Natural Selection and Evolution in Bacteria

Darwin devoted much of his life to understanding and furthering the world knowledge of natural selection (Mayr 24). By studying the variants in many different species of animals, Darwin eventually concluded that these given animals experienced natural and evolutionary changes in size, body structure, and habits. Thinking deeper into natural selection and evolutionary change, I realize that cells must make evolutionary changes as well as the host being in which they reside. Let’s look a bit smaller into the world of cellular organisms, for they, too, experience and undergo natural selective changes in the evolutionary process (Darwin 128).

Examples of natural selection processes are well documented in life forms that have very rapid life cycles, such as bacteria. Bacteria are tiny, single-celled prokaryotic organisms. They reproduce quickly and therefore evolve quickly, even within a few weeks of their life cycle. Although many types of bacteria are helpful to human and animal health, some cause infectious diseases such as strep throat, ear infections, influenza, and tooth decay. These differences in the structure and purpose of bacteria are examples of evolutionary differences (Neese 462).
Natural selection processes in disease-causing bacteria are widely documented. For example, a person who is ill because of disease-causing bacteria can become well when given antibiotic drugs which destroy the bacteria in the person’s body. Bacteria that were once fought off by a particular type of antibiotic drug become resistant, or become used to, the given drug (over time). The first time the drug is used, most of the bacteria are killed, but some of them can survive, if they have a gene or genes that allow them to withstand the drug's effects even somewhat.

The bacteria that survive are better adapted to deal with that particular type of antibiotic drug, thus portraying significant signs of an evolutionary adaptation. If the surviving bacteria are able to reproduce inside the person’s body (for instance, if the patient stops taking antibiotics early), then the next generation of bacteria is better suited to deal with the antibiotic drug as well. If the drug is used again, the bacteria will be more resistant to the drug; more will survive and be able to reproduce and the person remains ill. That’s when a doctor will try a different type of antibiotic. Hopefully the bacteria will not be well adapted to the other drug, will be destroyed, and the person will get well. However, over the last 50 years doctors have had to make antibiotics stronger and stronger to deal with these quickly evolving microbes. Today, strains of bacteria have developed that are resistant to antibiotic drugs, so scientists are always trying to develop more effective medicines.







This video helps to further explain the process in which bacteria can undergo the process of evolution in a human host. Specifically, the video talks about tuberculosis and its variants due to vaccination in a Russian prison. I found this video to be informative and visually helpful. This is only one video of 6 relating to the topic.

WORKS CITED

"Antibiotic Resistance of Bacteria: An Example of Evolution in Action? - Answers in Genesis." Answers in Genesis - Creation, Evolution, Christian Apologetics. Web. 01 Dec. 2009. .

Darwin, Charles. "Selections from Darwin's Work." pp 67-254 in Darwin. 3rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W. Norton,2001.

Mayr, Ernst. "Who is Darwin?" in Darwin 3rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.

"Natural Selection: How Evolution Works (ActionBioscience)." ActionBioscience - promoting bioscience literacy. Web. 01 Dec. 2009. .

Neese, Randolph M and George C. Williams. "Evolution and the Origins of Disease." in Darwin 3rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.

Meet the Natives

Last Sunday night I was sitting on my couch eating some cereal and watching the tube and I came across an interesting documentary. “Meet the Natives: USA” followed five ambassadors from an island called Tanna on their journey to America, a journey that had a goal of spreading the word of peace to America.
Tanna is an island in the South Pacific where people live a very traditional lifestyle. They are an agricultural society wherein men hunt and gather and woman care for the children, all the while rejecting modern technology. The five men who embark on the journey, Chief Mangau, Keimua, Sam, Kuai, and Namus, bring an outsiders look into our culture and bring to light points of view most Americans probably haven’t thought of. Their characters and positions in their community also help us paint ourselves a picture of what their culture is like.
At the age of 65, Chief Mangau is known as a “figure of authority, guidance, and wisdom” (Nat Geo). Keimua is the village’s head dancer; Sam is the local medicine-man while Kui is simply known as the “happy man.” Namus, the translator conveys the ambassadors’ remarks and opinions.
It was amazing how these men picked up and commented on certain parts of our culture. The most astonishing was their shock and concern about homeless in New York City. When they saw an old, scruffy looking man sleeping on a bench, they were shocked to find out he was homeless. “There are so many buildings,” Mangau states. “How can there be people living on the streets? That man must not have anybody who loves him.”
The show cut to a scene of Chief Mangaus’ village. The tribe was gathered to build a house for one of its members. The who community joined in and built the house and made a celebration out of it. the men remarked how in their culture you don’t need money for a house, you just need family and friends. They said with sullen looks on their faces, “America is too busy chasing money.” They took a taxi ride for their example. The taxi rides are nice and convenient, but they cost money. “So the people with jobs get to ride the taxis. But if you do not have a job you have to walk.”
The Tannesian men seemed almost confused by the way we lived. They have found a way to live and thrive in peace and happiness, all without any money, cars or electricity. America has taken the opposite route, and some are growing skeptical of this way of life. In 2007, Nicholas Carr posed the question: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” He describes how he feels the internet and other such technology is dumbing down America. He tells how media and technology reflect who we are as culture and also shape the way we think. Fast paced internet searching has lead to a thought process that has grown less in depth, and more in skimming and paraphrasing. Perhaps humans have reached their evolutionary limit, but instead of coping with that we create external databases that use high-tech complicated software and technology.
Philip Dick also depicts bleek outcomes concerning America. In the Golden Man an instinctual species of man that can see into the fourth dimension takes over the human race. Pay for Printer conveys a future where aliens take over the planet but eventually die off and humans need to relearn how to build a society from the ground up. Technology is often a key part in the downfall of humans in Dick’s short stories. Ironically, in both stories Dick brings humans back to a primitive way of life, with an instinctual species in the Golden Man and a society that needs rebuilding from the ground up in Pay for Printer. It is this same primitive state that the Tannesian Natives have been living in since their existence. On the island.
One main theme in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is that geography plays a heavy role on species and their evolution, and isolated geographic regions lead to isolated and unique species and cultures. Charles Lyell describes this theme by stating "the disposition of the seas, continents, and islands, and the climates, have varied; the species likewise have been changed; yet they all have been so modeled…to indicate throughout a perfect harmony of design and purpose" (Darwin 52). Tanna’s location in the Pacific Ocean has isolated it and its people, creating a culture long lost in America and most of Europe. Luckily they have been given a chance to spread their messages and hopefully give American’s a little insight to what we have lost sight of.


videos here


Works Cited
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid? - The Atlantic." The Atlantic: Breaking News, Analysis and Opinion on politics, business, culture, international, science, technology, food and society. 6 Feb. 2007. Web. .
Darwin, Charles. Darwin (Norton Critical Editions) (3rd Edition). New York: W. W. Norton, 2000. Print.
Dick, Philip. The Philip K Dick Reader. New York: Citadel, 1987. Print.
Lyell, Charles. Principals of Geology. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. Print.
"Meet the Natives | Programmes | Nat Geo AU & NZ." National Geographic Channel Australia and New Zealand. National Geographic. Web. .

Religion and Science

The connection between science and religion has come a long way since these two fields first crossed paths. In the beginning people looked to the church for answers, and not to scientific findings. Society believed that religion was more valid than science. In “Cosmology and the 21^st- Century Culture” by Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack”, it talks about how in the biblical times it was believed that the sky was actually water: “According to the first creation story at the beginning of Genesis, by creating this dome on the second day, God divided the waters ‘above’ from the waters ‘below’ and held open the space for dry land and air” (Abrams and Primack). This Biblical tale would be told until Greek philosophers came up with the idea that the, ”Earth was not flat and domed but a round celestial object”. Slowly this philosophy would start to spread and attract students like Galileo. In the beginning of the 17^th century Galileo proved that the Ptolemaic Earth-centered picture was wrong. In Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632) he would mock these ideas. This didn’t go over well with the Catholic Church, and Galileo would end up spending the rest of his life under house arrest. Many scientist in Europe were terrified by what the Church did. Scientist would enter a “de facto pact of noninterference with religion: Science would restrict its authority to the material worked, and religion would hold unchallenged authority over spiritual issues” (Abrams and Primack). This would create a major gap between the two “realms” for sometime.

As time went on the gap between these two “realms” would start to close. More and more evidence would start to be published. Herbert Spencer’s “survival of the fittest” helped back Charles Darwin’s discoveries. In my mind Spencer and Darwin helped rekindled the connection between science and religion. Other scientist would study, and test these ideas, creating their own. Even religion would slowly look into the scientific field. In “How to Teach Science to the Pope” by Michael Mason, it talks about the connection between religion and science. Brother Guy Consolmagno is both a Jesuit brother and an astronomer for the Vatican. Consolmagno believes, “If you think the universe is fundamentally good and that it’s expressions of a God, then studying how the universe works is a way of becoming intimate with the Creator. It’s a kind of worship” (Mason, 1). By studying this field, he believes, that you are worshipping God’s creations, bring you closer to God. Consolmagno believes in this connection, and it has “been a big motivation for doing any kind of science” (1). Here religion has found a way to incorporate science. The video that I found is a clip from Stephen Hawking's Universe. It is about the existence of Evolution and other scientific discoveries. It goes back to the earliest of times, and to the present. It helps show the connection and progress of religion and science.

Work Cited

Abrams, Nancy and Joel Primack. "Cosmology and 21st-Century Culture." Science. Setember 7, 2001.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/293/5536/1769

Mason, Michael. "How to Teach Science tot he Pope." Discover Magazine. August 18, 2008.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26274906/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m93D6tslaeg&feature=player_embedded

Darwin Revelation

Our studies of Darwin have helped in furthering my belief in evolution as well as increased my understandings of the controversy evolution vs. creationism. Up until this point in the semester I never had a full understanding of his theories. Now after reading his work and discussing it as a class I can truly understand his beliefs. I have realized that the topics that cause a tremendous amount of controversy are the topics that are most crucial in our society. Darwin’s theories certainly caused a bit of turmoil.
Since I was young, I have never been a religious person. It just wasn’t something that ever seemed realistic to me. After reading various selections of Darwin’s work it only made my beliefs even stronger. The article “How to Teach Science to the Pope” really caught my attention because it discusses how science poses questions that immediately spark religious exploration. It was also interesting because it talked about how the Vaticans are now keeping a close eye on science and trying to incorporate it into their “modern theology”. This to me is interesting because science and religion usually tend to create controversy. They do not normally mix well.
Another article that really helped in as my belief was “Cosmology in the 21st century”. Cosmology discusses the ordinary world and makes sense of it by using people’s senses of reality as well as their identities and behaviors. According to this article, “A living cosmology for 21st-century culture will emerge when the scientific nature of the universe becomes enlightening for human beings.”
Overall, Darwin has helped my immensely in furthering my belief in evolution. Before I took this class I was still a little uneasy as to whether or not I believed it all. I believe that all the controversy caused by his theory has helped many others besides me to take a deeper look and come to an actual realization. Controversy makes people reconsider and rethink their ideas. I like controversy for that exact reason. It teaches people that until you have heard both sides of the story you can’t make an educated decision. That’s why in my opinion controversy is a great thing.


Work Cited:
Abrams, Nancy and Joel Primack. “Cosmology and 21st-Century Culture.” Science. September 7, 2001.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/293/5536/1769

Darwin, Charles. “Selections from Darwin’s Work.” Pp 67-254 in Darwin. 3rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001.
Mason, Michael. “How to Teach Science to the Pope.” Discover Magazine. August 18,2008.
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/18-how-to-teach-science-to-the-pope

Logic vs Comfort

For anyone living in a modern nation today, the world is full of blessings thanks to science. We have access to vast amount of knowledge, copious amounts of food, and the ability to jump in a car and travel hundreds of miles in a single day. But reading Darwin made me realize that the source of these blessings is also the cause of many problems to humans on a very personal level. The view of the universe that science has given us works very well in a purely logical world, but we are not purely logical creatures; and we never will be. We pride ourselves on this fact in our feel-good entertainment (particularly movies); showing that emotion is greater than pure machine logic. Yet the view of the universe we are expected to accept by the academic and scientific world is logical to the utmost. Herein we find the issue with the universe science presents, and the revelation I came to after reading Darwin. Humans need to find a view of the world that coincides with their own individual thoughts and beliefs.
Philip K Dick’s Exhibit Piece begins with George Miller, a man that is unhappy with his current life. It quickly becomes apparent that he empathizes with the ideas and culture of the twentieth century far more than those of his own time, and in the story we find him suddenly living the life of a twentieth century citizen, surrounded by the things that make him happy. Although there is definitely confusion about which world is real and which is illusion, there is no argument about which one George chooses to call his home. By choosing to stay in the twentieth century reality, George selected the reality that best fit his own system of beliefs and needs. The world George rejected had many opportunities available to him that were simply did not exist in the twentieth century, yet he chose the less advanced world anyway. He threw away the world with advanced researching technology, and advanced robotics in favor of dark wine colored carpets and an easy chair (Dick). In the end, it wasn’t about what was logical, it was about what made him happiest. George’s decision echoes a choice all of us make about what our own world includes. If we choose to believe in the world of science, we get incredible explanations and well researched answers. But what the world of science does not give, is comfort.
There is a reason every culture around the world has a unique mythology explaining the unexplained. It is the same reason why people tend to reject and fear what they do not understand. Humans need to live in a world that reflects their own beliefs and understandings. If they have nothing to believe to provide answers, they will invent their own reality to do so (Abrams). Every person that ever lived has created a reality that suited their personal mental needs, beliefs and feelings. This is a major reason why so many debates have been held on the topic of evolution. Some people find the concept liberating, providing them with a world that makes sense, and others find the idea alienating, showing them a world that is unfriendly and cold. Personal comforts show us why these debates rage on, yet personal comforts count for nothing in the world of science. And in educational institutions around the world, science is mandatorily the only story to be believed because it is the only one that is logical. When understanding this, it becomes obvious why theories such as intelligent design came into being. People were struggling to find a system of beliefs that match what they feel is true. And of course once an idea is established, the next natural step is to look vigorously for evidence that supports your theory, and less vigorously for evidence that denies it. Darwin felt the same way. He had been raised and educated under Christian doctrine, believing that God created the world we all live in. So when his found evidence to contradict this comfortable way of thinking, it is no wonder he hesitated to publish his theory.
Contrastingly, it is also no wonder that Elizabeth Cady Stanton wanted the world to lose Christian doctrine in favor of evolution. One take on Christianity shows that woman is often portrayed as the root of the beginning of evil and the downfall of man. In Stanton’s perspective, Darwin offered a perspective that liberated her from what she felt was an unfair sentence and an ignorant viewpoint (Stanton).
Cosmology and 21st-Century Culture sums the essence of this idea perfectly. Science has given us a world where, “most educated people in the 21st century live in a cosmology defined by a 17th-century picture of cold, still, empty space, along with fragments of traditional stories and doubts about what is real”. And despite the evidence science has given us about the origins of the universe, “It never fully replaced the Medieval universe in people's hearts, partly because it felt so incomplete.” In this viewpoint there is no particular place for humans and certainly no place for God (Abrams).
Learning about Darwin has brought this understanding to my attention in a way that nothing else could. Although the pieces of this idea have been known to me for a while, examining the topics created by Darwin’s work truly solidified this for me. I do not believe that science can ever replace the comfort of religion, nor do I think that it is the job of science to do so. That being said, I think it is wonderful that so many ideas are presented to us every day. It makes each one of us aware of our own view on the world, and forces us to come to terms with the world.



Works Cited
Dick, Philip K. The Philip K. Dick Reader, New York: Citadel Press. 1987

Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. “The Women’s Bible.” in Darwin. 3rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed . New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.

Abrams, Nancy and Joel Primack. "Cosmology and 21st-Century Culture." Science. September 7, 2001. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/293/5536/1769

The Fittest will Prevail

When discussing Darwin’s theories and revelations of evolution, I first think of natural selection and “survival of the fittest.” This coined term is so often used nowadays, even in an advertisement to urge people to drink more milk. Kind of a stretch, if you ask me. Natural selection had me thinking about how future humans will evolve, and what traits will be the most useful to them, if Darwin’s theories hold true.


video source

In regards to Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making us Stupid?” I found myself constantly using Google in order to find more sources, and articles to support my own revelations. On top of that, I found myself skimming through actual books, wishing I had the technological luxury of the simple “command + f “ shortcut in order to instantly find and highlight the terms I was searching for. Are these “luxuries” and “shortcuts” actually making us stupid? Or are they rather assisting us into further exploring our thoughts? Carr notes that already he is noticing a change in the way he thinks, "My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think" (Carr).

In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Galápagos, a group of humans become shipwrecked on a fictional island in the Galápagos Islands, who evolve over the next one million years into aquatic mammals, due to adaption and “survival of the fittest.” Along with the whole changing into aquatic mammals, their brains also get smaller. Swimming was much more of a necessity than intelligence, thus more streamlined heads, and smaller brains, were more necessary for survival. Perhaps, because of the convenience and shortcuts thanks to the interwebs and technology in general, we will begin to lose simple problem-solving skills and patience, but that’s alright because our eyes will adjust to staring at LCD screens all day. In Jamais Cascio's article "Get Smarter," he argues that the reason humans are even here today is because they smartened up way back in the day. For example, humans "transformed the ability to target a moving animal with a thrown rock into a capability for foresight and long-term planning. In the process, [humans] may have developed syntax and formal structure from our simple language" (Cascio). A much different form of adaption in comparison to the humans in Vonnegut's novel.

In Philip K. Dick’s short story “Pay the Printer” the humans become dependent on the alien species, Biltongs, for building everything for them. When the Biltongs become extinct, however, where does this leave them? They must rediscover the term “building.” Though it may seem implausible, what would humans nowadays do if the Internet, or computers for that matter were to disappear? Because we have adapted to such a face-paced, convenient means of information, it would be very difficult to get used to an old medium, especially for the generation that was raised on the web.

Even though the human race may not be evolving into aquatic mammals, or depending on alien species for everything, if Darwin’s theory of evolution is correct then in a million years from now, that is if the earth was not yet been engulfed by the sun and if we all survive 2012, then humans will have evolved in one way or another. Whether humans turn into giant felines, like in Philip K. Dick's short story "Strange Eden," or they are only born with four toes because the fifth is not needed for survival, the fittest will prevail.

Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid? The Atlantic. 2007.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google

Dick, Philip K. The Philip K. Dick Reader, New York: Citadel Press. 1987

Cascio, Jamais. "Get Smarter." The Atlantic, July/August. 2007.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200907/intelligence

Everyday Darwin

Creationism vs. Evolutionism

The debate between creationism and evolutionism has raged for more than a century and continually effects our daily lives. Society has been at odds over this question and has yet to reach a definitive agreement. The question of creation vs. evolution is whether man was created by a higher power, or whether man is descendent of the primate. The debate dates back to the late 18th century in Europe and North America upon the discovery of fossils displaying past extinctions. (Desmond) The question was then prompted further in the mid 19th century with Darwin's publishing On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. (Appleman 59) Still today the debate continues a part of which concerns the teaching of creation. There is scientific merit behind various parts of the theory of evolution which are generally taught in public school programs. Creation on the other hand is backed generally only by religion, and it is of the opinion of many that these beliefs should not incorporated into education under the terms that it violates the separation of church and state. 

Growing up attending both public as well as private school gave me first hand insight into the differences in approach when the subject is brought up, or being spelled out in the curriculum. In the private Jesuit setting the subject was taught from a religious standpoint with a strong backing on creationism, yet still touching on the aforementioned scientific merit behind the subject. While in the public setting when discussing the same topic the religious side was not even approached, but simply mentioned when the question was posed. The public program also managed to incorporate the scientific side in a larger way, which in my opinion more often favors evolution,  but they never went deep into the subject because it seems that in order to do so a more elaborate study of both sides of the debate would be required.

In Michael Shermer's piece Genesis Revisited: A Scientific Creation Story Shermer brings a great deal of satire to the theory of creationism by directly incorporating evolutionist ideas. (Appleman 625) This light hearted approach shows a compromise to both views, and while it makes a mockery of the side of creation, it tells the story of the seven days by which, in the creationist model, God creates earth. "And in the land God placed fossil fuels, natural gas, and other natural resources for humans to exploit, but not until after Day Six" (Appleman 625). This quote dictates the style of the rest of the piece and provides example of how Shermer contrasts the two theories by providing satire and a lighthearted approach. 

Yet another recent joining of the two views was formed in 1847 in the capitol of the Catholic faith, The Vatican. In Michael Mason's article How to Teach Science to The Pope a great deal of information is given the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. This is "an independent and remarkably influential body within the Holy See" and was put in place to further scientific research for the benefit of religion and creationist theories. (Mason) The Catholic church's embrace of scientific research is also home to lead 20th century scientists, making it home to significant research. This welcoming of science strays somewhat from the radical idea that science played no role in our existence and we have been and will be stagnant in our species as opposed to an evolving species. However the welcoming allows for greater steps to be made in research that could possibly shed more light on the topic. 

The debate will not soon cease, but as technology progresses, and we learn more about our origins, perhaps then a clear answer will be established. But until that time, society will hold conflicting views on how we came to be. It is our job to teach this subject allowing all information to be present if a clear understanding of the debate is to be gained. With such a relevant and interesting discussion such as the creation vs. evolution debate, it pays to be able to analyze it from all angles, embracing both sides from an informational, educational standpoint.

Works Cited
Desmond, Adrian & James Moore (1991), Darwin, London: Michael Joseph, Penguin Group

Mason, Michael. "How to Teach Science to The Pope" Discover Magazine. August 18, 2008 http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/18-how-to-teach-science-to-the-pope

Shermer, Michael. "Genesis Revisited: A Scientific Creation Story." in Darwin. 3rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.

Appleman, Philip "Darwin: On Changing the Mind" in Darwin. 3rd ed. Phillip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001.

Darwin Revelation - Technology Takeover

Humans have adapted to our new technologies. Adaptation is evident in the notion that “The idea that the world’s environment changed and with it the needs of animals living off of the environment, thus animal’s characteristics changed to suit their environment.” (Saxer) My revelation is how the concepts of adaptation and evolution relate to the technology world of today.

My parents are evidence of adaptation. Computers were not always present in their lifetime, but because they felt that they were of importance and value, they decided to start to use them and become accustomed to them. “All organisms, even human beings, have evolved complex features in response to pressures from their environment.” (Saxer) Once my parents had created a stable life for themselves, particularly after our house was built in 1994, they started to build our family. In 1995 my younger brother was born. But, in this year we also had another addition to our household. That same year my parents purchased the first computer that I had ever known. The earliest one I can remember is one that ran Windows 95.

I am evidence of evolution. As far back as I can remember, we have always had a computer in our home. Because of this I have grown up using it. In particular I can remember playing a Lion King computer game. Although I may not have known it then, but that Lion King game gave me my first taste of what the computer had in store for my life time. From this time on, I used the computer for many tasks besides playing games. “The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s becoming our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV.” (Carr)

Darwin says that “We have reason to believe…that a change in the conditions of life…causes or increases variability; and in the foregoing case the conditions of life are supposed to have undergone a change, and this would manifestly be favorable to natural selection, by giving a better chance of profitable variations occurring; and unless profitable variations do occur, natural selection can do nothing.” (Darwin) This means that when there is “a change in the conditions of life”, this will cause or increase variability. This means that when there is a change in living conditions, such as the addition of a household computer, variability will occur (evolution of kin). I saw my parents using the computer for various tasks, so as a child, in wanting to be just like them, I started to use the computer.

The uses for computers are endless. When I have to write a research paper the first resource I turn to is the Internet. I wouldn’t say that the Internet is making me stupid, but it may make me a little lazy. “Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes.” (Carr) The use of the Internet is all about convenience; all your news, movies, music, friends and family are all in one place, at your finger tips. Why make the trek to the library to look for a book if you have it all right in front of you?

I would disagree with the statement that Google is making us stupid. “With every technological step forward, though, has come anxiety about the possibility that technology harms our natural ability to think.” (Cascio) Like in Philip K. Dick’s short story, Pay for the Printer, the humans have come to rely on the robots (technology) which create rapid ‘prints’ of objects. Much like this short story, Google is doing some of the leg-work for us, but not all of it. Google rapidly displays our search results, although not always relevant. Google’s mission statement is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” (Carr) Although Google does the actual searching for us, it is up to the user to provide the right input. It does take some intelligence to find what you are looking for within a search. For example, I used the Internet to perform research for my Body paper. It was up to me to provide the search keywords, and it was up to me to go through all the search results to find what I was really looking for.

The YouTube video that I chose seeks to illustrate how important adaptation and evolution are. Although it is not directly related to my revelation, the importance is that it delivers the message about what short-term and long-term effects adaptation can have.

Works Cited

Adaptation. Adaptation. YouTube, 12 Oct. 2006. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. .

Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The Atlantic. 2007

Cascio, Jamais. “Get Smarter” The Atlantic, July/August 2009 http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200907/intelligence

Darwin, Charles. “Selections from Darwin’s Work.” Pp 67-254 in Darwin. 3^rd ed. Philip Appleman, ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001

Dick, Philip K. The Philip K. Dick Reader, New York: Citadel Press. 1987

Saxer, Iris, and Alfred L. Rosenberger. "Adaptation." Visionlearning. Visionlearning, Inc., 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. .