- Using science to dispel an internet myth.Not that McDonald's burgers are any good, but they don't defy any laws of biology. What is the next internet/urban myth you would like to see overturned by science?
- A blogger posts her experiences before, during and immediately after open heart surgery. WARNING: if you don't want to see pictures of an actual human heart during surgery DO NOT click the link.
- No more Olympics, so you get three science links this week. Will viruses some day power our cell phones (or other electronic devices)?
Friday, August 17, 2012
Summer Assignment 8.17
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@bacteria-eating-viruses-may-power-cell-phones
Upon to search for "eco-friendly energy" scientists at University of California instead found a bacteria that may power cell phone in the future. This M13 virus is only harmful to bacteria so supposedly it is not harmful to humans. However, I believe that there will need to be many tests conducted in order to ensure safety if this discovery is ever put into public technology products. Fortunately, this discovery is a great example of how simply searching can lead to great discoveries.
In the The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!) article, I was pleased to find out that McDonald's burgers do not contain any chemical thwarting it form decomposing. Because of all the rumors and silly talk about McDonald's containing chemicals and crazy substances that allows the food to preserve, I was disgusted and stopped eating fast food. I was surprised to read that salt wasn't the main reason for the preservation of the burgers. In fact, I don't think I would have ever guessed that the burgers lasted a long time because of it's size. Although J. Kenji López-Alt revealed the truth about the 12 year old McDonald burger, I don't think I'll be eating fast food in a while. I stopped eating fast food this summer and I lost 11lbs. Of course I exercised too, but I'm still skeptical about fast food.
“Bacteria Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones”
I think the biggest benefit from using a virus as an alternative power source rather than corn and algae are abundance and availability. A virus, being a simple microorganism, can reproduce rapidly and readily. This makes it cheap and effective. This concept of “piezoelectricity” is quite fascinating in that it uses the simple concept of human touch. So by using a virus to harness human touch to power simple devices, the science field is opening up a whole universe of possibilities. However, the ability to use this newfound technology to power actual electronic devices is far off in out society today, by introducing piezoelectricity, scientists have made a big move in the right direction. Our world is overly dependent on non-renewable energy to power our energy-consuming lifestyles, and maybe one day we can change that completely.
In Response to The McDonald's Burger Myth:
I don't like McDonald's. Frankly speaking, I'm more of a "Subway, Eat Fresh" or "Taco Bell, The Fourth Meal" person, but I decided to read this article anyway because over the years I've heard the similar assertions made about McDonald's products. The point the author/blogger made about the previous house experiments that others had conducted to test the validity of the assertion, "McDonald's burgers never rot." was correct. The other people never set a control to test their variable (the McD's burger). To conduct a proper experiment with a valid/believable conclusion, one must cover all necessary variables and test against a control (i.e. in this case a homemade, natural burger would serve as the control). The blogger/author conducted an experiment in that manner and accounted for possible theories of how certain outcomes would occur and ruled out certain ones as the experiment progressed and they were disproved. I feel like his experiment was conducted thoroughly because, and adequately disproved the theory that McD's never rots. The author clearly gave a good scientific explanation of why mold doesn't form on the control as well as the other variables (the regular McD burger, the mix of the store bun and the McD patty, the mix of the McD patty and the homemade patty, the quarter pounder and the homemade quarterpounder)—because of the rapid dehydration of the meat there isn't enough moisture for the mold to grow. The experiment, was well conducted, even though it was absolutely unnecessary because not that many people care/test how long it takes for a McD's burger to rot. And frankly, I think because of it, I'm not going McDonald's anytime soon.
Carrie Arnold discusses the University of California engineers' efforts to find more eco-friendly energy sources. Arnold's article, "Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones" states the significance of the M13 virus, which can definitely be useful as an alternative power source for our cell phones and other devices. The M13 can help the future development of technology by using bacteria to form very thin and light sources of enrgy that can power our electronics in the future. Even though it is in thin sheets made of a virus, it does affect humans, which makes it safe to use. In addition, the M13 virus is cheap and easy to make and it amplifies the piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric effect is beneficial because it creates energy from biological sources. Even though the experiment produced about a quarter of the power of an AAA battery, it is feasible that it can be developed. This is an exciting breakthrough, especially if scientists use it to create power pacemakers and other life-saving devices.
The article about the McDonalds burger was both disturbing and interesting. First of all, the fact that niether type of burgar rots under normal conditions is a little concerning. While I have never liked McDonalds I now have yet another reason to not like their food other then it being too unhealthy. I do realize that regular homemade burgers also don't rot but for some reason I find that less concerning because I at least know what the burgers made of. Also, I like how the author executed his experaments. Each were kept in the same conditions and he even took care not to introduce something from his own body while handling the burgers. Overall I just thought it was very neat and I will never look at burgers the same again.
Oh my god the McDonald's burger didn't rot for so long!
So the reason why the burger didn't rot is because of the same phenomenon that makes beef jerky: more surface area and less volume means a faster dehydrating time, which creates an unsuitable environment for mold. Even if mold does appear on the burger, it takes a week or so. My new question is: what is the ground beef made of? Does the composition of the beef affect how long it can last? Because all the burgers have rotted at an equal rate, I can safely assume that the burgers are the same. This experiment is still well conducted and I applaud Kenji for using science instead of just sheer speculation.
In response to, “Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones”, it is really incredible how fast technology is advancing. It is amazing how your phone can be charged as you walk, this can be very helpful to people all over the world, because as humans our lives are getting busier with each passing day. This idea is also very environment friendly, because there is lesser electricity used, and having viruses powering our cell phones can be cheaper because viruses replicate themselves. Environment-friendly cell phones will mean less pollution and a better future for our planet Earth. Fortunately, the virus powered cell phones qualifies as renewable energy, which will help the environment even further. The company which will take on this business will gain hugely because of the first mover advantage. The cell phones they will sell will be of added environmental appeal to teenagers, and busy executives. These virus powered cell phones, later will enhance the value proposition of other electronics. Although there are a few drawbacks, the virus powered phone can become very popular, which can also hurt the public. As it is several teens are addicted to their cells, but when the virus powered ones get commercially launched, it will only further ease the use (or abuse, in this case), of this classic modern day communicating tool thus distracting these teens further from their work. Another fallout could be that humans will become increasingly introverted and antisocial. This can also harm their health, because instead of getting out and getting some exercise, they will be using their phones. I feel the virus powered phones being really great in the future, but I there will be a downfall in human health.
I read the article about open heart surgery because I wanted to see the process of how an open heart surgery is done and because I wanted to see if I could stand to see the gory and disturbing images that the article forewarned me of. After reading the article I can successfully say that I am not as afraid of looking at these images as I thought I was. The operation in itself though, seemed oddly simple to me. My expectations for a open heart surgery was that it is extremely complicated and dangerous. Whether it maybe the highly experienced surgeons who performed the operation with ease or the simplicity of the operation itself, I was not dumbfounded by what they did. However I am highly intrigued by this career and am thankful to this article for wonderfully portraying how a heart surgery is done. This is one of the career choices that I would like to keep into consideration.
Upon choosing an article to read, I chose "The Burger Lab," because fast food grosses me out. After watching "Supersize Me" for years in health, I find it shocking that there are no crazy chemical preservatives in the burger. I find it absolutely disgusting that the burger never rots. It seems so abnormal. It's crazier to think that real burgers don't rot either. Given that the burger seems to remain the same after twelve years, I don't see how people actually eat McDonalds or other fast food products for that matter. Personally, I haven't eaten fast food in five years. I've just seen "Supersize Me" way too many times.
Wow! Reading the blog "Tales from the OR" was so interesting! Especially since my own father had done the same kind of surgery a couple years ago. Reading the blog and looking at the pictures made me realize how careful the surgeons must be to follow the percise procedure. I decided to look more in the bypass surgery and saw that it is a procedure that restores blood flow to your heart muscle by diverting the flow of blood around a section of a blocked artery in your heart. This surgery uses a healthy blood vessel taken from your leg, arm, chest or abdomen and connects it to the other arteries in your heart so that blood is bypassed around the diseased area. After researching more about the surgery and what it does, I read the blog again. After reading the seconed time, every little procedure made much more sense to me. I give props to the woman who was able to document her surgery and give us pictures of her own heart and organs. I can now describe to my dad what they did inside of him and show him beautiful pictures to follow!
I was really impressed with the "Tales from the OR" blog entry. Before reading this, the procedures followed in heart surgery were completely foreign to me. I never imagined that the doctors would have to drain the heart of blood and use chemicals to stop it from beating before operating. It is amazing that we have the technology to keep people alive despite having to stop their hearts. I was equally impressed by the synthetic replacement that the doctors used to replace her aorta. It was a very long lasting material that would easily last her the rest of her life. It was very safe as well, since the body would not reject it like it would live tissue. I was amazed that all of this is possible.
"Tales From the OR" was definitely something. For starters, I didn't know that the heart itself had so much going on. I don't know much about anatomy to begin with, but this documented experience was quite an interesting...journey. Defectiveheartgirl's procedure called the "valve-sparing aortic root replacement", showed how the aorta was removed and replaced. Many aspects of this operation intrigued me. The fact that potassium solution could stop the heart from beating so the surgeons could perform the surgery on "dry conditions" amused me. Also, I learned from this blog that since she was receiving a synthetic material instead of live tissue, he body would accept it without rejection. Lastly, it amazed me (even though it's probably not that amazing) that the section of dacron graft was cut to fit her SPECIFIC ANATOMY. The amazing part is that everyone has their OWN UNIQUE anatomy. No one person is the same, even though we all have the same body parts for the most part. It will never cease to amaze me how differently yet how similarly we were each created. [*Posted by: Bethany Chan*]
After reading, "The Burger Lab...." (the article on McDonald's burgers that won't rot), I realized that based on the fact of preserving a burger, McDonald's has created a regular sized burger that is the perfect size. And this conjecture is based on the experiment of the scientist who wrote this article. In the experiment, the scientist wanted to find out why McDonald's burgers do not rot. His/her 5 possible hypotheses/theories were 1. their is some chemical preservative on the burger/wrapper, 2. high salt level=prevention from rotting, 3. size of the burger allows burger to dehydrate in enough time to prevent mold growth, 4. no mold spores near the burgers, and 5. no air near the hamburgers. After eliminating theories 4 (as the article states, "There is mold everywhere") and 5 (obviously there is air everywhere) the scientist then proceeded onto the experiment. The experiment consisted of 8 different types of burgers in open air and wrapped. Of these samples consisted a normal McDonald's burger, a home-made burger in equivalent size to the normal McDonald's burger, and a larger McDonald's Quarter Pounder. So after 25 days of testing, the conclusion was that all burgers equivalent or near the size of a McDonald's regular sized burger will not receive mold. Yet a larger burger, such as the Quarter Pounder did mold. Therefore, it was easy to conclude that theory 3 was supported by the experiment. We can explain this conclusion by other data that was found during the experiment. For example, 93 % of the moisture in a regular burger was gone within the first 3 days while it took 7 days for the Quarter Pounder to lose the same amount of moisture. We can say the regular burger gives very little, and obviously much less, time (than any larger burger) for mold to grow. Based on this article, I wonder if their is a range of burger sizes that will not grow mold. And if so, what would the dimensions have to be?
For all those McDonald’s haters out there, you just lost the battle on this one. The article “The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!)” surprisingly put the much speculated myth to rest. But other than being enlightened to the knowledge that burgers can live for ever (in the right conditions and not just McDonald’s burger), this article was a very good example of how the scientific process works. Many people made assumptions that McDonald’s burgers contained added preservatives that made the burger last for what seemed like forever, but no one had really tested these assumptions out. Nevertheless, lets call these assumptions a hypothesis. Lucky for us, there was someone out there who actually believed in good old fashioned science, the author of this article. J. Kenji López-Alt takes his readers through a step by step process of his lab. He even included his prior research, control groups, data graphs and most importantly, a pretty solid conclusion. The surface area of the burger allowed for dehydration to take place faster, leaving barely enough, if not any time for mold to grow. That’s more than other people’s speculation ever gave. So yes, a McDonald’s burger probably won’t rot if you leave it on your counter but neither will a normal burger. I’m also surprised that no one realized that it takes exactly the same process to make beef jerky or any dried food item for that matter (not saying I did but I thought some food critic or chef would realize). I’m not supporting McDonald’s in any way, but I do support good science and this article definitely gave me that.
When I was little, I always heard rumors about mcdonalds food not rotting, so reading this article was very interesting. I liked how the author used many different types of hamburgers instead of just observing the mcdonalds one. I found it interesting that the burgers didn't mold because it dehydrated quickly. I originally there was some sort of chemical in it that prevented rotting. However this does not change the fact that i avoid mcdonalds.
I found the article about the bacteria-eating viruses that generate their own electricity to be very interesting. the only concern that I have had about that is that in order for the viruses to live inside cell phones in order to generate electricity, there would have to be bacteria living inside of our phones. This bacteria could infect us eventually, or the viruses in the phone could begin to feed on the bacteria living on our bodies. Although this might sound outlandish, due to the amount of times that people are on phones, it won't be suprising if this happened. However, the benefits would outweigh the risks and once this technology is perfected and used more efficiently, viruses would one day be able to power our cars or even small houses.
I haven’t heard about the rumor in the past, but I appreciate how a scientific approach was taken in an attempt to prove or disprove the notion and, of course, discover why there wasn’t mold. I’ve heard about the concept of the apocalypse occurring on December 21, 2012, though there doesn’t appear to be a valid argument. It’s simply the start of a new Mayan cycle, and, even if it purposively predicts the end of the world, why weren’t they able to predict the end of their own civilization? However, I would like see if the Nemesis Theory is proven or disproven. The last I heard, scientists couldn’t find the hypothetical star.
The blog post on the surgery was interesting, though I’m a little surprised they let someone take pictures and have the surgeons pose during the surgery. Personally, I’d rather have them focused on my heart if I was the one under anesthetics. Nevertheless, it was nice how she explained what was happening and included diagrams in addition to the actual photos.
The article on viruses and their potential to one day power electronic devises is interesting. It seams today that scientists are finding breakthroughs in terms of sources of power for society. The real challenge is putting those innovative ideas into effect. For example, we are capable of utilizing sunlight, and through absorbing sunlight and using semiconductors to be excited by photons, resulting in an electrical current. However, solar panels only provide, approximately, fifteen percent of our nation’s energy.
Recently, I watched a documentary about energy in our solar system and how it changes from energy to matter to energy, etc. They mentioned that, using E=mc^2, a typical cupcake, if it instantaneously converted into its potential energy, would be the equivalent of one hundred sticks of dynamite going off. Would there be a way to do just that and allow man to transform matter into energy, where it would then, eventually, transform back into matter?
If the M13 bacteriophage can be used to charge cell phones, it could possible bring an end to the toxic battery units that are currently installed in cell phones today. Because toxic chemicals do not have to be compressed and this virus is harmless to human beings, I think that the development of this idea will only advance technology. Since this virus does have the piezoelectric property, it is amazing to think that cell phones could have the ability to charge without even having to be put into an electrical outlet. It is incredible to think that now scientists and engineers are able to find new ways to advance technology while protecting the environment. If using this virus in phones is feasible, it think that it will be a major feat as it poses no threat to human beings.
The McDonald's experiment was very well executed. Since I watched "Supersize Me" in 7th grade health, I had always thought that McDonalds had put an excessive amount of chemicals/preservatives to make their food last longer. However, I still believe that McDonalds is very unhealthy for your body. I am fairly surprised that it took someone this long to actually test a McDonald's burger compared to a homemade burger. McDonald's has gotten, so much negative publicity over the past couple of years especially with this "obesity epidemic" spreading across America. I feel this experiment could have been taken even further. Since, both burgers did not rot in certain experiments, there has to be a way to check how many chemicals the homemade burger had compared to the McDonald's burger. Even other meat companies put preservatives in their meat, so it can last longer on store shelves. There has to be a more direct source for the meat; otherwise, I think there could be more to this experiment.
Though I am still skeptical about partaking in the indulgence of fat food, for health reasons with the high amounts of calories, sodium levels, fat and other nutritional factors, I am glad, after reading "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!)," to see that they are not the reason for the burger not rotting. I was very intrigued by the process, the possible theories to why the burger did not rot, and how he tested the theories by using combinations of a homemade burger, McDonald's burger, and regular/McDonald's buns. It was interesting to find out that the minimal rotting and production of mold was not caused by chemicals or the salt in the food, but by the size of the burger, something I would have never expected before reading the article. Though the results changes my outlook on fast food, it will not push me to go back to eating it at all.
I read the article about the open heart surgery and I was pleasently suprised with what I saw. I have never been squeamish or afraid of blood and guts so I was not afraid of viewing the pictures. One thing that was suprisining to me was that the whole process of the surgery was not as complicated as I first assumed it would me. Although, the surgeons have to undergo in years of training and act extremly precautious during the whole process, I found that I had no trouble picturing myelf doing the surgery. I would like praise the author of the article for making heart surgery seem so simple and for detailing all of the processes. I also enjoyed looking at the pictures of the heart becasue it was interesting to see the actual thing and not just a drawing.
In response to "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!)," i was pleasantly surprised to hear all burgers don't rot. One would think the reason Mcdonald's burgers don't rot is because of all the preservatives and chemicals that go in the patty. In fact they don't spoil is because moisture evaporates from the burger and turns it into a burger-jerky. Of course, without moisture nothing can survive, hence why the burger won't rot. Finally i have to applaud J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for using the scientific method. Any other experiment that involved McDonald's burgers and them not rotting didn't have a control. By including a control J. Kenji Lopez-Alt proved that McDonald's burgers aren't just chemicals and preservatives.
The most peculiar part of the tales from the OR post was the coolheadedness that the author talks about her surgery with. But the best part was the pictures! Heart surgery seems like this daunting task with unlimited complications that would take a rocket scientist to even start to understand, but the article uses pictures and diagrams make it easy to visualize. I also learned that a potassium solution can stop the heart for 2-4 hours and prevent it from having tissue damage which is quite ridiculous
As i was reading through the titles of the articles that were posted, my attention was immediatley caught by the post that read about an open heart surgery. I was actually pretty excited to see the pictures and read about ho he procedure was done. I dont get queasy or skirmish much over things like this so i decided it would be interesting to read. As i was reading through it and looking over the pictures i was so interested in seeing the girls actual heart. Kind of weird say, but i stopped and just observed the pictures, they were just so amazing! Its so fascinating to see that so many conditions-whatever they may be:heart,brain- we have the technology and knowledge to perform surgery to save someones life! For example, while reading how the surgeons needed to perform on dry condotions, all i thought about was how did we first realise this, how did the information about what requierments need to be met come about?
After reading the article "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!)," I finally learned the truth about the famous myth about McDonald's burgers not rotting. I always believed that McDonald's put countless chemicals and preservatives to keep their food from rotting, but I never thought the reason behind the lack of decomposition was the size and surface area of the burger. Apparently, because of the small size and large surface area of the burger, it dehydrates quicker and no moisture is present. Dehydrated and with no moisture, mold cannot grow on the burger preventing it from rotting. What separates this experiment from the others is the number of varied samples and the numerous combinations of beef and buns. This experiment may have proved some people that hate McDonald's wrong but I will still continue to avoid eating from McDonald's.
In response to the post "Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones" I believe that having cell phones as well as other devices running off an organic bacteria that is safe for human use would greatly benefit the world. Not only would it remove materials that are very poisonous to humans such as lead from some of our electronic devices but it could also be used in pacemakers and other medical applications. Also because it charges itself from being compressed and moved it would remove the annoying of having to charge electronics and using up electricity which would lead to a greener world. As for the pacemaker it would not need its battery to be replaced every few years which requires surgery which would be a relief for many who are scared of surgery. This technology, if ever perfected has the potential to lead to many new ways of greener and safer technology.
The M13 bacteriophage virus in the last article shows how unexpected answers can actually be the most useful. Before reading the article, many people would not have even considered using viruses to run cell phones. Using unorthodox ideas can actually lead to major advancements.
The method of using piezoelectric materials is promising because it is already in use in microphones. Also, it is huge energy saver. I’ve noticed that most smartphone users use their phones so often that the phones need to charge everyday. This is an enormous waste of energy and money. With the M13 phage, wall charging would be eliminated, so both energy and money would be saved. The virus would also not make cell phones too bulky because it can form into a thin sheet. This could even make phones smaller because materials that were previously needed to charge phones would no longer be needed. This would be helpful on a business stand point because many cell phone companies are trying to make their phones less bulky. However, I’m not sure consumers would be too thrilled to find out that their phones were made of viruses even if they were harmless to humans. Extensive tests would probably have to be made to convince people to buy the phones.
The last sentence in the article intrigued me because it speculated about possibly making pacemakers powered by beating hearts. This would make pacemakers self-sustaining. Very few surgeries would be needed to replace failed pacemakers and human life would be extended. Piezoelectricity also has value outside of just cell phones.
Cellphones being powered by viruses show how advanced technology can and has become. They say that using the M13 virus, cellphones can be charged "while walking". Although, it is stated that the virus only attacks bacteria, I feel that it should be tested in various ways because bacteria is everywhere. If there is bacteria inside of us, then how would we know for sure that it is 100% completely safe. But, I think that it is cool that scientists were able to manipulate a virus and change it so that it could be used to power cellphones. I am very excited to see this piece of technology come out and be used. But, how would you charge your phone after it dies. will it need charging? There are still many questions about this piece of technology, but it is the next step in the advancement of technology.
I think it's great that scientists took something that we usually think of as bad (viruses) and made good use of them. Piezoelectricity seems like a very Eco-friendly technology which I think scientists should invest more it. Although I am not exactly sure that I want viruses in my phone. Viruses can mutate very quickly (that's why you need a flu shot every year), so they might become dangerous.
As for the article about McDonalds burgers not rotting, I am surprised it was due to its small surface area rather than preservatives. But if that is true, the assumption that it "never" rots is false, because there is still some surface area. Despite this experiment, I still think it has something to do with preservatives, because, well, we are talking about McDonalds here.
Regarding the ‘Tales from the OR’, I found ‘defectiveheartgirl’ a thoroughly interesting blogger throughout her experience with open-heart surgery. I was amazed with the sets of pictures she posted on her blog recording every step through her surgery, especially the artist’s drawings compared to the real-life photographs of her actual heart, which happened to be precisely accurate. The disease she was diagnosed with is called bicuspid aortic valve disease, or BAVD. As she states, 1% of the people with AVD have biscupid valve disease whereas 99% have tricuspid aortic valve disease. While reading the diagnosis and background sections on her blog, I couldn’t help but wonder when she was told to cure the disease and at what age surgery is necessary, since it is a congenital heart defect. But I imagine that for each individual it is different as some individuals may need surgery at birth while others wait until right before the aneurysm in their heart causes severe damage. The surgery itself, and even preparation before, seems to be minimal compared to the effort by ‘defectiveheartgirl’ in the weeks subsequent to the surgery. For starters, she posted about her daily activities after the surgery as she could not walk, had to go through therapy, take medication, and deal with sickness, such as nausea, difficult breathing, and even A-fib, or atrial fibrillation, which is intensely erratic heartbeat – supposedly a part of the healing process. It was intriguing to read about her experience with her heart surgery. Not only could this help individuals who have yet to go through this surgery, but it also fascinated everyday people like myself.
After hearing many rumors about McDonald’s burgers not rotting, I decided to read “The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!).” I found it surprising that even after almost 14 years, the hamburger used to teach a class didn’t rot at all. I would have at least expected the bun to rot, but it didn’t. Usually, store-bought bread grows mold after it expires, sometimes before, after being exposed to normal conditions. However, as we can tell after reading this article, the McDonald’s bun is different from normal store-bought bread most of us eat. As for the patty, the experiment shows that even homemade burgers don’t rot, so we know that McDonald’s burgers can’t be much different than standard burgers. McDonald’s may be unhealthy, but the experiments conducted by the author, J. Kenji López-Alt., helped prove that McDonald’s doesn’t do anything crazy to its patties to make them “live” forever.
Before reading "Tales from the OR," I had always wondered why heart surgery always seemed to take several hours to complete. This article put my questions at rest, as I now know that it is all a big process broken up into smaller steps. Additionally, I found this particular patient's operation very amusing because of how the doctors were able to replace her aorta with a synthetic dacron tube. In my opinion, it is mind-boggling how it is possible for us to recreate vital human organs and tissues using artificial material that still functions the same as the part removed. To become a surgeon has always been a possible choice of a career for me, but I can tell by this article that it is going to be a long and difficult process to get there! Also, I cannot imagine the amount the pressure they must endure everyday, but I guess they were still relaxed enough to stop and take a picture!
Out of all the articles I found the tales from the OR article most interesting. As a little girl I always use to watch discovery health channel and thoroughly watched the detailed surgeries that would go on. I absolutely loved reading the girls process and I found it interesting of how they exactly do one of these surgeries. I also learned about a new procedure today that was called a "valve-sparing aortic root replacement." Through the vivid images I was able to understand completely what was going on and why it was going on. Along with the knowledge I loved the woman's wittiness through her writing "The heart of the operation" or "The first order of operation" or even the fact that the surgeons took pictures through the operation! It was an excellent article and I learned a whole lot.
In response to the article "Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones", I hope that scientists are truly able to harness the power that bacteria possesses. This would allow people to get their power from an alternate source. The beginning of this discovery will start with powering cell phones. Hopefully, scientists will keep researching and experimenting with this to the point where bacteria-eating viruses become the norm of powering cell phones. Eventually, scientists will see if these viruses can power more than just cell phones. However, I fear that this will take decades before any of that is possible.
After reading "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot(Testing Results!)", I was shocked. After all the videos and articles I've read about Mcdonalds' fast food, I surely thought that their food contained chemicals that preserved the food for long amounts of time. I was really surprised when I read that the homemade burger patties didn't rot, aswell as the Mcdonalds' patties. I didn't imagine that size would have anything to do with if the burger patties would rot or not.
I found Defective Heart Girl Problems to be an interesting blog that balances personal experience with easy to understand explanations of her heart issues. Being that her blog center around her heart problems, I found it clever she had someone take pictures of her valve-sparing aortic root replacement. Her blog easily explains what she is going through in the stages of diagnosis, surgery, and recovery. The pictures helped me to understand how meticulous and complex the surgery is. The pictures capture much more the experience than words could. Due to the anesthesia, she would only be able to comment on her experiences from before and after the operation. The picture also helped me to realize that surgeons need to be good at sewing. Her sternum is only opened five inches wide and the surgeon has to attach the dacron graft to the aortic valve in that space. The pictures capture much more the experience than words could. Due to the anesthesia, she would only be able to comment on her experiences from before and after the operation.
I didn’t see much talk about the blog of the woman’s experience for the open heart surgery so I gave it a chance. I have to admit that scrolling through these pictures did make me flinch, but as I was reading the experience It was fascinating seeing all the work and prep that was put into this operation. No wonder anesthesiologist and surgeons are among the top paying jobs. These people have to study and know these steps almost instantly as their in the OR because no time can be wasted. The valve-sparing aortic root replacement also known as the “David procedure” brought up the topic of synthetic materials in this case the Dacron grafts that repaired the aortic vessel in the mothers heart made me kept on reading this blog. I love how biomedical technology is introduced and used to perform this operation; I mentioned in a previous article comment that it’s amazing how man can create such a viable material to support someone else’s life with the right study and persistence. Overall this article was informative to me, I had a lot of my questions answered and love a good laugh from the blogger.
After reading the article on the McDonnalds burger, I found it interesting the way the experimenter thought in a different way then most people have when carrying out this experiment. Instead of looking to see if the McDonnalds burger actually decayed over time, this person compared its activity with a homemade burger. Though I have heard about the fact that McDonnald’s burgers did not rot over time, I was never surprised due to my expectations toward McDonnald’s and how unhealthy they were. Reading this article cleared up a lot of mystery in my head however, for years we have heard about how many harsh chemicals were used in their burgers because of the fact that they never rotted as normal food should, but no one specified or confirmed their use of harsh chemicals or preservatives. The points called upon in the article on why the burger would not rot made a lot of sense, and having something reliable to compare the McDonnald’s burger to was an effective way to carry out the experiment and ensure reliable and useful results. Personally I have never been fond of fast food and I probably never will be. Weather or not McDonnald’s uses real beef to make their burgers; they still have very unhealthy food options.
“Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones”
It never ceases to amaze me how the biology field can come up with such inventive ways to solve problems from deadly diseases to powering phones using viruses. By using the M13 virus, scientists are able to harness the energy used from mechanical energy and restore it in the phone’s battery cell as electrical energy. As previously said in the article, the traditional piezoelectric devices that are used now are made up of material such as lead and cadmium, which can be toxic to human. By using this new found device, it solves the two problems of cutting down on electric use and avoiding the use of toxic substances. This new idea will likely please the upcoming generations as we are in constant search of more eco-friendly devices, and it will also satisfy phone companies looking for a new/inexpensive way to give their customers something original. I’d like to think that advertising companies will find a clever way of selling this new product because as of right now, having viruses in my phone does not sound too appealing. Whatever may show up in the next Super Bowl commercials, the fact that this new invention can literally be charged with a finger tap is truly extraordinary.
I found the article "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results)" to be very interesting. I found it amazing how a simple experiment easily busted a widely believed myth. I found it very interesting that the patty's size changed its ability to dehydrate and that the smaller patty didn't grow mold at all. It really shows the importance of science in proving myths and not just to resort to speculation.
The article "Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones" was fascinating. It amazes me how we are now able to use living things to provide energy for us. It is a very efficient and useful idea, and is also eco-friendly, so I wouldn't be surprised to see more news articles similar to this one in the future.
Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones Article:
The discoveries that were made by engineers at University of California, Berkeley are astounding. Scientists can now utilize small organisms such as the M13 virus to produce energy and convert a simple finger tap into electric energy using piezoelectricity. Being able to find and create new renewable energy sources is crucial in the world of today. It is so exciting to hear that these new forms of energy can be used to accomplish so many incredible tasks such as charging your phone as you walk or using a pacemaker that can run off of the power of a person’s heartbeat. Essentially, the applications of the M13 virus are endless, and I see great progress being made in the future. It is alarming that in such a short amount of time scientists were able to modify the amino acid content of the virus, enabling it to produce more energy. At this rate, the virus will become more valuable than an AAA battery. What makes the use of this virus so appealing is the fact that it is completely harmless to humans and that is so quick and easy to produce. I see no reason that cell phones in the next 10 or 20 years will not be powered by bacteria-eating viruses.
I was surprised that before Mr. Lopez-Alt., no one decided to prove/disprove the idea that a McDonald's burger would mold or decay using thorough analysis and experiments; rather, they based their assumptions on, as Mr. Lopez-Alt. so aptly put it, "speculation, specious reasoning, and downright obtuseness." Despite my disappointment in the thought processes of my fellow human beings, I was glad and enticed to read Mr. Lopez-Alt.'s comic and reasoned thoughts and results. Before this article, I had heard the rumors of ever-lasting McDonald's burgers. As a huge McDonald's enthusiast/supporter, I always questioned whether the preservatives or other mystery ingredients in my beloved sandwich contributed to this phenomenon. Furthermore, I had always wondered if eating these burgers was the healthiest decision since there could have been some harmful chemical embedded into the burgers which persevered it for so long. After learning that it was only due to a lack of moisture that kept the burgers preserved for so long, I have gotten over my reluctance of eating McDonald's burgers.
I have never been a big fan of McDonald’s cuisine, if you can call it that, or fast food in general. A while ago I read about how McDonalds makes chicken nuggets; they just process the entire chicken, mash it up, bleach it/dye it, add flavoring and try to pass it off as actual food. I’m not sure how much truth can be gathered from that article since McDonalds claims to use 100% real meat. The thing that unsettles me is what is happening to my food before I eat it. In relation to this week’s article pertaining to the burgers at McDonalds. This article left me with slight relief that they actually use real beef according to the experiment, but it was still off-putting that the meat does not rot. After even TWELVE years it did not rot. It wasn’t until after it was manipulated, that the McDonalds beef showed mold. The actual experiment was intriguing to me, yet I was just not amused by the results. This article just made me more wary of what I’m eating, and just gave me another reason not to eat fast food.
"Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones"
Scientists have been trying to find eco-friendly energy sources by using living things such as algae and corn. I thought it was interesting that they are using a technique called piezoelectricity that can transfer energy by the tap of a finger. Recently, the M13 virus has been discovered to be useful in this technique and to produce electricity. I think that using the M13 is a great idea since it has many benefits and advantages. First of all, the virus is safe and only attacks bacteria. Furthermore, it is easy to obtain and cheap which makes the process more effective. Although the virus only produces a small amount of power, this is a step towards more discoveries in the future.
I was very surprised to find out that there were no chemicals or preservatives that keep McDonald's hamburgers from rotting. After watching movies like Supersize Me, I believed that the chemicals in the food were very bad. But now I can be sure that the hamburgers are rotting not because of chemicals.
The M13 battery, while still in development, shows a lot of potential for powering the future generation of technology. Mainly its promise is shown in its size and how safe it is compared to lead batteries. It is a very interesting thought to charge your iPad or a cell phone by just walking of tapping it repetitively. I kind of expect this technology in the future fully perfected and powering a buisness building or even an entire city, reducing the amount of turbines/hydrothermal plants/nuclear/etc. plants and having the resources needed go to a much more profitable cause.
After reading “The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!),” I was pretty shocked. I absolutely had no idea that McDonald’s burgers didn’t rot. When I started reading the article, I had already made the assumption that only McDonald’s burgers didn’t rot because of all the chemicals and preservatives. As I continued to read on, I learned that even homemade burgers also didn’t rot. I really liked how the experiment was set up to determine which types of burgers would rot and how the chart showed how long it took for the burger to decrease in size. It was really interesting to know that bigger burgers decayed faster, which led to why McDonalds burgers don’t rot. I was surprised to know that there wasn’t really a big difference between the burgers. Another thing that intrigued me was that most of the moisture loss within the burger occurs within the first three days.
I find it interesting how a popular myth like the McDonald's hamburger can be dismissed so easily by closer examination. Looking back, I have heard of similar experiments done with McDonald's hamburgers, but I have never heard of any specific chemicals that may be in the hamburger. On the other hand, this experiment gives a simple reason for why the hamburger does not rot. Many people see the McDonald's hamburger as one that is riddled with all sorts of chemicals, but not many people think of comparing it to a normal burger. While creating the experiment, he really considered all possible conditions for testing mold growth. There are many who choose to believe the McDonald's Hamburger myth because they just don't like McDonald's. However, the simple fact is that their hamburgers are no different from normal ones in the fact that they simply dry up too fast to grow any mold. In the right conditions, almost any food can grow mold.
"Tales from the OR" was a totally different read from most of the articles I have read so far. The author of the article really blew me away by the fact that she blogged about the procedures that where preformed on her to save her life. Most people want to be in and out of the surgery as quick as possible, but she analyzed her own surgery which I thought was extremely brave. The author seemed to know all the details about the surgery, which is truly amazing. Another thing that this article brought to my mind is the advancement of Medicine. This surgery that was preformed on the author took precise planning, experienced doctors, and hi-tech equimpent in order for her aorta to be replaced with a synthetic one. It really amazes me what surgeons are able to do, they practically saved a women's life by inserting a synthetic material in place of her aorta to make her heart function normally again. These types of surgeries really interest me because saving a persons life is a feeling one can never forget, and these doctors do it day in and day out. This is the reason im am so interested in becoming a surgeon, saving a persons life is an experience i hopefully have one day. I hope she recovers well and gets to live a healthy lifestyle once again.
"Tales From The OR" was hands-down one of the most intriguing and factual blog posts I have ever read. The pictures and descriptions of the procedure were extremely helpful in seeing what the surgery is like and not many people are given the chance to witness something as incredible as this. But after reading about these open-heart surgeries for years, I thought that the surgery would be slightly more complicated. It was certainly not simple and surgeons have to be meticulous because a small slip or error is still fatal. I was surprised to see how greatly my expectations differed from reality but all in all, it was a fantastic blog post.
The experiment with the McDonald's hamburger was extremely interesting and the results were not what I had originally expected. I assumed the reason the McDonald's hamburger did not rot was because a preservative or chemical of some sort was added to prevent the formation of mold. However, this experiment clearly proves me wrong. The real reason is not what I would expect; the burger does not rot because of the small surface area, which is quite odd in my opinion. Even with these results, my opinions for McDonald's meals have not changed. It still offers one of the most unhealthiest foods.
Reading the article, "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot(Testing Result)" had gave me some relieve after what many people have told me about McDonald's fast food. Before reading this article, I assumed that all fast food contained these crazy chemicals or preservatives like benzoic acid, annatto extract(gives food that brown color.), or even potassium bisulfide (another perservative) which can seriously hurt you if consumed in large amounts. However, this article disproved this made up theory that "fast food equals chemicals." It is not what makes up the burger but the surface area/ the weight which determines whether the burger will rot or not. This is so because larger burgers take longer to dehydrate thus giving mold a higher chance of growing and really ruin your appetite. Again, this article proves that there is nothing strange about a McDonald's hamburger and it is the physical extrusive surface area that makes burgers rot or not. However, you shouldn't eat too many cheeseburgers or anything in large amounts as that is what makes you "saturated in lipids " and can lead to America's number one killer; heart attacks.
The creation of energy from a virus harmless to humans is absolutely incredible. Although it is only the beginning for using M13 for energy, it can be very beneficial in the future. Hopefully, in the future, we can utilize this energy for non-renewable energy. In this day and age, environmental activists are advising people not to waste energy by taking various precautions and actions to save it. By using M13 to an extent, we can use this energy instead of the non-renewable one. Like the article says, the M13 energy can recharge a cellphone while the person is walking. I believe that this study should be further developed and tested more to recognize its efficiency. If the M13 can produce more energy than stated in the article, it proves to be very vital to our future.
"Tales From the Or" I found this blog to be very interesting. The descriptions were so descriptive and the pictures helped me see what the actual surgery was performed. The author seemed to know almost every detail of her surgery- which was great. It gave me an accurate picture of what goes on during an operation.
It is amazing to see how far medicine has come within the last couple decades. It seems as if today doctors have a cure for almost every illness. It is amazing to see what surgeons and doctors can do now to save a persons life.
After reading the "Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Cell Phones", I found it interesting that scientists are trying to find another source of energy. Finding another source of energy could be very beneficial later in the future. If this energy supply works it could in time replace other energy sources, but with more research it could generate more energy and more efficient than it is now.
After reading "The Burger Lab: Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!)," it was not new information that a McDonald's burger does not rot, however, i was surprised to discover that a homemade burger does not rot as well. I have known that some McDonald's products do not rot ever since my brother Oliver performed a miniature experiment involving McDonald's french fries in tupperware many years ago., There must be air, moisture, mold spores, and a suitable, comfortable climate in order for mold to grow. The author of this article provided several samples to test his theories as to why McDonald's burgers do not rot. His third theory proved to be correct: the size of the burger plays a factor in the reproduction of mold because its surface area reduces the availability of moisture. People have assumed that McDonald's notorious reputation of having non-molding food is due to their immense usage of preservatives, mystery chemicals, and sketchy ingredients. Customers and protestors no longer need to be worried about the reason as to why burgers do not rot. However, whether their meat suppliers are as reliable and trustworthy as other people think, well thats a different story.
The McDonalds burger experiment was a really smart and easy way to test the myths about processed meat in the fast food industry. Like the blogger said, most people believe that the beef in the burgers is coated with chemical preservatives that prevent mold from growing on it. While it is true that some supermarket foods also contain reasonable preservatives for the same reason, it is still an unhealthy addition to the fast food. The hydrogenation of unsaturated fats creates trans-fats which contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels and heart disease. This has been proven through several studies and virally spread through movies and documentaries. Although the experiment concluded basing mold growth on the size and moisture in the beef, people cannot forget that in general processed meats contribute to unhealthiness. Whether it is the greasy fried foods of McDonalds or a burger for lunch in school, I would not consider them a meal option and would try to maintain healthier eating habits.
Science should overturn the possibilities of reading brainwaves to get actual information from people. I read this article http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/brainwave-hacking/ and found that researchers are showing people numbers and pictures of banks and reading their brainwaves to guess their PINs. This is still in a young stage of research and 20% of the attempts were successful; yet I see that as a very significant number. If scientists can do this, what other information can they pull from people’s minds? Many people such as federal agents are trained to overcome tests such as polygraphs by controlling their heart rates, but it may not be possible to completely control the brain in order not to release information. This process could introduce new tactics in warfare by reading brainwaves as a means of extracting data from an enemy, but as the article states, it could also be abused and used to steal from innocent people. Unfortunately only time will tell if “attacks” can be prevented.
After reading “Bacteria-Eating Viruses May Power Cell Phones”, I found the concept in itself absolutely incredible. The idea that such an abundant and miniscule natural resource produced by the planet can power our advanced technology is simply astounding. The article discusses how engineers at the University of California, Berkeley have figured out how to generate electricity using the M13 bacteriophage, which is a virus that infects bacteria. The device is a beneficially eco-friendly source, as scientists can get trillions of viruses from a single flask of infected bacteria. This advantage is cost effective and very simple to create. These new forms of energy are a wonderful new development that can transform technology, such as charging your phone as you walk or regulating a pacemaker powered by the beating of a heartbeat. The applications of this M13 device are very progressive and are massive benefactors for years to come. The fact that scientists can alter the amino acid content to produce more energy, for example a quarter of the power of an AAA battery, shows how it is definitely possible for scientists to increase the amount of energy for a greater value. This remarkable breakthrough is harmless to humans as well, which is a very appealing plus, and I think it is very feasible for these viruses to power cell phones in the very near future.
After reading the article about the girl that documented her own heart surgery i was fairly interested. it seemed that the idea of the surgery was pretty simple and was basically 4 main steps.
1. Anesthesia
2. Removing the heart
3. placing a bypass
4. then putting in the graft
Also the pictures were not as nearly as disgusting as i thought and the article felt happy actually. This was almost like a crash course on heart surgery. the writer also explained what was happening through each step. I did not know that we could place synthetic material in the body. I also did not know that you could take out the heart. This article was great and was fortunately very informative.
I learned many interesting facts from reading, "Tales of the OR." First of all, I was surprised by the fact that the heart could stop beating and still stay alive. I was also amazed that the person could stay alive after the blood was removed from the heart and the heart became deflated. In addition to, I found dacron to be very fascinating since it can last so long and there is no possibility of your heart rejecting it since its synthetic material.
I read the burger lab and was shocked. The fact that McDonald's burgers dont rot was both gross and intriguing. Both of them, in the same conditions didnt rot. wow. I was surprised that the burgers dont have any preservative chemicals. It was interesting to see them compare a McDonald's burger to a regular one.
After reading the article about the M13 virus I started to wonder whether this virus is truly innocuous. But before I start criticizing this idea, I did find this idea amazing. This virus is a piezoelectric so it creates electric charges when pressure is applied. Some ways people can use it is in shoes and in houses. Each time a person takes a step, the virus in the sole of a shoe creates electricity which can potentially charge a device etc. Putting it on the floors of houses could create electricity to power a toaster or microwave. The only problem I found was: What if the virus isn’t really harmless to humans?
The reason I believe that this virus can become dangerous is because of evolution. Every year the flu virus changes through a process called natural selection. Once in a while, a mutation is created during the multiplication of the virus. When the regular viruses die out, because of vaccinations or immune system, the unaffected mutations have time to multiply and then the virus changes. If the M13 virus goes through the same process as the flu virus, then the virus might become lethal. Maybe this could be the cause of an influenza pandemic.
Other than that downside, I love the idea and hope more advancement like this can help preserve Earth.
After reading the article about the M13 virus I started to wonder whether this virus is truly innocuous. But before I start criticizing this idea, I did find this idea amazing. This virus is a piezoelectric so it creates electric charges when pressure is applied. Some ways people can use it is in shoes and in houses. Each time a person takes a step, the virus in the sole of a shoe creates electricity which can potentially charge a device etc. Putting it on the floors of houses could create electricity to power a toaster or microwave. The only problem I found was: What if the virus isn't really harmless to humans?
The reason I believe that this virus can become dangerous is because of evolution. Every year the flu virus changes through a process called natural selection. Once in a while, a mutation is created during the multiplication of the virus. When the regular viruses die out, because of vaccinations or immune system, the unaffected mutations have time to multiply and then the virus changes. If the M13 virus goes through the same process as the flu virus, then the virus might become lethal. Maybe this could be the cause of an influenza pandemic.
Other than that downside, I love the idea and hope more advancement like this can help preserve Earth.
After reading "Tales from the OR," i was fascinated by how simple the process of heart surgery looked. Initially, i read this article only to look at the explicit pictures of the heart. But after reading the article i became interested and was surprised by how simple the process of heart surgery was. The blogger gave very detailed explanations of every step in her surgery which made it easier to follow. I especially loved the part where the blogger shows how her aortic root was being replaced with a synthetic one. After seeing this surgery I was amazed by how much hard work it takes to plan and execute this type of surgery. All in all, i was very amazed for the blogger to be showing her own surgery.
The experiment for the McDonalds burger was very well done, and I was pleased to see that the burgers were not chemically enhanced. There at many myths just roaming around the Internet that science has to expel. People just to around believing these silly myths without really thinking about it and using science as a tool to disprove the myths. The experiment the author did was very well set up, and thought through. Th quarter pounder did have mold growing on it because of the fact that it took the moisture in the patty longer to evaporate, nothing more. At the end I was surprised at the result of the experiment because of the real reason the burger did not spoil, the burger being small with a large surface area kept it safe from moisture. For a while I did believe that a McDonald's burger was made chemically with lots of preservatives but now I know I shouldn't believe what I hear without having proof. there are obviously other things that should regain you from eating fast food but at least this one is off your list.
Just like the articles I read this summer, “Bacteria-eating viruses may power cell phones” made me realize how biology is not only used in the field of medicine. So far I have learned how biology relates to athletes and architecture; this article shows how biology can be applied to technology. The M13 bacteriophage and piezoelectricity are amazing eco-friendly energy sources. Using this method of charging cell will cut the cost of electricity. It will also be less toxic than the technology we have today because the biomolecules expected to be used in the future are safer than the metals that are used now. As nice as this idea seems, the article was a bit too optimistic. For example, it stated that using the M13 bacteriophage would be cheap and easy to create. However, the article also stated a long procedure that when complete would only be equivalent to a fourth of the amount of energy in an AAA battery. Therefore, it might be economical to produce small amounts of energy but it might not be worth it when it comes to large amounts of energy. I am also dubious about what would happen if the M13 bacteriophage evolves into something that could be life threatening
Response to "Tales from the OR": I think that this is such an amazing thing to have after a serious operation. It lets you see everything that happened while the patient was under anesthesia. This doesn't happen with most surgeries, right? This provides a closer connection to the procedure as well.
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