the butter would melt and promote spreading of the batter.

However, for a puffy cookie, the height of the cookie must remain tall. A taller cookie decreases its surface-to-mass ratio.
Why would the surface-to-mass ratio affect cooking?
Remember that heat from an oven is multidirectional. This is possible due to three distinct types of energy acted upon the food. Conduction from the direct contact of the metal of the cookie sheet heats the bottom of the cookies. Radiant heat from elements or coils sends direct energy to the food through heat. Convection is the energy of the air inside the oven circulating all around the food.
Notice: Conduction is the direct contact with metal, radiation is the energy transferred from the heating element as heat, and convection is the circulation of heated air in the oven.
With this quick background in the multidirectional heat of ovens, the more surface there is on the cookie, the more energy is acted upon the food ruins the puff factor of a puffy cookie.
Egg whites contain a lot of protein. When the proteins in egg whites are cooked, they coagulate to form a network that can “catch” pockets of steam to provide. Yes, steam provides some of the “lift” needed for that airy texture. The other pockets are full of air from the carbon dioxide formed from mixing an acid and base.

Semester 01 Final

Writer’s Block:
Writing has never been one of my strong points and I have always experienced writer’s block. A major cause for this is the assignment of writing on a particular topic or using styles which I am uncomfortable. With blog posts, I am able to write about any subject without limit. This eliminates one of the factors writer’s block, but there are still other contributors.

An issue I have had for many years is taking ideas and molding them onto paper. I become greatly distracted and sometimes attempt to evade the assignment. Either that or I try to manipulate my writing to avoid answer the question and changing the initial topic. Sometimes, I may even take the topic and provide an extensive amount of research and background information.

For example, in the quick-write “I do, I have, I am,” the question is what do you think Steinberg is getting across? Instead of analyzing the meaning of the art, I described the painting in great detail. I explained the use of laws of perspective, the use of certain colors and textures, the positioning of specific aspects. But in the end, I failed to mention any thought of Steinberg’s message.

How did I overcome writer’s block? Simple: I wrote about topics that appealed to me and used a linear method of writing. With the exclusion of mandatory posts, most of my blogs are about science.

Once I began talking about science, the thread of science-related blogs continued. Thereafter, I had limited issues with writer’s block on my blog; of course I still had issues with other writing assignments. Because of the volume of research available for topics of my blog, many times I would continue my post from previous weeks by adding more information. I would always have an available topic in which I was interested to explore in my blog without the need to brainstorm for new ideas. This is not to say that writer’s block was cured.

There was still the issue of putting ideas into text. Sometimes this task is as easy as taking a resource and paraphrasing its text in a way which is non-plagiaristic and/or simplifying the text such that it is easier to read and understand.

In The Basics of Science, I dedicated a half-hour of research searching through old textbooks, notes, and the internet to find the most accurate and precise information to educate the views. I also spent additional time ensuring several words from the Academic Vocabulary List were incorporated to fulfill that week’s blog post requirement. Although not exactly writer’s block, it is a level in which thoughts are transcribed or ‘translations’ of the texts decelerate the momentum.

There are other occasions when I need to compose some aspects of the blog – like the analogies.

One analogy is a favorite of my English teacher. It compares the difference of mass in large marbles and small marbles to the mass of kosher salt and standard table salt.

… Cooking with kosher salts can cause a slight problem.[…]Consider the
following: Two jars of equal volume are filled with marbles of similar density
[…]. The first jar is filled to the rim with small marbles, the latter with
large marbles. […] would you expect them to be equal in weight? No. Because the
second jar is filled with larger marbles there is more room between the marbles,
and therefore less weight compared to the more compact smaller marbles.The same
principle can be applied to kosher salt and plain table salt. Because there is
more room between the grains of kosher compared to grains of plain table salt in
1 unit, there is technically less salt mass in 1 cup of kosher.

In the end, writing with comfortable styles and knowledgeable topics (and also subjects you take interest) are the best defenses against writer’s block. The patterns I notice associated with writer’s block involve the lack in motivation and sometimes background knowledge required in some styles of writing.

Blog Post Analysis: The Thin
My most recent blog post The Thin featured a question I posted on a previous post. On “Cooking – More than fun” from 2009 October, one of the questions is: “How do variations in the proportions of ingredients affect a final product of food? “ I answered this question by using science – mainly chemistry. In order to modify a chocolate chip cookie recipe, I would need to acquire a recipe. I used the “Magna Carta” of American cookie recipes – the Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The initial creator of the recipe was Ruth Graves Wakefield – and she sold her secret to NESTLÉ® for a life-time supply of chocolate. The recipe had become so popular with Americans; NESTLÉ® began to manufacture NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Morsels.

Hundreds of cookie types exist. There is the sugar cookie, Nabisco’s OREO™, triple chocolate cookie, M&M’s® cookie, chocolate chip, oatmeal and oatmeal raisin, snicker doodle, peanut butter, amongst many others. To further add to classifying cookies, the chocolate chip cookie can be classified into three variations. These variations are defined by the texture or appearance of the cookie.

The Thin cookie, as the name suggests, is flat. Its texture is usually crisp around the edges, and depending on the baking time, the center may be crisp or soft. For such a cookie to bake properly, the batter (which is dropped onto the baking sheet) must spread prior to setting. This requires the better to have a fat which melts at a sharp and low temperature. The less moisture that can accumulate during the mixing or baking process will reduce the amount of steam needed for batters to rise.

The Puffy cookie is light and airy. The consistency is more related to a cake than any of the other variations. The cookies produced using puffy recipes are usually small in diameter and tall in height. Contrary to The Thin, puffy cookies require steam build up in order to acquire the aerated texture. The proteins of egg whites tend to puff when agitated, similar to the foam produced when whipping egg whites for meringues, soufflés, mousses, and chiffon.

The Chewy is obviously chewy in texture. Usually flat, the chewy cookies have a texture that gives the true American chocolate chip cookie. It is the texture imagined when biting into the warm, fresh baked delights grandmother makes. This method requires a lot of moisture in a wet batter, which does not set like that of its puffy counterpart. Adding more brown sugar to the batter is the best way to yield high moisture content, as it absorbs water from the air even after the baking process.