Melanoma on the RIse, or Is It Just Diagnoses?

The New York Times recently published a study on the increasing diagnosis of melanoma skin cancer. Some don't believe in the rise of cases of melanoma instead believing that dermatologists are only able to diagnose symptoms earlier being the cause for the increase of cases recorded in the cancer registry. A study published in the September issue of The British Journal of Dermatology found that between 1991 and 2004 there was a 48% increase in cases of melanoma, which is similar to the 44% increase reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for American whites.
Gender and skin color are factors that both influence the commonality of the cancer. According to The New York Times, melanoma is 20 times as common in white as in blacks. In U.S. News & World Report, melanoma rates are going up among older white men differing from The Washington Post, which states that melanoma rates are increasing most among younger women and cases leveled off among men. The rates of melanoma have reached more than 125 cases per 100,000 men age 65 and older. In U.S. News & World Report, Dr. Robin Ashinoff, a medical director at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey also supports that there has been an increase in melanoma in younger patients, especially women, which may be a result of tanning. The Washington Post provides the statistic that from 1973 to 2004, the rate of new melanoma cases in younger women jumped 50% since 1980. Mark Purdue is quoted in The Washington Post with the statement that "it could be the result of such factors as women spending more time outdoors and engaging in indoor tanning."
Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a professor of dermatology at New York University said in The New York Times that "every study over the past 10 years has shown that the absolute number of melanoma is rising...The death rate from melanoma has also been going up, Dr. Rigel said, but so has the survival rate." According to the American Cancer Society, "about 62,000 melanoma cases are diagnosed each year in the United Sates and more than 8.400 people die of the disease." Indoor tanning has been blamed as one of the causes for skin cancer, but Sarah Longwell, a spokeswoman for the Indoor Tanning Association claims in The Washington Post that "there has been no scientific studies that show that indoor tanning causes melanoma." Dr. Levell in The New York Times supports the Indoor Tanning Association by stating that the diagnoses of melanoma in the registry were mostly on the back, trunk and limbs, which are ares not consistently exposed to the sun, meaning that sunlight cannot explain the increased number of cases.
Melanoma is a topic that I will always follow research on because I worked in a tanning salon for three years and I still consistently expose my skin to sunlight either outdoors or through indoor tanning. Family members have repeatedly cut out article after article on how dangerous tanning is for your health, but i consistently choose to ignore these warnings. I don't disagree that indoor tanning may add a higher risk of getting skin cancer, but I do believe after going through training and becomming "Smart Tan" certified that indoor tanning is a safer, more controlled way of tanning since you are able to measure and limit the amount of UV exposure you want to receive.
I do feel that melanoma is revolutionary because this cancer has increasing rates in women, but has leveled off for men. Women are now becoming more active outdoors as well as treating themselves year round to the tanning salon, where as men used to be very active due to working and holding jobs outdoors, but now men are inside attending school and holding office jobs since technology has advanced our machines resulting in less manual labor outside.
This research has provided us with answers proving that melanoma is increasing and the rate of melanoma has doubled in all socioeconomic groups, while deaths from the disease did not increase significantly. Although sun exposure may be a leading risk to skin cancer, there are other causes that may have larger roles in resulting in melanoma that should also be researched to provide our society with better ways to prevent ourselves from increasing our risk of getting this disease.

Bakalar, Nicholas. "Melanoma on the Rise, or Is It Just Diagnoses?" The New York Times. September 28, 2009. http://nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/29mela.html?ref=science

Reinberg, Steven. "Melanoma Rates on the Rise in U.S. Increase could indicate an epidemic of skin cancer, researchers suggest" U.S. News & World Report. January 8, 2009. http://usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/01/08/melanoma-rates-on-the-rise...

Stein, Rob. "Melanoma Rates Increase Among Younger Women." The Washington Post. July 11, 2008. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dym/content/article/2008/07/10/AR2008071001231.html

Water on the Moon?!

Space is truly the final frontier. The Earth has been discovered and explored and mapped almost completely, but space remains a mystery. Every year new discoveries are made and new theories are tested. A few lingering questions have yet to be answered. Is there other life out there? Could the moon or Mars support humans? Due to a new discovery by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), one of these questions may be on its way to being answered.

The Chandrayaan-1 is a craft that was launched by the IRSO in 2008 in hopes of learning more about the moon. Attached to this probe was NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper or M3. This piece of equipment discovered something that has many scientists in a stir. The M3 found water on the moon. Now, this isn’t normal, everyday, let’s go swimming water, this is lunar water ice. While the M3 was mapping the moon for minerals, it found many large deposits that gave spectrographic signatures of water. However, there is of course some doubt. Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen as many people know. There is another molecule called hydroxyl that is one part hydrogen and one part oxygen. Unfortunately, hydroxyl and water give off almost identical spectrographic signatures. There was also a discovery of frozen water just below the surface of Mars. Scientists knew about the ice cap of Mars but this new discovery may well lead to more missions to Mars and definitely more experiments of the surface.

When I first saw this head line I thought that it wasn’t too interesting. Then I started reading the different articles online about it and saw a picture of how much water really is on the moon and Mars and realized that this is a big deal. People have been wondering for ages if the moon could support human life. Now that there may be water there, it is definitely a stronger possibility.

I first saw this article on eWeek (article here). I had never heard of eWeek but after looking it up realized it to be a fairly credible source. I then went to Time.com (article here) and found the article there. There is not much of a difference between the two. The Time article talked more about the actual mission and not so much the actual discovery and the scientific parts of it. eWeek touched down on some of the science parts but I wasn’t satisfied with it. I then found VOA News (article here) a government funded broadcasting company. The online article I found there talked much more about what was found and how it can be interpreted. I feel as if all of these sources are credible.

This discovery could lead to so many new ideas and theories of space travel. NASA could start a program to build a base on the moon and Mars. That could lead to a small town being run there and a self-contained environment surviving. The possibilities are numerous and very exciting. This find could revolutionize space travel.

Chimes, Art. "VOA News - Scientists Report Finding Water on Moon." VOA News - Voice of America - English News Homepage. 25 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://www.voanews.com/english/Science/2009-09-25-voa40.cfm.

Mark, Roy. "Discovery of Lunar Water Making Scientific Splash." EWeek. 26 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Green-IT/Discovery-of-Lunar-Water-Making-Scientific-Splash-500709/.

Singh, Madhur. "Water on the Moon Buoys India's Space Program - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. 26 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1926393,00.html.

Tim Landry - Blog Post and Presentation

1.) Thugz Mansion (Acoustic) by 2pac (feat. J. Phoenix, Nas, Anthony Hamilton)

- Lyrics

2.) Tupac Shakur wrote this song and later fellow rappers Nas, J. Phoenix, and Anthon Hamilton did an acoustic remix. Hamilton's remix was the only version to feature a music video. Tupac Amaru Shakur is considered to be one of, if not the best, rappers of all time. He was born in 1971 in East Harlem, NY and died in 1996. He went by the stage name 2Pac, Pac, and Makaveli. He is one of the best-selling music artists in the world.

Works Cited:

Shakur, Tupac, Perf. Thugz Mansion. Perf. Shakur, Tupac. Amaru: 2002, Film.

3.) I was drawn to this work because of the sound. It is one of the my favorite songs of all time. The mix of rap and acoustic guitar is original and a nice change from the main stream hip-hop that we hear today. Moreover, the the melody is very relaxing. I selected Thugz Mansion because it is different from a painting. I felt it would be more appealing and engage the class more than just analyzing some artist's drawing. I have never been interested in paintings, I am more interested in music. I feel more from a song than I do a painting so analyzing Thugz Mansion would yield a better analysis than just a painting.

4.) The subject of this song is 2Pac's image of what heaven will be like. He is expressing how his life will be in heaven. He calls it Thugz Mansion. He is expressing hope and desire by singing about how life will be without crime, death, and tragedies. He uses rhymes and a calm melody to express how he feels. You also can hear him express his pain in his voice. Normal Tupac is more aggressive and upbeat than this song.

5.) This is art because it expresses his feelings and images through lyrics. He paints the picture with his words, instead of with a brush, clay or any other mediums. I was looking over the Quartet of Traditions and I was unable to definitively pick one to apply to this work of art. My question to the class will be, "Which one of the quartet of traditions they thought would work best for Thugz Mansion?".

6.) The ideas we are covering in class discussions connect to this work by being art. Moreover, the artist, Tupac, expresses his feelings through song. It shows a new side of the art which we have been talking about in class. The "ancestor" of this work would be jazz and blues which is where this music evolved from. It shares the DNA with another famous artist Notorious B.I.G who also goes by the name Biggie. They were the best artists at the time and they continue to resonate through stereos long after their deaths.

Ferran Adria, food as art

Can food be art? It is can be aesthetically appealing, it can evoke emotions, and it is creative. This should obviously make it art right? Ferran Adria of the restaurant El Bulli says yes. Adria has been called the world’s greatest chef and El Bulli is the world’s best restaurant according to Restaurant magazine. This world renowned chef has been creating and innovating at El Bulli since 1984 when he started as a line chef. Eighteen months after he got that job, he became head chef. Adria compiles many dishes that can be considered art. A few in the gallery that can be found here really caught my attention.

Morphings is a dish that is made from dark chocolate and coated in a raspberry power. This creation is made to look like coral found in the ocean. This piece looks so much like the real thing that when I first saw a picture of it, I thought Adria was actually serving coral. Another dish that caught my eye is Muelle de aceite de oliva virgen , olive oil springs. This dish is made to look like a spring and is made of virgin olive oil. Both of these pieces created by the magnificent Adria fall under the mimetic category of
Anderson’s “Quartet of Traditions” since they both mimic real things such as coral or a spring. However, his other dishes and concoctions are not necessarily mimetic but could be considered formalist as well. Adria uses form and texture to trick the eye and stimulate the palate. His dishes are wild and take the customers out of the box of linear thinking towards something as basic as food. He has taken something so simple and fundamental and has added pizzazz and flair to it. Not just adding some parsley or scallions as garnish, Adria has made the creation of food into an art form.

This particular idea drew me in for a few reasons. One of my favorite things to do is to cook and to think of new ideas for my cooking. Adding new and different ingredients to foods and coming up with an interesting way to present it is very appealing to me. Adria had taken this to a whole new level. He is expressing his thoughts and ideas on food and how it can be manipulated to act contrary to the norm.

Adria is a visionary who wants his passion to be considered art. He has pushed the bar on how people observe their culinary dishes and also how the go about eating certain foods. Just like the expansion of architecture in the medieval period. Ferran Adria is adding a new medium to aesthetics.


"The Big Debate: Can Food Be Serious Art? - washingtonpost.com." Washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines. Web. 24 Sept. 2009. .

"ElBulli Gallery: All about the most famous restaurant in the world - elBulli.info." El Bulli Restaurant. Web. 23 Sept. 2009. .

"Ferran Adria - Bio of the World's Greatest Chef - El Bulli Restaurant Barcelona Spain." Gourmet Food - Fine Cooking, Recipes, Techniques, Reviews, Celebrity Chefs, and more. Web. 24 Sept. 2009. .

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

This wonderful work of art was created by a group called "Passion Pit" which was formed by five guys in 2007. The men, Michael Angelakos (lead vocals/keyboards), Ian Hultquist (keyboards/guitar), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth.), Jeff Apruzzese (bass) and Nate Donmoyer (drums), came together because Michael Angelakos originally started writing songs for his girlfriend as a valentines day present (aww, cute). When the group realized that they had something going they started playing at small venues, then bigger ones, and then they were voted Best New Act in the Boston Phoenix's Best Music Poll (yay for small groups making it big!). Finally, the group started becoming well-known outside of Boston and here I am today, in Vermont, admiring their unique talents that were showed to me by another loyal fan via YouTube.
After being showed the music video online and showing it off to my own friends, I've learned that Passion Pit plays as far as Ohio, Washington, California, and even in Canada. They've made it big all because of a romantic idea for Valentines Day which is one of the reasons I appreciate them as a whole, they seem very funky and cute. However, I can't pinpoint exactly what draws me to this song and their style considering I am an avid Country Music fan. Electronic music is definitely not even in the range of country. But I'll try to dig deep for some specific reasoning:
First of all, the music video is insane! It's abstract, it's unique, it's something that I couldn't even dream of thinking up by myself. I'm impressed that the band could somehow find it in them to put a creative twist on their music video, making it look like concrete art with different shots of their hands and faces. I'm not sure what the technique was exactly, but it seemed that they took multiple photos of the lead singer while he sang along and then they put some of the photos together on a computerized spinning screw so it resembled a flip book (if you're not sure what a flip book is, check it out! They are way cool). Passion Pit also uses color and design as if they invented it. In the music video there are parts that look like an itunes visualizer, with swirling, twisted lines in blues and greens and pinks and reds and yellows. It's beautiful. And this leads me to what this song is about: love!
Aside from the obvious fact that it was written as a valentines day gift, the lyrics represent a very strong love (for the lyrics, click here). At one point in the song the lyrics read, "they crowd your bedroom like some thoughts wearing thin against the walls, against your rules, against your skin." To me, this means that their love is overpowering all of their morals. It's that kind of love that keeps them up all night, whether it be because they're together all night(wink, wink) or because they can't stop thinking about each other when they're apart. The song expresses how in-your-face love is. Michael sings about how love is not only blind, but that it's blinding. And his technique lies within his emotional, poetic and metaphoric lyrics. In order to understand what he was feeling when he was writing to his valentine, I had to read deep into his metaphors about fire and stars and saltwater and more.
The mixture of how he uses his words and how the electronic band created a funky music video is what makes it art, to me. They explain love as being untamed, intense, and blinding. In the video they use colors and shapes and designs and random images to show how overwhelming love is. They bring it to life! And because of their techniques, their art follows the emotionalism theory. The song and the video is set up to express a specific emotion (love), but not everyone is going to catch that. Before I looked up the lyrics and learned the background of the song, I thought it was just dance music with no deep meaning. It's pretty straight forward. Love is clearly represented in this song and love is one of the most widely known emotions to the humankind hence, emotionalism.
How does this all relate to class? We've been talking a lot about good ol' Jesus Christ who preached about love and kindness. He is the father of true, pure love. And although I don't personally believe in much of the stories from the bible, I do agree with Jesus's teachings. And if you haven't already discovered this about me, I love love.

 

This is a collection of street art created by Joshua Allen Harris. These are installed in New York city streets, in front of subway or building exhaust release areas.

I found this artist via the website stumbleupon.com, and was immediately drawn to his work. I am a huge fan of street art, so that is another reason I liked this piece so much. I also liked how the artists used everyday materials (trash bags) and natural resources (the exhaust air from the subways) to make novel and captivating art.

There are multiple sculptures made by Joshua Allen Harris, but most of them depict some sort of animal form that would not usually be seen on the streets of New York. For example, he make a lochness monster, a bear, and a centaur, but little to no human forms. Harris was just trying to make a captivating piece of art; something that would get the people walking busily down New York streets to stop for a second.

Also, these sculptures allow the viewer to see the “life cycle” of the subject. The subject is given life when the air is blown into it, and it is killed when the air can no longer support its form. Perhaps Harris was alluding to reincarnation by having these installations go through many of these cycles before being taken down.

I view these sculptures as art because they are interesting and thought provoking, and are aesthetically pleasing. It is fun for the eye to see a creature expand and come to life as a subway passes beneath their feet. The artists’ choice to install them on the street instead of under fans in at art gallery, also adds to my appreciation of this art. The artist chose to use the world around him to create his art.

I believe these sculptures are more of the formalist tradition. Although they do mimic the forms of creatures, their short life, and modest medium makes me lean towards formalism, especially since I do not think the artist is trying to push a religious or emotional agenda onto the works’ viewers. The art is appreciated because it is there; it is art for art’s sake. The choice of installing it on the street also makes me believe it is formalism. If there was some serious message to be conveyed from these works, I doubt they would be displayed in such a fun and creative manner. The artists would have wanted to put them in a more serious atmosphere to drawn attention to their message, not their form and existence.

            One really interesting thing I found when researching this artist was this commercial:

 

 

Like I said before, I view this art as being formalist, there is no message trying to be pushed on the audience through its existence. But in this commercial featuring Harris’s Polar Bears, the work is clearly transformed into an emotionalist work, trying to cause people to feel remorse about the decline of the polar bear so that they will ride the subway to work instead of driving. I think it is really interesting how the context of how this art is displayed makes such a huge difference in the way we view it.

Although there is no definite grandfather to this type of street art, the work of blitz graffiti artists who started in the early 1970’s certainly paved the way for installations on the street. Going even further back, some say that cave art was the original graffiti and therefore, the original street art.

Earthsharehq. Environmental Defense Fund-Polar Bears. Perf. Joshua Allen Harris. Environmental Defense Fund: 2009, Web. 24 Sep 2009. .

NewYorkMagazine, Street Art: Joshua Allen Harris' Inflatable Bag Monsters. NewYorkMagazine: 2008, Web. 24 Sep 2009.

The science story I chose to research was the recent a study published in  the science journal Nature that revealed that colorblind monkeys were able to gain basically full color sight through gene therapy.  The monkeys were squirrel monkeys, who are red and green color blind because they only have two photoreceptors, which means they cannot see either red or green light. Normal full color vision is caused by three photoreceptors, one for red, one for green, and one for blue, allowing humans to see the full color spectrum.

            The monkeys were given gene therapy, which involved an insertion of a third photoreceptor into the eye of the monkey, near the retina. Nine to twenty weeks later, the eye produces color pigment protein and trains the eye to see red and green. Two years after the monkeys received the gene therapy, they could still see in nearly perfect full color vision.

            The monkeys were prescreened by being given a color-blindness test identical to those given to humans, in which their rewards were juice. The changes in their vision were observed by retesting the monkeys after the experiment.

The two sources I consulted to research this news were NewYorkTimes.com and Technologyreview.com.

I initially read the story on the New York Times site, a site that I consider very trustworthy since it is a well-respected newspaper. I was surprised that this site, which has a very general audience, used such specific science terms. There were a couple of words that I had to look up to understand the rest of the story.

The second source I consulted was technologyreview.com, which is published by MIT. I trust this source because MIT is a well-established university with a great scientific background. I was surprised again when I read this source, because I expected it to be even more “science-y” and technical than the New York Times article, but it was written in very clear laymen’s terms and was very easy to understand. This source also went a lot more in depth on both the prescreening process, and the post experiment time. It also went further than the other article, using quotes from sources outside the experiment but inside the scientific community.  The further potential of this research was also considered more in this article than in the first.

I found the second source to be more reliable than the first, not because any of the information in the first article was false, but because the second article gave its audience a better understanding of the full spectrum of the experiment.

I find this science news revolutionary because it has the potential to be the beginning of more research in the visual field. The success of this experiment in monkeys, translates to a high chance of success of the experiment in humans. Also, the timing of this experiments shows that using gene therapy to correct vision doesn’t necessarily need to be done early in life, and shows that the visual system is not hardwired. 

One application for this research outside colorblindness correction is a military application suggested in the Technologyreview.com article. Since the visual system has the ability to be altered after development, there is an opportunity to have infrared vision inserted into the eye of soldiers through the same gene therapy. There is hope that this research could be a touch off point for research on how to correct blindness, or degenerative eye disease through gene therapy.

Wade, Nicholas. "With genetic gift, 2 monkeys are viewing a more colorful world." New York Times 21 Sep 2009. .

Singer, Emily. "Color-Blind Monkeys get Full Color Vision." Technology Review (2009): 1-2. Web. 23 Sep 2009. .

Dutton, Frank. "Ishihara Test for Color-blindness." Colors for The Color Blind. Web. 23 Sep 2009. .

The Cosmic Dawn

Right now, in the deep reaches of space, a small spacecraft is collecting data that could change the way we view the universe forever. On August 13 the Planck spacecraft began working on a map of the entire sky that will take six months to complete, and in the course of doing this has captured images of the cosmic microwave background, or the “afterglow of the Big Bang.” This essentially means that they are seeing light from 13.73 billion years ago, a few hundred thousand years after the Big Bang occurred.
NewScientist.com reported on this phenomenon, explaining that the information collected on this mission could give insight into the existence of different universes and dimensions, which could seriously increase our knowledge of space. The thought that in six months’ time we could be closer than ever before to understanding the complexities of the universe in which we live is both exciting and slightly terrifying. Who knows how things may change with these discoveries?
This news was also covered by universitytoday.com, an online science news source. Instead of reporting on the potential scientific findings of this work, they chose to focus on the manner in which the data is being collected. The Planck, must cool itself to with .1 degree Celsius of absolute zero in order to capture the images it is getting. The images are then coded to indicate variations in temperature, seen by using different frequencies.
Of the two sources I used, I felt that the NewScientist was the most credible. They publish a print magazine that is distributed every week as opposed to a blog format where anyone can post. They also presented more concrete numbers and facts than Universitytoday, which added to their believability. There were many sites displaying the same news about the Planck mission, which gives the impression that the story is credible and widely agreed upon.
As we have been talking in class about revolutionary ideas, I tried to think about what would make the cut as “revolutionary” today. Life on other planets, time travel, and alternate universes were all on the list. When I read about seeing the Cosmic Dawn and all of the possibilities that could be presented to us, the word “revolutionary” was one of the first that came to mind. The implications for all different aspects of life are astronomical. Everything we know about the final frontier could change with the information gleaned from these images. What is more revolutionary than that?


For those of you who are interested in learning more about L2 (or the second Legrange point), the point in space where the Planck spacecraft is located, click here. It's a fascinating article - apparently the reason they chose this spot as the location for the Planck is that a Langrangian point is an area in space "where all the gravitational forces acting between two objects cancel each other out and therefore can be used by spacecraft to 'hover'."


Atkinson, Nancy. "Planck First Light." Universe Today 17 Sep 2009:Web. 20 Sep 2009. http://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/17/planck-first-light/#more-40511

"Planck First Light Yields Promising Results." ESA: European Space Agency. 17 Sep 2009. European Space Agency, Web. 21 Sep 2009. http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Planck/SEM5CMFWNZF_0.html

Shiga, David. "Probe Gets Clearest Glimpse Yet of Cosmic Dawn." NewScientist 17 Sep 2009:Web. 20 Sep 2009. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17807-probe-gets-clearest-glimpse-yet-of-cosmic-dawn.html

Tim Landry

The Men’s Health article was stating that listening to your favorite music while working out pushes your intensity up in your workouts. It also states that if you go with the speed of the music during an exercise you will be encouraged to train harder. They provided us with evidence of how certain types of music is more calming and help lowers our blood pressure by up to 9 points as opposed to listening to silence. Moreover, when one is preparing for a stressful situation at work, the people who prepared with music avoided stress-related reactions such as an increased heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels.

The UNM.edu’s article written by Dr. Len Kravitz was a more scientific article in which he stated that music will help a person achieve high levels of intensity during an exercise. It also showed that listening to sedative music as opposed to stimulative music experienced a decrease in strength. He found that listening to music which portrays the intensity of the upcoming workout will better prepare one better and help them get “pumped up”. Dr. Kravitz studied the influence on the musical elements on aerobic fitness exercises. He found that 97% of the tested people said they felt the music’s effects. This pushed them to go harder by honing in on music and focusing on it more.

Citation:

"The Science of Workout Music." Menshealth.com 2009: 1. Web. 17 Sep 2009. .

Ph.D Kravitz, Len. "The Effects of Music on Exerise?." UNM.edu 2009: 1. Web. 17 Sep 2009.

MensHealth

UniversityOfNewMexico

Robert E. Peary and Motivated Reasoning

On July 6th, 1908, Robert E. Peary set off from New York on an expedition to be the first to reach the North Pole. On April 7th of 1909, he claimed to have reached the pole. Upon his return, he found that another man, Frederick A. Cook claimed to have reached the pole the preceding year. With Peary also claiming to have reached the pole, upon investigation, Cook's account of his journey was quickly denounced by a variety of experts as false, and he was known nationally as a fraud. Both the New York Times and the National Geographic Society (both having funded Peary's journey) announced that indeed, Peary was the first man to have traveled to the North Pole. Peary was granted the position of Rear Admiral by the U.S. Navy, and received an appropriate pension. However, a century later, Peary's account too is widely regarded to be false.

How could one of the greatest scientific frauds in history have been so widely reported as fact? Despite significant evidence to disprove Peary's accomplishment, how could so many have believed it to be truth?

In 2004, a number of studies were conducted regarding partisan political reasoning in relation to the 2004 election race between George W. Bush and John Kerry. The results were indicative of a phenomena that Freud had identified nearly 100 years ago, but had never been substantiated: that of "defense", or more contemporarily known as "motivated reasoning".

According to a study by Drew Weston (et. al), motivated reasoning is "the tendency to draw conclusions consonant with motives and desired emotional responses." Essentially this means that individuals tend to make many decisions to avoid potentially negative feelings, or to gain positive ones.

The study focused on people strongly affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic party. Upon viewing strongly contradictory statements (occasionally fictional) from both their preferred candidate and the opposing candidate, and their reaction to the information was recorded. They were then shown a statement that reconciled the contradiction, and their reaction was tested again.

While the subjects could easily rationalize the information presented to them regarding an opposing candidate, when it came to their favored party, sections of the brain that specifically handle social emotion and moral evaluation activated and determined response.

In a separate study that focused on the ways in which people rationalize conflicting evidence challenging their belief, there were several ways in which subjects accounted for their belief. This particular study, also conducted in 2004, centered around whether or not the subjects believed Saddam Hussein was in any way responsible for the events of 9/11/01, despite solid evidence being publicized that he was uninvolved.

The study found that only 22% of people surveyed believed that there was no evidence linking Saddam Hussein with 9/11. Of the remaining 78% of subjects, only 2% changed their mind about the link when presented with overwhelming evidence. The majority of the respondents participated in "Attitude Bolstering" (quickly switching the topic to a positive reason for the war, 32%) or downright denial of the evidence (16%).

This inherently human trait is clearly nothing new, and the story of Peary and Cook is certainly a case of this phenomena. Despite glaring gaps in the information he presented, both the New York Times and the National Geographic Society not only widely reported his accomplishment, but entirely substantiated his claims internationally. Both of these reputable institutions had invested in his journey from the outset, and, possibly because of that investment, as well as perhaps the revelation that Cook was a fraud, they continued to propagate the myth of his journey.

This is in no way an isolated incident in history, nor will this phenomena fade away, but it is very important that we understand that it exists and that it can be dangerous. If anything, these studies should pressure politicians and religious figures to be ever more honest with the facts they disseminate, but once again, as history has shown us, it is unlikely that this will be the case.

Drew, Weston, Blagov Pavel S., Harenski Kieth, Kilts Clint, and Hamann Stephan. "An fMRI study of motivated reasoning Partisan political reasoning in the U.S. Presidential Election ." (2004): Web. 13 Sep 2009. .

Prasad, Monica, Perrin Andrew, Bezila Kieran, Hoffman Steve, and et al. . “There Must Be a Reason”: Osama, Saddam, and Inferred Justification." (2004): Web. 13 Sep 2009. .

Tierney, John. "Who Was First at the North Pole?." the New York Times 07 Sept 2009: Web. 13 Sep 2009. .

Tierney, John. "A Clash of Polar Frauds and Those Who Believe ." the New York Times 07 Sept 2009: Web. 13 Sep 2009. .

Sand painting

Sand painting is a form of art perfected by a woman named Ilana Yahav. She has a smooth, transparent background with lights behind it, making the perfect canvas for sand painting. My roommate Jaryn showed me the video and it instantly amazed me. I love the idea of pouring out sand and then erasing pictures into it to make a story. I enjoy how her piece is changing the whole time. It is instantly clear to the viewer that she clearly has put immense thought behind her performances. The way her hands move and how she transitions from scene to scene in her art is all but spontaneous. This is what makes it art for me. The thought and time that is put into each piece and the fact that she has to be perfect and timely with every hand gesture makes her art unique and remarkable. As far as what type of art or aesthetic theory being used I would say she is first and foremost instrumental with a little emotion added to the side. Her piece titled “Green Dream” started of with a single flower, then transitions into a scene of factories letting pollution into the air. It continues into another nature scene and ends with a person becoming one with nature. After viewing her art, I was curious as to what kind of art people would characterize this as.


A quote from her website states “the art of ‘Sand Fantasy’ was created for certain song lyrics and themes. Some of the clip messages are presented as a story created by sand. The Sand Art clip is not only created as a song's

Fiber Art

Joan Dulla, who crochets precious metals into sculptures and wearable art for sale and display, created this piece, entitled “Healing my Heart.” Like all of her work, this piece is a one-of-a kind creation, mixing fiber arts with jewelry making for a blend of mediums that has just started to emerge in the last few decades. Though she lives in Arizona, this artist has had her work shown in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Show, Washington Craft Show, One of a Kind Show in Chicago, and Craft Park Ave. in NYC. She has her own website (www.joandulla.com), although I found her on a blog about fiber arts called Wool and Tea (http://www.woolandtea.com/2008/02/joan-dulla.html).

As a knitter and a spinner, I was naturally drawn to the fiber side of art when I learned of this assignment. There are so many things happening these days in the fiber arts, from tapestries to jewelry to sculptures using all sorts of different methods like felting, knitting, and weaving. And that is barely scratching the surface. I really wanted to find something that demonstrates how and why this medium should be considered art. I selected this particular piece because I thought the image was really evocative – two hands sewing their own body’s heart back together – and I liked the fact that it was crocheted wire. This is a technique I have dabbled in a few times and the results are always great, so it was cool to see someone else who has become a successful artist using this method.

The scene expressed in this sculpture is clearly a person whose heart has been broken who is slowly going about the task of repairing the damage, but the journey has been transformed into a literal interpretation. I love that image – a person patiently getting out the sewing kit, threading the needle, and beginning to fix up the ragged edges of a broken heart. The artist has used thin wire and a large needle to create an open mesh affect that shows the delicacy and fragility of both the piece itself and the feelings it conveys.

This sculpture is art for several reasons. First, it tells a story, which I think all great art should do (formalist stuff aside, of course). It gives the audience a glimpse into this person’s life and emotion and, because this particular scene is something most people can relate to, into the human condition as well. Second, it has feeling. There is emotion and pain and resignation wrapped up in this sculpture, and the audience can feel those things as well. And third, it’s beautiful. Sometimes all art needs to do is add beauty to the world, and this piece, with it’s delicate open weave and poignant message, definitely achieves that. It is difficult to make connect this art to what we are doing in class because it is so early in the semester, but Anderson’s “Quartet of Traditions” would be one way to classify this piece. Of the four traditions, this piece fits best in the emotionalist tradition because it is all about feeling and making a human connection.

Looking at this work, connections can definitely be made to the past, when women had to make practical and necessary things such as clothes, curtains, quilts and rugs (Although, just as a side note, men were the first knitters and it was actually considered men’s work until the creation of factories when men went away to work and it fell to the women instead. In case anyone was wondering.). Over time, however, as we have made machines to do all of the necessary work for us, we have been able to put more and more time aside to create things that are pretty and decorative rather than useful and practical. The result is artwork like this piece.

"Joan Dulla." Wool & Tea: The Love of Fiber Art. Ed. Whitney A. Krueger. 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 10 Sept. 2009. http://www.woolandtea.com/2008/02/joan-dulla.html

The Windmill Project - Patrick Marold

This is an image of the 1,000 windmills that are installed on the side of I89 just after the whale tails. The windmills are a part of The Energy Project that is currently on exhibition here in Burlington at the Burlington City Arts' Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts on Church St. The turbines will be installed from August 12 - November 16.

Patrick Marold, a Colorado based artists and graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, The Windmill Project because he wanted to be able to study and examine wind behavior. The 8-foot wind turbines contain LED bulbs which gain power through the wind's energy. During the day there is not much to be seen, but a night time it is said to be quite a show.

I first saw the field of windmills on my way up to Burlington. I always love looking at the whale tail sculpture, so I was very surprised when I saw the field of windmills following. I can remember wondering to myself what they were and what their purpose was. Coincidentally, I was in the BCA's gallery today and saw a picture of them on the wall.

I chose this work of art because part of the energy project is about the concept of the "aesthetics of a carbon-constrained future." This means that not only is it a positive addition to the environment, but it is an aesthetically pleasing one. Meaning not only is it a scientific addition, but it is also an artsy addition. The artists had to find a way to intertwine alternate energy with art.

The subject of this art is self-sustainable energy, but also the art--the appealing aspect. You are really able to see the energy aspect during the day with the windmills twirling crazily in the wind. But at night you are able to see the product of the wind's work.

What makes this art? Just from looking at the picture it doesn't look much like art, but with the video I am going to present, you will see why I, and probably you will consider it art. I will explain why I consider it art after I show the video.

In regards to our current class discussions, I believe that Anderson's Instrumental theory best fits this piece. According to the Instrumental theory the art work must have some sort of positive involvement with the welfare of individuals and society. I believe that this art piece is a great demonstration of a self-sustainable alternate form of energy. Although the turbines do not create energy for anything else besides the lights, if need be, some similar set-up could be devised to put this same method to use on some real world need.

Here are the some of the resources I used:
Works Cited:

Ford, Eric, and Steven Leibman. "The Energy Project Vermont." THE ENERGY PROJECT VERMONT. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, 2009. Web. 10 Sept. 2009. .

"Patrick Marold | The Windmill Project Vail Colorado." Patrick Marold | Sculpture, Public Art and Photography by Denver Colorado Artist Patrick Marold. NJEDesign.com, 2008. Web. 10 Sept. 2009.

"Calling all spies: Has cell phone spy tech got your number?"

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/cellphone.spy.software/index.html

This new technology that allows third parties to have access to an individual's smart phone has sent shivers up the spines of many Blackberry and iPhone owners. Light was shed upon this issue when the Blackberry owners who reside in the United Arab Emirates got wind that an update sent by their service providers also contained software which could allow a third party to look at their personal information. This brings concern to the general public because they now know this new "spyware" has been developed. This news will bring skepticism to potential smart phone customers who are fearful to a security breech.

This proves that technology can be a dangerous threat to our personal privacy. The advanced technology of new smart phones is increasing the ability to develope new spyware.

Global warming sparked by ancient farming methods

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/08/18/ancient.global.warming/index.html

Global warming is something that has slowly been affecting the earth for many years, but just when did it start? A new study shows that ancient man may have started global warming through massive deforestation and burning that could have permanently altered the Earth's climate. This study, done by the University of Virginia shows that over thousands of years, farmers burned down so many forests on such a large scale that huge amounts of carbon dioxide were pumped into the atmosphere. Causing the earth to heat up, thus starting global warming. That slashing and burning on such a large scale spewed enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and warmed the planet, the study says.

Lead study author William Ruddiman says "It seems like a common-sense idea that there weren't enough people around 5, 6, 7,000 years ago to have any significant impact on climate. But if you allow for the fact that those people, person by person, had something like 10 times as much of an effect or cleared 10 times as much land as people do today on average, that bumps up the effect of those earlier farmers considerably, and it does make them a factor in contributing to the rise of greenhouse gasses."

Reaction to the First Man on the Moon

Hoax Video click here.

The Moon Landing Hoax Conspiracy

"The moon landing hoax controversy is still evident after 36 years. On July 20th, 1969 our lives changed forever. This was not due to any disastrous event that took place here on Earth, but an amazing event that took place in the heavens, when the first man walked on that wondrous thing people had gazed at and wondered about for centuries - the moon. Our world was changing at that time in leaps and bounds. It was a time of endless possibilities. Many people think of this as a moon landing hoax or the first man on the moon hoax. In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, some people still believe that the landing of a man on the moon was a trick of television.

Shadows on the Moon

One of the arguments from skeptics to substantiate the moon landing hoax theory involves the shadows that illuminated from the lunar surface when the pictures that were sent back to us. They argue that if this is not a hoax, why is it that facts about the moon state there are no shadows in space. This argument about this moon landing hoax comes from believers that feel the sun is the only source of light in the universe. When you think of the moon, you must consider that the sun is not the only source of light on the moon and that the lunar surface reflects its own light which illuminates all things on the surface. Therefore there is no credence in the theory of a moon landing hoax.

The Fluttering Flag

Another part of the moon landing hoax theory deals with the American flag. The picture that was sent back showed this flag fluttering as in a wind. Some believers in the moon landing hoax feel that this was proof that this picture had been taken on earth and not the result of a moon landing. The fact that the flag flutters in the wind when there is no wind on the moon could lend some degree of credibility to the belief that this was a hoax. However, experts, in an attempt to defend the landing against the moon landing hoax theory explained that a vacuum has no friction. On the moon things don't stop moving as quickly as they do on Earth, so when the astronauts got the flag attached to the surface and straightened, it stayed there longer than what we are accustomed to. Hence the picture was taken with the flag waving is proof that the moon landing hoax theory is incorrect.

Driving the Rover

The pictures of the astronauts driving the Rover also proved to many that this was a moon landing hoax However, the projection of the speed of a film showing the astronauts driving in the moon proves that it really did happen. There were no clouds of dust rinsing from the tires of the Rover because moon dust returns directly to the surface. Therefore it was not possible back in 1969 to have this type of controlled environment in which to display a moon landing hoax."

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_landing_hoax.phtml
2009 MoonConnection.

This article basically talks about how in 1969 when the first man went on the moon, there were many people who were and still are certain it was all just a hoax and a governmental conspiracy. I personally believe it really did happen and do not believe all the stuff people put on the internet to show it could be a hoax.

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

This clip from Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb" illustrates the panic of the United States during the cold war. The imminent threat of the atomic bomb being dropped struck fear into the hearts of all americans. This clip provides humor to what was a considerably wide spread scare, Dr. Strangelove, the ex-nazi madman provides the president and his cabinet with an elaborate plan to hole-up in the fallout shelters. The plan insists that it be 10 women to every man, and that they would spend nearly a century underground. The atomic bomb was a nuclear weapon that struck fear into the hearts of many people, and while the soviets never did launch the bomb, the strategies and plans were in place if it were to happen. And while the scientific development of the bomb was a huge step in research and technology, the control that it bestowed upon its possessor was unimaginable.

The First Clown In Space

On September 30^th Guy Laliberté, Cirque du Soleil founder, billionaire, and philanthropist, will become the first clown in space. But this $35 million outing is not simply a “cosmic joyride.” During his twelve-day trip to the International Space Station, Laliberté will host a global event raising awareness for the One Drop Foundation, founded by the Canadian entrepreneur two years ago. His mission is to bring an awareness of how our most precious resource, water, is protected and shared.

Laliberté’s global extravaganza on October 9^th will be based around a poetic tale focusing on “the moon, the sun and a drop of water.” The story was written by Yann Martel (author of Life of Pi) and will feature dance, music, photography, and visual arts. Laliberté will emcee from orbit while the story is told from various venues on Earth. Many environmentally conscious celebrities, such as Al Gore, A. R. Rahman, Garou, Peter Gabriel, Shakira, and U2 are involved in the world-wide event.

Not only will the event take place around the world and promote universal access to clean water, but it will be filmed for the documentary being made about Laliberté’s training and flight into space. The performance will be broadcast live through the One Drop website on October 9^th at 8 p.m. ET, so don’t forget to tune in.

For more information about One Drop Foundation, check out their website.

For more information about Laliberté’s mission, check out his Mission Log.

For even more information, check out the following articles from MSNBC and the NY Times.

For more links, videos, and photos, become a fan on facebook.

Cyberterrorism involved in the Georgian/Russian Conflict

Cyberterrorism has been the stuff of science fiction for decades now. Movies like Ghost in the Shell, Swordfish, and the most recent Die Hard movie are only a few examples of a very popular trend. While these are quite fictional and outlandinsh representations of cybercrime, there is some factual basis to these accounts (albeit with real computers that don't make all those obnoxious wizbang noises so often heard in films).

There are many examples of this type of cybercrime occurring, though it is generally far more subversive and less overt than many stories. All three electrical grids within the continental US are known to have been targeted (east, central, west), and in 1999, hackers targeted the NATO website in protest to the bombings in Kosovo. The most recent and massive attack to date was carried out during the Georgian and Russian Conflict during the summer of 2008. Just prior to the Russian offensive, most of the websites belonging to the Georgian Government were shut down due to Directed Denial of Service attacks. Georgian hackers reacted quickly, shutting down Russian news sites, and in some instances replacing them with pro-Georgian news feeds.

Attacks of this nature are generally carried out by 'bot-nets' such as the Storm Virus of several years ago. Bot-nets are a collection of computers that have been infected and 'zombified' with a computer virus that allows the infecting hackers control over much of that computer's processing power and internet bandwidth. Hackers can direct this power (sometimes hundreds of thousands of computers worth) at specific targets and disable websites by essentially overloading their bandwidth, preventing legitimate users from accessing them.

While there is basis to the fantasy of cyberterrorism, it's nowhere near as prevalent as many fictional sources make it to be. But, like all other areas of human endeavor, technology is far more interesting when involved with crime.

Online Reaction to Fake Video of Michael Jackson

Shortly after Michael Jackson's death on June 25, a German broadcaster posted a fake video online supposedly showing Jackson leaving a coroner's van.

The video, which was posted on YouTube, was an experiment hoping to portray how viral propaganda is, especially on the Internet.

The video was on YouTube for one day and received 880,000 views.

Researchers wanted to discover how effortless it is to influence Internet users and what they believe to be fact vs. fiction.

And that is exactly what they found.

Many viewers believed the video to be real and were outraged once they found out the video was a hoax. This just goes to prove that people will believe almost anything they see, particularly on the Internet. Many people wanted to believe that Michael Jackson was still alive, though everyone knows that he is indeed dead. This also brings up that many people do have very strong faith in today's science--so much faith that they believe that it is possible for people to come back from the dead.

http://www.reformer.com/nation/ci_1324992

Art of Science Competition

In 2006 Princeton University submitted images found during research of different areas of science to be displayed as art in a gallery. 150 pieces were submitted from 16 different departments and 56 were chosen to be part of the gallery.

Art and science are usually not thought of as closely related which is why this gallery of scientific art brings up questions. Although some might say some of the images submitted are beautiful or at least look cool, they would not all agree that they can be considered art. I mean the things in these pictures were not created by a person and there is not really any creativity involved.

Either way, i thought that the idea of bringing these two separate things together is an interesting idea and that the images submitted are as well interesting. Below are the top three images submitted to the competition.

"First place, Mitosis, Jennifer Rea"

"Second Place, Isolated Hairpin, Melissa Green"

"Third Prize, Easter Bonnet, Qiangfel Xia"

Full Text: http://www.princeton.edu/~artofsci/gallery2006/index.html

US Air Force says decision-making attack drones will be here by 2047

Apparently the US Air Force wants to replace human controlled UAVs with AI controlled ones by 2047. This would mean that a computer system, not a human, would determine what the best course of action to take is in military situations. The only part humans would play would be to monitor what the drone is doing, and hit the override switch if necessary in order to take direct control. Although the details are vague, the drone will be able to act in accordance with legal and policy restraints without the aid of a human. To my understanding, this simply translates into what so many science fiction stories have covered, robots fighting our wars for us. The Air Force has stated that all of the programming would be based on “human intent”, but the details beyond that are intentionally vague. This tidbit alone is quite a statement, since that would require an Artificial Intelligence system that is able to think and reason, at least in part, as well as a human.

Many of the comments jumped to popular science fiction references such as Terminator’s Skynet or the recent Eagle Eye. One person even touched on an NPR discussion they heard concerning the question of who is responsible for the action of these machines, and whether or not a UAV can commit a war crime. Another commenter just couldn’t believe that they would live to see such a thing occur, granted that this plan finishes on time. Beyond this, a few also regarded the idea with intense sarcasm at its “fail safe” nature. In essence, people are worried about the safety of such a device, and make an instant connection to science fiction. It really is to be expected, considering the amount of exposure we have all had to the idea of a “robot apocalypse” scenario.

Personally, I think there is a definite concern here, but it is obviously not as large as some of the comments joke. The reality is that the chances of this kind of thing being a major problem are slim, and once the project gains too much unwanted attention, it would surely be shut down.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/28/us-air-force-says-decision-making-attack-drones-will-be-here-by/