Virtual Brain

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/science/bringing-a-virtual-brain-to-life.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=science

Dr. Henry Markram and his research team have been working on a remarkable, yet controversial, project. For the last few months they have been feeding data into a giant supercomputer in the basement of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The four vending-machine-sized boxes each hold thousands of microchips that are each programmed to act like brain cell. Cables connect all the microchips to each other. In 2006 they turned on their “Blue Brain” project and watched as nearly 10,000 virtual neurons buzzed with a new life. In the midst of all of the electrical signals sped across the cables, electrical activity started to resemble real brain waves. Dr. Markram then decided that making an entire representation of the brain is possible in his lifetime. However the brain contains nearly 100 billion neurons with over 100 trillion total connections, all organized into biological molecules. This is a huge undertaking that the likes of which has never been attempted. In 2009 he proposed the Human Brain Project, which would bring together more than 150 institutions around the world to work on this project. Many critics of this project have raised questions about the project. Many say that while the team made a computer simulation of something, there is no way to show it was a brain slice and not just random activity. Others state that it is way too premature to invest in something like this when we haven't even discovered the main principles of the brain.

The Blue Brain

When I read into this article I was fascinated by it. For something as close to us as our brain we know almost nothing about the true functions of it. Dr. Markram began his career in medical school but soon realized that he learned nothing about what happens to the brain when all of these prescription drugs are used. He soon started his career in neuroscience after dropping out of medical school. His son was diagnosed with autism shortly after his work on the Blue Brain had started. The hope that he has for a working computer model of the brain is that people will be able to run tests and simulated drug tests on it to find new ways to help mental illnesses. The applications of this would be remarkable, being able to help all sorts of people and urging in many new discoveries, but are we ready is the question many people continue to bring up. Do we know enough about the brain? I personally hope that the neuroscience community is able to continue this project despite the doubts because the rewards for success could be world changing.

Native American Rights

Native Americans have long been abused in American society. They have never fully had the same rights that all other people have had, without reason for this. Diane Millich married a white man at age 26 and moved in with him in 1998. Her life became filled with beatings, divorces, and violence. However, because her husband was white the Southern Ute Tribal Police couldn't do anything, and because she was a Native American on tribal land, the La Plata County couldn't do anything either. She then went to the federal law enforcement but that didn't work either. The man was finally arrested after he shot at her at her job. On Monday the Senate is expected to approve a 218 page bill that would part of it would allow Native American police and courts to pursue non-Indians who attack women on tribal land.

Native Americans have been getting the short end of the straw for a long, long, long time. I always feel so bad when I hear about things like this. The society of the United States is so concerned with equality and safety, at times to the extremes, but then there is still things like this that have not yet been fixed. I'm glad that this bill is finally going to be passed through and many more things are going to be settled, but another part of me says that its about time.

MVP

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/sports/football/nfl-football-roundup.html?_r=0

Adrian Peterson, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings, had a sensational year, now ending with the MVP award. For Peterson, last season was cut short by a devastating knee injury against the Washington Redskins. He underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the damage. However, this injury can take up to a year to heal completely. Adrian took the challenge head on and met it with great success. While the rest of his team enjoyed time of rest and relaxation during the summer, he was undergoing a grueling recovery program, and amazingly returned in eight months for the first game of the season this year. He dominated every aspect of his game, and fell just nine yards short of the all time single-season rushing record. These feats earned him the offensive player of the year award and the Most Valuable Player award this year.

Adrian Peterson is an amazing human being. What he did was just incredible, and blew away everyone's expectations. Tearing your ACL and MCL is likely a career ending injury for many a player, yet he has recovered, months ahead of schedule, and proving that he is still the best running back in the NFL. His determination, work ethic, and sheer will power is a huge inspiration to me and how I work in my life.

Gatorade

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/gatorade-listens-to-a-teen-and-changes-its-formula/?ref=health

PepsiCo announced Friday that it is removing an ingredient in Gatorade after many consumers have complained about the ingredient. Brominated vegetable oil has been used in citrus versions of the drink to prevent the different flavorings from separating. Studies have shown that there are several possible side effects, like neurological disorders and altered thyroid hormones. The petition was started by Sarah Kavanagh, a 15 year old girl from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. PepsiCo has stated that they have been testing alternatives for the chemical for about a year due to feedback from customers, but has not found a serious health risk with B.V.O. It will be replaced by sucrose acetate isobutyrate, which is said to be more safe by the Food and Drug Administration. B.V.O. Is banned as a food ingredient in Japan and the European Union. The ingredient is also present in other drinks such as Mountain Dew, which they say they have no plan in removing it from.

I personally do not like having big long named ingredients and drugs in my foods. I've always tried to keep an idea of what. But this took me by a surprise like a lot of other things have in the past. My dad has told me that in some parts of Europe brominated vegetable oil is used in fire retardants, which scared me a lot. I'm greatly relieved that they are taking this out of the drink, and it's one step closer to banning it from our foods and drinks like it has been in Japan and the European Union.

Algerian Conflicts

Article Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/world/africa/algeria-militants-hostages.html?hp&_r=0

Video Link: http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/01/18/world/africa/100000002013034/algerias-response-to-a-hostage-crisis.html?ref=africa#100000002013034

 A gas-producing complex in Algeria was taken over by attackers and many people were taken hostage in the past week. The Algerian military has recently announced that the complex has been liberated from the attackers. The death toll, however, has been steadily rising. A senior Algerian official said that “a good twenty” more bodies were found at the plant on Sunday. So far their has been confirmed 23 dead hostages, but that number is expected to continue rising. Over a dozen hostages are still missing as of Sunday, and many of the bodies have yet to be identified. The attackers were a multinational group from six countries that have not yet been given out to the media. They were believed to have connections to Al Qaeda in Northern Aftrica. So far there have been 32 identified dead attackers. The total number of people that were taken hostage is still unknown, but several were American. The Algerian government has been greatly criticized of late for one, using very aggressive tactics against the attackers and also for not consulting many Western leaders before making military action that involved hostages from their countries.

I am very, very, very glad that this hostage crisis is ended. Whenever I think of things like this I wonder how I would feel if it were one of my family members or friends that was a hostage. I wouldn't want anyone else to have a feeling like that. I'm relieved that the people are free now, but my heart also is heavily weighed down by the number of people that aren't able to go home. Over 20 people are dead, many of them Americans. What also bothers me is that the Algerian government took action against the attackers without even consulting the other countries that were involved. A global threat like this has become should be dealt with globally and not as single countries.

About Me

About Me

I was born in Burnsville, Minnesota and grew up in Lakeville and in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. We didn't live far from my mother's parents and visited them often. We lived in Lakeville through first grade for me and then we moved here to Omaha where my dad's parents live. I went to Trinity Christian School, now Lifegate, for second and third grade. I attended Boyd Elementary through sixth grade, and then McMillan Magnet Center for seventh and eighth. I have two brothers and one sister. I am the oldest and one brother is in 8^th grade and the other is in 5^th grade. My little sister just turned five years old. I've played basketball since I was in second grade and played football through eighth grade. I love to go camping, hunting, water skiing, and just generally being out on a lake. That is probably the one thing that I don't like about Nebraska compared to Minnesota and that is the lack of lakes.