- Ants may help predict the future of Facebook. I wouldn't hold my breath that Facebook will take the advice and get smaller in order to survive. I would say in 5 years it will be gone the way of Friendster and MySpace.
- Coffee and the brain. I disagree that there is such a thing as too much coffee. Maybe just not enough time to drink it all.
- The "scientifically accurate' version of Finding Nemo sounds so much better than the original.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Summer Assignment 8.20
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Finding Nemo is my third favorite disney movie, after Monsters inc and Despicable Me. Considering those to movies, the fact that Finding Nemo wasn't 100% was not a surprise. However, putting aside the talking fish, I thought as a little child Finding Nemo was one of the most realistic disney movies I had ever seen. After seeing the truth, I'm not so sure. According to the article, Coral being eaten by a barracuda was possible, and all but one of the clutch of eggs being eaten was not far from the truth. However, Nemo was supposed to have been born as an undifferentiated hermaphrodite. The writers of the article say talking about this sex change should've been appropriate, but I don't think this would be appropriate for children. The movie doesn't show reproduction, but the product of it, so for all the kids watching the movie know, maybe the stork learned how to swim and brought those eggs underwater. Also, it is understood that the mother has been killed, however this is never shown, keeping the movie at its pg rating. Perhaps the natural sex change many fish go through should be kept in the seventh grade biology curriculum, instead of kindergarten.
I watched the video on coffee and it's effect on the brain. There are so many lies told to us about how coffee and caffeine negatively affect our bodies and brains. It was nice to find out that coffee actually has benefits for us, such as protection against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. It also doesn't have the same addictive qualities of drugs such as cocaine because it doesn't affect the dopamine pathways, it just blocks adenosine, which causes us to go from sleepy to awake and more focused.
I also read the article about Disney lying to us in one of their animated films. While this fact does not surprise me, the fact that clown fish are born as hermaphrodites and can change sex throughout their lifetime did surprise me. I knew that a lot of species of fish and reptiles have no set sex while in the egg but instead respond to environmental factors while developing or once born. I did not know that clown fish (AKA Coral, Merlin and Nemo) could change sex after they had fully developed outside of the egg! I think this is an extremely useful evolutionary trait because then, should a mate die, the hermaphrodite offspring could not only become the sex of the dead mate, but that same fish could then replace the OTHER mate should anything happen to them. I also like that the female is the larger, more dominant fish. I still don't know how exactly they interact socially where this would come in handy, but it still is very interesting.
I read the article on the 'scientifically accurate' version of Finding Nemo and I was stunned. At first I was expecting the 'scientifically accurate' version to be that small clown fish are unable to hit a barracuda, but the real reason took much more of my attention. When I was watching the video on Rhodes explaining how clown fish are able to naturally change sex, I found it quite hard to believe. But as he explained that the clown fish contain both testicular and ovarian tissue and the simple ways the clown fish begin to change sex, it blew my mind. It really caught my interest when Rhodes began to explain how the clown fish use their senses (sight and sound) to trigger hormone release and begin the sex change. I never knew this was even possible, especially among fish, but bringing this to my attention definitely changed my perspective on the common clown fishes we all well know.
This is by far the most disturbing yet interest ing article I have read all summer. I got to say I ctually think that the more biologically accurate version of finding nemo sounds more entertaining. It would definitely have more twists then the Disney version. But I don't think people would ever let their kids see a dad fish Repoducing with his son. I still it spinteresting how the clownfish can change their sex when they needs to. I can't figure out why the clown fish would need to evolve with this kind of adaption when they would just have the father mate with a female offspring. I belove that this type of adaption might have just been an mutation that the clownfish found a use for. It truly is one of those oddities we see in nature.
Well thank you Dr. H for ruining Finding Nemo for me. Learning that the real story of Finding Nemo should have focused on Nemo, the cross-dresser who changes sex just because of the social environment. Talk about peer pressure. However, the real story would have been an interesting documentary, but it doesn't fend so well as a tale for small children.
I might just have to go along with Disney and back up their justification of a better story line in their version of "Finding Nemo." I'm not a child psychologist or anything near, but once being a seven year old kid, I'd have to say that I would not have enjoyed the movie as much as I did, had not Nemo's father gone out to find him, had not he met Dory, or had not Nemo had to struggle to adapt to his fish bowl environment and devise a plan to escape. Watching a male character turn into a women and mate with his son in the sequential hermaphroditic relationship in which biology actually takes its course through would not have been entertaining for a seven year old (although it would keep me entertained now that I am more interested in biology, especially marine biology). Not to mention, times were much different then and now, so such a truth as sequential hermaphrodites in the animal kingdom would have triggered negative responses from unhappy parents.
I had also watched the video on how caffeine works in the brain. Even though there are some proven benefits of in taking caffeine, I don't believe that consuming as much caffeine as many people do can be beneficial, but I would most certainly have the occasional cup of coffee or soda. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_u_5Wt9zf8t4/ShZrYJ2B9bI/AAAAAAAAApk/NV8LcAK8jlY/s400/CaffeinatedSpider.jpg
The link above is to a picture of spider webs created when the spiders were exposed to different
drugs. Sure, one could argue that these are spiders and its not the same with humans, but its obvious that a spider constantly exposed to caffeine wouldn't really be able to survive. In fact, a spider under the influence of cannabis would have higher chances of survival. I am not advocating for marijuana and I am not saying caffeine is horrible; its just interesting how a spider, a living organism none the less to humans, are better off on some drugs that have been illegalized rather than caffeine which almost everyone consumes. Caffeine, alike many other things in our world, is beneficial in moderation, and harmful in over consumption.
I read the article about the biologically version of "Finding Nemo". I'm happy that the movie wasn't based off the biologically version, because i would have been very confused as a kid. I wouldn't have been able to understand how the father was able to turn into a female or why. The most uncomfortable part would have to be where the son had to mate with his father- who is now a female-, that is just weird.Reading the article did bring me some new information,i never knew that clown-fish were hermaphrodites. The fact that the fish had both male and female reproductive systems, insured that they always had a back up plan if the mother or father fish died. Also in other cases like the article said, female fishes can transform into male fish. So no matter what clown-fish will always have a female to give birth to more eggs. This whole article was weird and somehow distorted the movie for me, although it was entertaining. Hopefully the squeal to "Finding Nemo" will just stick to the non-biological version!
I decided to read about the "scientifically accurate" version of Finding Nemo. This article was a very interesting look on Finding Nemo and how it actually should have taken place. I never knew that clownfish were actually born undifferentiated in gender and later developed a certain gender. i actually never knew this before reading this article. If Finding Nemo was accurate, Marlin should have transformed into a girl and mated with Nemo to produce offspring. This would definitely be a very weird twist to the story, especially since it would be mostly about repeatedly changing gender to mate. I personally am happy with the original storyline, even though it is not exactly what is supposed to happen.
Since the little lost clownfish is a part of my Top 10 Favorite Disney Characters, I naturally chose to find out how Pixar tampered with biology in the movie "Finding Nemo". I must admit, I did expect this article to be more along the lines of "they portrayed their habitat wrong" or "you'd never find a clownfish hanging around with a stingray", so I was both surprised and extremely interested when reading about the sex-changing qualities of clownfish and their fellow hermaphrodite species in our world's oceans. What sparked my interest the most was that such specific timing and circumstance could lead a male clownfish to transform into a female, and most of all that fisheries are able to work with these set timings to prevent a decline in the population of fish. By taking advantage of these qualities, I realized, it is probably very easy for the quantity of fish to be controlled and manipulated by the fishery scientists. Despite this fascinating talent of clownfish, along with the many possibilities that it presents for the plot in the "Finding Nemo" movies, I do think that the transition of Marlin from male to female in the first scene would be a little hard to follow for the children who are hoping to enjoy the animated movie.
As a huge Finding Nemo fan, I was immediately drawn to the article about the scientifically accurate version of the movie. I did not know what to expect, but I was horrified because as I was reading, I was imagining the characters in my head playing their “scientifically correct” roles. From a scientific point of view, it is incredible to know that Nemo’s father would have in reality become Nemo’s mother after Nemo’s mother died because clownfish are hermaphrodites meaning they can change genders. As far as changing the upcoming sequel to match characters with their accurate scientific niches, I believe that these movies are for entertainment purposes. Disney did not make Finding Nemo to educate children, but to entertain them. Most filmmakers are probably unaware of scientific accuracy when filming, unless it is absolutely vital to the storyline. Other than the fact that basically my whole childhood has been a lie, it was fascinating to learn that clownfish have the ability to change genders if a dominant female dies then a nondominant male becomes a dominant female.
After reading the article about Finding Nemo, I feel like my childhood has been slightly ruined. The scientifically accurate version of Finding Nemo is not what I expected at all; Nemo's dad turning into a female and mating with Nemo. I am actually thankful that this movie is scientifically inaccurate. What child wants to watch a movie about father-turned-mother and son fish mating? On another note, I find it interesting how complicated fish reproduction could be. Certain fish go through natural sex change in their lifetime in order to maintain their population. It sounds strange, but I guess it is what is most beneficial to these fish. Considering the ocean is full of predators, the ability to reproduce is probably the most helpful to fish.
I was not surprised to see that an animated movie was "not accurate." That is why such movies are animated. I found it interesting how clownfish are able to change gender following the death of one of its family members. Once you get past the disturbing idea of offspring mating with parent, it's kind of amazing how species adapt in order to keep their species alive.
As for whether a biologically-accurate version of Finding Nemo would be appropriate for children? I think it would be a positive message promoting acceptance to the transgender community. If fish are okay with gender change, why shouldn't we be?
After reading the scientifically accurate version of Finding Nemo, I was expecting to feel deceived and upset with Disney. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I read the first line telling me that Finding Nemo lied to me. However, when I learned what exactly they lied to me about, I couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief. I can't imagine how many questions I would end up asking my parents about how all the little fishies were changing gender. I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed the movie as much if it were told accurately. I agree with Disney's call on the fact that children wouldn't enjoy watching a movie where the fish changed sex and mated with their parent who also changed sex. All that aside, I did find the natural sex change in clownfish to be quite intriguing. I was not aware of the fact that Clownfish are born undifferentiated and change sex based on their social environment. It blew my mind that a small change in the social environment causes the fish to change their gender accordingly.
Even though I don't know anyone who would drink 100 cups of coffee in a short amount of time, it surprised me a little to learn that that quantity of the beverage can kill a person. Of course, I don't really have to worry about that, but I think it's going to make me a bit wary. Plus, I always believed that coffee did something to make you feel hyped up, but it is much more simple (in my opinion) to know that it just keeps you from becoming drowsy. I suppose that makes more sense. I also think it's cool that a man discovered it when his goats of all things were more energetic after consuming the kaffa. Coffee is such a big part of life for so many people, and it was interesting to learn about where it originated and the truth about its effects.
I also read the article about "Finding Nemo." I wasn't as freaked out as I suppose I should be, I vaguely remember learning somewhere about the hermaphroditic characteristics of some fish. It in a way makes sense that they would change species in order to preserve their population. It's their way of keeping the species from dying out. I understand that, as a Disney movie, "Finding Nemo" would not follow the rules of biology. I mean, the movie includes fish that speak English. It doesn't surprise me that they "lied" to us, as the article puts it. I can't imagine them putting something like that in a children's movie.
I thought the coffee post was very intriguing because I personally know a few people who stopped drinking coffee because of the negative affects that everyone talks about. That it could stunt growth, lose brain cells, and possibly kill you. I never really looked into the facts but after watching this I figured out it isn't that bad. It's not addictive, and can prevent serious diseases like Alzheimer's. As long as it's not harming the brain while it's blocking the adenosine, then I guess it's fine.
As soon as I looked at this week’s topics, my eyes inevitably led me to coffee. I myself am a coffee lover, and though I have significantly reduced my coffee intake, I tend to crave it a lot. Coffee is like my boost of energy, especially on days I stay up studying or wake up early. It keeps me awake and focused, but I never understood how caffeine managed to do that. This video helped me understand what role caffeine played; it basically blocked the inhibitor and by doing so made the reticular activating system to go into a frenzy and activate the brain. This video shows that coffee is not really harmful if we know how to control the amount we drink. Obviously anything that goes overboard will constitute damage. On the other hand, the fact that coffee can actually be used to help people with Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s is eye opening. Coffee has always been portrayed as a horrible thing to me and to think it could actually aid in some way is astounding.
Due to the fact that I love coffee and drink it very often, I decided to watch the video describing the relationship between coffee and the brain. Throughout my entire life, my parents have always told me that I should try to wait as long as I can until drinking coffee because it's addictive and contains too much caffeine. After watching this video, I am surprised and overjoyed at the fact that coffee is not entirely detrimental to your body, and that it can actually help prevent Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as Haley said. It was interesting to learn how caffeine awakens you and why many adults drink coffee every morning. By blocking Adenosine from bonding to the Reticular Activating System, caffeine stops your body from becoming sleepy. Therefore, adults drink coffee several times a day to keep themselves from tiring out and to help them stay alert and active. All in all, this video cleared up all of my doubts and questions about the benefits of caffeine and why people incessantly drink coffee.
I find it interesting how they used the comparison between Ants and people on Facebook. It was actually quite a brilliant idea. We may think of ourselves as the dominant species roaming on the earth, but we are very much alike other creatures here. Facebook is such a common social network that most people are bound to be familiar with. I completely agree when they say that it is going through its breakpoints through markets, advertising, etc. Many people now days are complaining about the site. It is so saturated into our world that we need a filter to get it out. I also agree that Facebook should show really a lot of who your close friends are. Even though I'm not completely happy with the idea of Facebook closing down its connections, it still has to be done, literally, for our future generations.
My parents always tell me not to drink a lot of coffee because of this and that. My knowledge on coffee before this video was mostly of the negative affects of drinking coffee. This video on the effects of coffee and the brain gave me a different perspective of drinking coffee even though for all this time I thought drinking coffee was bad. Coffee is able to give a brain a jump start when feeling drowsy. It can prevent against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Coffee is addictive but it is an addiction that is not as bad as the addiction to drugs and alcohol. The thing I found most interesting in this video was when they said Coffee was first tested in Ethiopia on a farmer's goat. Then it explained how coffee was brought into the world and has become the world's brain stimulator. Coffee is used in many things now. For example, they are used in ice cream, cakes, food , toppings and much more.
Out of the three topics, I read two articles and watched the videos that accompanied the reading: "Coffee and the Brain", and "The 'scientifically accurate' version of Finding Nemo".
I thought the coffee video was pretty entertaining and interesting. While I'm not a huge coffee drinker, usually settling for decaffeinated, I was surprised at how it can help protect alzheimer's or parkinson's disease. I also didn't know that it does not stimulant the brain, but rather suppresses the part that makes you drowsy. This works by having the caffeine block the adenosine in the brain, resulting in an energy boost, or as the video puts it, "a wake up call". However, even after watching the video, I'm still going to be cautious when it comes to coffee. High doses of caffeine can cause anxiety and dizziness, and may interfere with normal sleep. It will also often result in migraines and headaches. In spite of this, perhaps we should cut down on the caffeine in beverages, such as energy drinks, or even soda. Instead, we should follow a more healthier approach when we need to get "a wake up call". Whatever happened to eating apples in the morning to get your day started?
As for the " scientifically accurate" version of Finding Nemo, I was surprised. I never knew that clownfish were hermaphrodites, and would change gender at some point in their lifetime. As interesting and how complicated reproduction of clownfish would be, I don't think that it would be appropriate for a children's film. Even though the gender change of clownfish may be interesting to people, children will be confused because the film would depict a father-son relationship. Yet, the father would have turned into a female and his son would become a male and they would mate, changing the relation ship to a "husband and wife" approach. Personally, I like the original storyline, even though it's not factual.
I read the article about "The "scientifically accurate' version of Finding Nemo." I was stunned on the actual truth behind this movie. I was expecting something about the fishes but never how a male clown fish can change into a female clown fish within months. While I was reading, I didn't believe it until I watched the video on how Rhodes talked about the fish having both ovarian tissues and testicular tissue. I feel that the story line of the movie was better than the actual truth because young kids wouldn't understand perfectly, and then think every male can change into a female if they wanted to. Also, "Finding Dory" should keep it the way it is because movies like this will attract more younger kids that just watch it because there are talking fish. All in all, what really happens to male clown fish when the female clown fish is gone is astonishing, and some what hard t believe, but that is the wonder of sea creatures.
The article that I read was the " scientifically
accurate" version of Finding Nemo. In my personal opinion I think that the scientifically accurate version of the movie is just as interesting, but probably would have scarred and confused many young children. In the scientifically accurate version once the mother died the father would have turned into a female and Nemo would have been born a hermaphrodite with no specific gender. Personally, the most scarring part would probably be that Nemo turns into a male and mates with his now female father. Although it seems like a very disturbing thing for humans, I believe that this evolutionary change is very beneficial to the survival of the species. The fact that organisms can change species is truly a fascinating wonder.
I read the article on how ant colonies can predict how social media websites will be in the future, and i must say, i kinda had this feeling that hot websites like myspace and facebook go in a cycle. When a website like myspace has too many users, it makes people want to go to other social websites because its too crowded. Also, when websites make changes that the users dislike, they leave the website. I feel that after reading this article, i became more aware of why people change websites and the fact that nature and techolongy are more connected than we think.
After reading about the "scientifically accurate" version of Finding Nemo, I was left feeling very fascinated and amused. It was interesting to learn about how a sex-change in clown fish depends on the fish's social environment. It seems that some fish aren't the only ones who are born undifferentiated, since even humans have been born as hermaphrodites. Now I wonder if being a human hermaphrodite is caused by a mutation, or if it is proof of how some of our ancestors possibly reproduced from the early times of evolution. Honestly, I believe that the biologically accurate description of how Nemo would transform into a male in order to mate with his newly transformed female father is way more interesting than the movie! However, I am unsure about the movie makers' decision to make the storyline more "kid-friendly". It can be a good thing that they did, since many people may be offended and not willing to accept the truth about clownfish- or it can be a not-so-good thing, since it leaves the impression that being transgender is strange and abnormal.
I've already known about the inaccuracy of Finding Nemo's biology. But what should you expect out of a children's movie? A lot of the other movies also deviate from the truth. For example, the movie Hercules didn't mention that he was gay (he would have never gotten involved with Meg) and had little muscle definition (his strength came from his demigod powers). Their version of Cinderella was much more light-hearted than the Grimm's version where one of the step sisters cuts off part of her foot to fit in the shoe. Would parents still allow their children to watch those movies? Disney needs to soften the content to children will continue watching and parents will approve. Who would want to explain hermaphrodites, sex changes, and incest to a six year old?
This week I read “The scientifically accurate' version of Finding Nemo. As I read the article I wondered why the author wrote it the way they did. The article criticizes the original Disney production and explains a more realistic plot from a scientific point of view. This confused me because clearly Disney was targeting a young audience that doesn’t mind the scientific inaccuracy. However, I do agree with the author that the accurate version would be more interesting (to an audience old enough to understand it). The story of a fish changing gender to mate and reproduce would be much more captivating but try explain sequential hermaphrodites to 7 years olds. If we are pointing out scientific inaccuracies in finding Nemo, what about talking cars and singing jungle animlas?
I usually don’t drink coffee, but the video has shed some light on some of the drink’s benefits. Instead of effecting the brain, it suppresses Adenosine from reaching the brain. Adenosine keeps everything calm, including the Reticular Activating System. Without Adenosine, the Reticular Activating System causes the rest of the brain to become more alert, thus giving you that energized feeling. The video also brought up that coffee may aid against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease when drunk in moderation. Since the coffee doesn’t affect the brain’s Dopamine it isn’t as addictive as illegal drugs, but everything some be in moderation and coffee shouldn’t be relied on.
Finding scientific irregularities in a Disney movie about talking fish isn’t hard, however, reading about the scientifically accurate version was very entertaining. I remember the fact the clownfish are hermaphrodites, but applying that to Finding Nemo really made me think about how the story would have been steering into another direction. With a very “family friendly” reputation, I think Disney made the right decision to not include the sex changing in a kid movie. I, myself, find it very interesting how a clownfish could change sexes, in the absence of its mate. It’s amazing how the clownfish’s brain can analyze the social change, and change its gender to acknowledge the change.
It's no surprise that Disney left the biology part out Finding Nemo. I must agree that it would have definitely been interesting to see a complete plot twist from the original movie, but as a young child, I would have been completely terrified. Being the age I am now, I find the fact that clownfish are able to change sex is very fascinating. If I saw Nemo mating with a women who was his father when I was younger, I would have been confused and a little scarred. Even though the biologically correct version would have made a very interesting movie, Disney definitely made the right decision to make the movie "kid friendly".
To be honest I was quite disturbed by the "Finding Nemo" article since it is probably my favorite movie. I had heard from jurassic park how certain frogs can change gender even after they have been born by secreting a certain chemical into their environment, I didn't know fish could do the same thing. The movie makers most probably knew about this but intentionally took it out to keep their kid-friendly image.
I tend to stay away from coffee because I always hear the bad things about it such as it staining your teeth and being addictive but after seeing this video I was surprised at what I learned. I had no idea our body intentionally makes us drowsy and all coffee does it suppress that feeling. Atleast it's best for trying to stay awake when you really need to.
Reading about how ant colonies foreshadow the future of facebook, the first thing that came to my mind was about horoscopes and how people of different religions all over the world look at the stars for what their future will be like and how to solve their problems. Before reading the article, I began to realize that it was completely different. It was more like an analogy except this one had to be explained. Theoretically, if this became a common concept among most americans, then this analogy could be used by people in day-to-day context. For example, “My father is to my son as ant colonies are to facebook.” This could work if the father and son had the same mentality and if they behaved the same way, which is common in many members of directly related family members. With a newer understanding of ant colonies, I wonder if the simplicity of ant communication is common in other animal populations and if that can be analyzed to other things in the complexity of the human world.
The last article about ‘Finding Nemo’ was probably the most common because that is my favorite Disney movie. I already knew that many directors and screen-writers ignore many scientific facts and theories, but I didn’t know that they ignored a fact like this. However, I understand why they would do so. There are many controversies that could come up with children watching a film about characters changing sex. I mean, I would want to watch it, but a younger audience may interpret the movie differently. Besides, I don’t think the busy directors and screen-writers today have the patience or time to verify every fact that they use in movies. After all, movies that are commonly popular are fiddled with at least a little bit.
My 21 year-old cousin has gotten so ‘addicted’ to coffee that she gets headaches if she doesn’t have the right amount of coffee. She basically has a cup every three hours. I assume that the headaches are a withdrawal and that the loss of caffeine can’t suppress the headaches. She’s probably one of those people that get headaches when she gets tired. All of us get headaches for particular reasons. I, for example, get headaches when I am exposed to excessive sunlight and/or loud sounds. I guess that’s what makes each person’s brains different. Our personalities are just things of our complex minds. I can’t help but feel that it’s what makes us the unique, superior beings. Coffee is just one of the few things that affects it.
I watched the Clownfish Video and the Coffee video.
I never knew that fish could change gender. I was surprised that clownfish can be either females or males by choice, depending on the situation. It explained that because Nemo's mother died, his dad should of changed into a female instead of staying a male. I never knew also that in clownfish, the female is more dominant than the male. I guess Disney did not want to explain the gender change. They would not understand. It was also strange how the gender change takes months. I thought that the change would happen in a matter of a week or so. I never knew also that clownfish start as males first when they develop then they can change into females. I think that is really disgusting though when the article said that Nemo should be mating with his parent. I just don't understand how does that happen. It sounds like inbreeding for humans, hopefully humans do not do that.
I also watched the one with the coffee. I always think that coffee will make you short so that is why that I don't drink coffee. I always knew that people drank coffee in the morning because it keeps them awake. I never knew how it did though. It was strange that coffee can kill you if you drink too much. The video says it is not addicting but once you drink it, you'll want more because it tastes really good.
It is so interesting that clown fish are hermaphrodites! Though surprising, this fact is believable since the sea is composed of millions of creatures, many of which are not even discovered yet. I love learning about different species and their characteristics; the fact that this piece of information is new and somewhat abnormal makes it all the more exciting and enjoyable! Although “Finding Nemo” was a great, successful movie, I agree with the author's opinion that the movie would have been just as great if it had held true to the facts; it would have been more informative as well. However, I am aware that it is a children's movie and it would have obviously falsely portrayed sea life anyway considering the fish spoke English. This article caused me to question if other types of fish change their sexual orientation when their mate disappears. I also wonder how the reproductive organs mutate from male to female or from female to male- do clown fish have neutral organs (neither male nor female) or do they have both genders’ organs? If so, can two males mate together without one permanently changing into a female? This is a thought provoking topic which I can think and question about endlessly. Additionally, upon finishing the article, I immediately thought of another fun fact I know about a certain type of sea creature: seahorses. After the female seahorse is pregnant, she transfers the fetus to the male seahorse. It's cool that male seahorses give birth, but sad that most of them wind up eating their own babies afterward. I find the sea to be so frightening yet interesting because it is so mysterious- much of it is unchartered; therefore, we do not know what lies within the depths of it. I loved this article and hope to learn more about the ocean’s inhabitants throughout the school year.
After reading the article about Finding Nemo, I was not surprised to see that the movie was biologically inaccurate. After all, it is a Disney Pixar movie, not a documentary. The fish can talk and sing (Dory). That alone shows the audience that the film is geared towards a younger audience. If children were to watch the movie and see that Nemo's father changed his sex after the death of the mother, they would be extremely confused. It would not suit the audience well because children would not understand the biological concept behind it. If Nemo were to be born as a hermaphrodite and mated with his father, it would create a very new and interesting story line. Even so, I am just not sure whether or not a younger audience would appreciate such a confusing story line.
I watched the video on how coffee affects the brain. The video really surprised me, because I heard that coffee has a negative effect on you and your body. A negative effect, such as stopping a young adult’s growth. It was good to hear that coffee not only helps with fatigue/tiredness, but can also protect humans from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t drink coffee, but if I ever decide to, I’m really glad to hear that it’s more beneficial than harmful.
The scientifically accurate version of Finding Nemo...well that's different. It was interesting to find out that clownfish are hermaphrodites. I suppose that the clownfish's ability to change sex was an evolutionary trait to maximize mating opportunities. Slugs are also hermaphrodites but unlike the clownfish (sequential) they are simultaneous (having both female and male sex organs from birth). Out of curiosity I read a short horror comic that focused on hermaphrodite slugs and I'm so glad that they didn't pull a similar storyline for Finding Nemo. That's some wild stuff to be showing a 6 or 7 year old.
Dear science students,
I am amazed by your thought provoking and well written commentary on these articles. I wrote the article about clownfish in Finding Nemo, and was glad to see that this was used in a biology class for a teaching experience. Keep up the great work and don't be afraid to ask questions. If someone doesn't know the answer to your question, then it must be a good question, and is worth exploring for the answer. If you ever have ideas, questions, or thoughts about fish, don't ever hesitate to write us at TheFisheriesBlog@gmail.com, and we will do our best to help you discover the answer!
Patrick Cooney
Fisheries Scientist
I watched the video on how coffee affects the brain. I found it very funny that someone would discover coffee by noticing a change in the level of energy his goats had. I never knew that our brain is inhibited by adenosine to make us more drowsy, so I guess of we're drowsy we have a legitimate reason. Also, the fact that coffee stops the adenosine from binding to receptors actually made me want to drink more coffee because it actually does help; and since coffee doesn't have the same effects, in your brain, as other drugs do, it still helps a lot.
I also watched the videos/ read the article on how Disney "lied" to us about the clownfish. I thought it was actually kinda of cool that the clownfish could change genders but, I do understand why Disney would not take the scientifically correct approach but the approach that would keep a story intact. If Disney were to make the story scientifically correct, the dad would become a female, the mating with his own son, then his son probably becoming a female and going to find another mate.
I am not the person to wake up every morning and physically need coffee, probably because I am still young and a bit livelier than my parents. However now that I have read this article about the effects of caffeine and "kaffa" beans, I will feel less guilty when I grab a venti-sized cup at Starbucks. During the summer (which is when I drink coffee the most), I experience headaches in the back of my head after I've had it a lot and then suppressed it. I thought this was because I had been having way too much, which is also a key factor because my brain began using the caffeine everyday. But now I understand that it was also because I completely blocked it from my diet right away. It may not be the best example but cutting off coffee from my diet is just like a smoker trying to quit smoking. If they drop it cold-turkey, they'll have a harder time dealing with withdrawal symptoms. If I had slowly began decreasing my intake of coffee, my headaches wouldn't have ruined all those days I could have spent doing something fun or productive.
I read the article about the realistic storyline of Disney’s “Finding Nemo”. “Finding Nemo” was definitely one of my favorite movies as a child. Even before reading this article, I knew that Disney incorporated some lies into the movie to make it more watchable for children. For one, I knew that fish couldn’t talk English. After watching this movie, viewers were intended to learn about friendship, persistence and other life lessons; not changing gender. According to this article, after Coral dies in the beginning of the movie Nemo should have changed gender. Clown fish could spontaneously change gender since it has both ovarian and testicular tissues. This is a response to a change in its social environment. The scientifically correct version of Nemo might sound more interesting but it would not be appropriate for children watch. Disney has definitely altered the actual timeline for its business. How many parents would want their children to watch a movie about sex change? This movie is trying to teach little kids life lessons therefore it is not wrong to alter facts a little bit to get the point through.
I was pretty surprised after watching the video on coffee. I rarely drink coffee, and I was told before that caffeine is bad for you. I thought caffeine was a chemical that stimulated the brain, but instead it just blocks Adenosine from bonding with neurons in the brain. I also had no idea that caffeine may have the effect of stopping Alzheimers and Parkinsons. So maybe having caffeine to stimulate brain activity and keep us awake isn't so bad after all.
I decided to read about the "scientifically accurate" version of Finding Nemo. Honestly, I was interested by the article, but not entertained by it unlike the writer. Finding Nemo is a fun, comedic children's movie about talking fish. In my opinion, even most adults wouldn't enjoy a movie just about clown fish going through a sex change just to reproduce again. It seems like it would be a bland documentary with no plot. Plus, this is a children's movie and I am sure that Disney would never allow this kind of movie to pass. And when there are talking fish in the movie, I'm sure accuracy is the least of their priorities when they made this movie. Don't get me wrong, I found the article very interesting, I never knew about the process of clown fish reproduction where males turn into females if the female passes away, but the writer said this would be a better movie than the original, and I have to disagree.
I read the article about coffee blocking the chemical adenosine which makes us drowsy and inhibits our ability to use our reticular activating system. I found it interesting that it didn't gives us an energy boost but it rather block the chemical that was blocking us. Now seeing as all coffee does is block this chemical would it be possible to make a pill or powder that we could just put in water that would have the same effect without all the sugar. Or does this already exist? But would doing this make us sacrifice the advantageous side effect that prevents Alzheimer's and other defects? I'm interested to see what our scientists and inventors can come up with in this age of innovation.
I read the article about the clownfish being hermaphrodites . I thought this was really interesting. This was the first time I had ever heard of an organism like this. I thought it was remarkable how the fish have both ovarian tissue and testicular tissue and how the brain signals which one needs to develop. I also learned that clownfish aren't the only organisms that behave this way. I learned that there are specific names for organisms that go through each specific type of transformation. For example, an organism that transforms from a male to a female is called a protandrous hermaphrodite and the organism that transforms from a female to a male is called a protogynous hermaphrodite. When I was reading this article, I immediately thought about earthworms which also have both male and female tissue just as the clownfish do.
I also saw the video on how coffee affects your brain. I thought it was very interesting how coffee was discovered by a man who noticed a change in his goats behavior when the goats were eating the coffee beans. From this video, I also learned how coffee doesn't stimulate your brain, but just blocks the part that makes you feel drowsy . I was also glad to hear that if you drink coffee in moderation , it will help in protecting you from getting diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
After watching the video about coffee, I learned some things about caffeine that I never knew before, like how it blocks Adenosine to keep the reticular activating system in the brain more active. Millions of people drink coffee every day and don’t even know how caffeine works to keep the body alert and energetic. I also found it interesting how it can help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, which is something most people probably don’t know either. I personally don’t drink coffee because I never liked the taste of it. Maybe I will as I get older and actually need it more to stay awake.
After reading the article about Finding Nemo, one thought comes to mind- in order to please everyone, couldn't the family be shown as a different species? Although a few details would have had to be altered, more of the information would have stayed accurate. By staying away from clownfish, Disney could have produced a completely family friendly and scientifically accurate movie. Surprisingly, I already learned that clownfish were protandrous hermaphrodites from a YouTube series I follow. After I watched the video, I began to think about the other traits that species might have. The qualities that differentiate species truly are intriguing. It is a commonly known fact that less than 5% of the ocean has been explored. There could be hundreds of species with tendencies much more complex than this.
I also read the article about how Facebook mirrors ant colonies. In order to prevent an overload of users, Facebook has to enforce some restrictions. Just like an ant colony will send away the surplus of ants after reaching a final peak, social networking sites have to stop at some point and stride towards optimizing the site for the current number of users. Rather than grow until it implodes, it has to reach its optimal point and then achieve more meaningful connections. The article made me wonder what is reflected in different aspects of nature. Humans live in ever evolving societies; we continuously grow and reach and improve. At some point, will the same thing happen to society? Is there such a thing as too much improvement? The world already has over populated areas. If not this, then what can we learn from other species?
After reading the article about the algae suit generating food, I had several thoughts. The introduction of such an invention would be a huge step forward in technology. It will save a lot of valuable time for people as most of us are searching for some more time in a day. People will be able to get a lot more productive activities completed while still getting the required nutrition that they need. On the other hand, it will get rid of a pleasurable activity for many including me. I love trying and eating different foods and this invention will create an end to that, but in the future it will only be beneficial to the human race. Technology will once again make things easier for humans in the overall sense.
8.20-
I read the article about the scientifically accurate version of Finding Nemo. After reading the article I was somewhat disturbed by the thought of changing genders and what it would be like to actually change genders. Then I thought about its relation to the movie Finding Nemo. I definitely liked the Disney Finding Nemo better than real version. I was amazed and interested by the way clownfish can undergo sex changes. If the movie was based off of the accurate version then the movie would be over a lot quicker and would have achieved a lot less success. It was a good idea by Disney to change the story for the sake of little children who wanted to watch a good animated movie. Let's hope that the new Finding Dory isn't based off of the biologically accurate version.
Once I watched the video on coffee I was relieved to know that my addiction to coffee was not as bad as I have been told. During the year, I would drink coffee almost every day to help me stay awake and alert. However, I was always told that drinking all that coffee was bad for me and my health, and that I needed to stop. After learning that coffee doesn't effect the dopamine pathways related to addiction, it was good to know that being addicted to coffee was no where near being addicted to other drugs. Also, learning that coffee could help protect against Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease, I was glad to know that it actually was beneficial to my health. So now whenever I get yelled at by my parents for drinking "too much" coffee, I have the perfect video to prove them wrong.
Being a big fan of Finding Nemo and the quote “Just keep swimming”, finding out that lies have been told in the movie is disturbing. But after reading what actually should have happened in the movie about the clownfish sex changing from male to female, made me think again, finding it passable that they lied. This Disney movie attracts younger aged children so the movie would have been made very confusing for them, keeping in mind their age and the amount of knowledge they have. Also, the children watching the movie would most likely end of asking many questions during the movie like “why did that happen?”. I think the original storyline is acceptable leaving out biologically accurate clownfish scenes, so that the movie is left more comprehensible to little kids.
Since the story of the clownfish that famously rescues his son, Nemo was a personal favorite of mine; I could recite the story line in my sleep, until now. Apparently Disney did not do their homework when they made the movie and decided to make a clownfish the star. When I read the article about Finding Nemo, I was surprised that the clownfish has sex-changing qualities. This past month I re-watched the TV show Miami Ink, and in one of the episodes an individual wanted to get a tattoo of the wrasse fish. Like the clownfish, the wrasse fish is also a fish that changes sex for the better of the colony. Fishes like the clownfish and wrasse fish change sex to prevent a decline in the population or for other reasons that will help the colony. Disney’s decision to keep a transformation like this out of the movie was a good choice because I do not think that children would enjoy the rest of the movie. Hopefully Disney did their homework for their new movie, Finding Dory.
When I browsed through the articles for this week the article about coffee immediately struck my attention. From the age of 12 I started to drink coffee and I needed at least one cup a day in order to activate my brain. I did this routine for nearly two years until my mom forced me to give it up because it was supposedly bad for your health. So I quit and to this day have not even taken a sip of coffee. But this video showed me that coffee is not as addictive and harmful as some people say it is. Coffee basically blocks off Adenosine (chemical already inside of your body) from bonding to receptors on your neurons. So coffee simply blocks this chemical sending your brain into an overdrive, thereby suppressing the part of your brain that makes you drowsy. Although drinking 100 cups of coffee can kill you, I don't know anyone who drinks that much coffee in so little time. Through this video i was able to understand how coffee worked in response to our brains but i was also able to learn that a little as one cup of coffee a day is not harmful to our bodies. This gives me enough information to over rule my moms statement and I can finally start drinking coffee again.
I read the post about what coffee(and caffeine) really do to the brain. While I, personally, am not a fan of coffee(that is probably going to change this year) I always just thought caffeine just woke a person up. Never would I have imagined that caffeine just blocked the "resting" signals from reaching a certain part of the brain. I assumed caffeine was a simple "wake up call" but clearly it's role in keeping ninety-nine percent of the population functioning before 11am is a bit bigger than that
I watched the video on coffee and was happy to learn that my (very many) years of drinking coffee haven't ruined my health. I've heard many rumors about how coffee is too addictive and people become too dependent on it.People also claim that the headaches coffee drinkers get when we stop is evidence of addiction, and it's true that a day without coffee is a painful one but fortunately, it isn't all bad. Coffee is a natural substance that has beneficial effects. The video mentions that it lowers the chance of getting Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, and I've heard that it fights cancer and diabetes. It's also full of antioxidants. After hearing so many bad things about coffee consumption, it's nice to have some people on the side of the caffeine lovers.
Ok I don't know what to think after reading the Finding Nemo Article. In all my life, I have never heard that clownfish were not only born as undifferentiated hermaphrodites, but also can transform to the other sex and even mate with their children. In fact, I kind of wish I never read it at all because from now on whenever I see Finding Nemo I won't be able to get this new interesting fact out of my head. However, I'm also glad I learned this because it peaked my interest in other animal behaviors and quirks that I may not have known about. For example, I have discovered that flamingos can only eat with their head upside down. I also found out that a species of jellyfish called Turritopsis nutricula, can revert back to it's child stage after becoming sexually mature, which pretty much makes it immortal. In the end, I think the pros outweigh the cons and I learned more than I would ever have if I never read the Finding Nemo article.
Everything in the world seems to find a way to be connected with everything else in some way or another. Who would've thought that ant colonies are related to Facebook! I feel as if Facebook will be gone as the ants have predicted, as Myspace and other social networking websites have vanished. I've noticed when one large market crashes, another soon takes its place, except more advanced. For instance, my cousin used to have a Myspace when Facebook came around. All my other relatives had transferred to Facebook, so I wondered why he still kept a Myspace. At that time, I was young and didn't realize that it would eventually fade away. Now I know that evolution makes its way around everything - even technology. The article shares a quote from the author Jeff Stibel, "Biology is technology. It's not like technology, it is technology." I agree in terms of evolution. The world is constantly advancing and changing in every aspect. In history, if one empire falls, another one immediately takes its place. It's life, and nothing can change that.
The scientifically accurate version of Finding Nemo is very interesting, but the author of this article really doesn't have a reason to be disappointed. Finding Nemo was a movie made for kids and families. The kids that go see those movies are not looking for a science lesson on clownfish, they are looking for an entertaining story that makes sense to them. If the genders of the fish just suddenly changed out of nowhere, I bet there would be many questions from kids and even questions from the adults as well. I certainly did not know clownfish were sequential hermaphrodites and I could say that my parents do not know that either. If a movie is too scientifically accurate and realistic, it could possibly be boring or predictable. This scientific fact is just a little part of the movie and I would not say that the entire movie "lied to kids."
I watched the clip of the Coffee and Brain video, and learned some pretty interesting facts, about the drink. From childhood my father always told me to never even take a sip of coffee because he thought that if I drink it a couple of times, BAM, an addiction arises, and soon I need to drink this horrible drink that is so bad for you every single day, because I just cannot stop. However, this summer, right next to the building that my summer class was in, there was a Starbucks right next to it. As a result, one day before attending class, I would buy a Starbucks latte, which had coffee in it. This was without my father knowing of course. And by the second week of the class, I just had to have my latte every morning, no matter what, because it was just so good. That's when I sensed an addiction. “This could be both bad for my body and my pockets!” (Starbucks does cost a lot!) Fearing that this would harm my health, I forced myself to stop. But now I feel better that coffee isn't the bad guy, which I thought it first was. It turns out that coffee can actually help prevent, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, which really surprised me. Alzheimer's is such a horrible disease that many are battling over the world. It is calming to learn that coffee, something I always thought of as a pure “junk foody” caffeine filled drink, can actually help! Not only that, after watching the video, I have also learned that by blocking Adenosine from bonding to the Reticular Activating System, caffeine can prevent your body from becoming sleepy or drowsy; it is a way that can help you be more aware or alert. Obviously, drinking 100 cups of coffee can kill, but too much of anything can be a bad thing. Additionally, I also think it is very interesting that coffee was first tested in Ethopia on a farmer's goat, when they disgusted the beans. So, animals react the same way people do to coffee! After, the goat ate them and started to act very hyper, it was known that coffee has something special in it that can make you very jittery. Now we know that as caffeine, and I have now learned that caffeine is not that bad as we thought!
I found the article about coffee and the brain to be very interesting. Growing up, I was always told about how coffee is unhealthy, and can become addicting, but the video showed me otherwise, and that after all coffee can be beneficial towards a person’s health. Coffee not only protects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, but also helps fight against depression, and helps temporarily to lose weight. Coffee is not only great for managing your mood, weight, and frayed nerves, but it also might decrease your risk of developing the most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. Obviously, an over dose of anything, from something as simple as water, to drugs like heroin and cocaine can kill you, one should put a limit to how much coffee they consume in one day. I have been drinking coffee all throughout my high school years to stay energized and concentrate on my work at really late hours, and will continue to, now that I am more educated about the benefits and risks of drinking coffee.
I found the article about coffee and the brain to be very interesting. Growing up, I was always told about how coffee is unhealthy, and can become addicting, but the video showed me otherwise, and that after all coffee can be beneficial towards a person’s health. Coffee not only protects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, but also helps fight against depression, and helps temporarily to lose weight. Coffee is not only great for managing your mood, weight, and frayed nerves, but it also might decrease your risk of developing the most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. Obviously, an over dose of anything, from something as simple as water, to drugs like heroin and cocaine can kill you, one should put a limit to how much coffee they consume in one day. I have been drinking coffee all throughout my high school years to stay energized and concentrate on my work at really late hours, and will continue to, now that I am more educated about the benefits and risks of drinking coffee.
Seeing the article titled "Finding Nemo Lied To Your Kids", I was immediately interested as to how considering it is supposed to be a fun animated children's story. Reading that it was because clownfish are actually hermaphrodites until they mate with one of their parents was definitely not expected. With so much controversy over little things nowadays, I believe it is best that the movie was kept scientifically inaccurate. However, as a teenager I would love to see the fascinating way this species maintains life in movie form. I never would have believed it to be possible that clownfish are able to completely switch their gender to maintain certain roles. Of course, knowing the fish have both testicular and ovarian tissues makes much more sense. Aside from the disturbing portion about the fish mating with their own parents, I honestly have never been more fascinated about topics such as this before. However, considering it is aimed to be a children's movie, showing the scientifically accurate version would not only confuse the kids, but scare the parents as well. Maybe creating a scientifically accurate short film for adults who can fully understand what is occurring in it would be best. Until then, I'll anxiously await the release of Finding Dory to see what Disney has in store for us next; even though I don't believe Disney intends on ever making a perfectly accurate film anyway.
Coffee is a drink that is a major part in the lives of many people. Since it is one of the most common drinks in the world , it is important to understand its effects on our bodies. People need to understand the properties of coffee if it is going to be such an integrated part of our lives. Scientists still debate whether coffee is helpful or harmful. Some believe that coffee can be addicting, but it doesn't act the same way as drugs, so it isn't as harmful. Coffee in moderate amounts can actually lower the chances of getting Alzheimer's disease. This means coffee in moderation may actually be good for people, but it is important that we don't go overboard. Just because coffee has become so important in keeping society's workforce going doesn't mean that it can't be dangerous. It is important to use certain items in moderation like coffee, and we shouldn't drink too much just because of its usefulness. I see many adults, including my parents, drinking too many cups of coffee in a day which may help with staying active in office, but could end up also harming their bodies. I found it interesting to read about the different affects that coffee could have on people since so many consume it.
The article on ant colonies predicting Facebook was interesting to read. I didn't expect that there could be a relationship between ant colonies and Facebook. The process that Facebook goes through apparently mirrors ants greatly. After reading about the stages of this process, it is easy to see how two such different topics could be so closely related. Before, I would not have thought much of Facebook's growth due to Metcalfe's law, which says that being bigger is better when it comes to the internet. However, like ant colonies, Facebook will begin to not function as efficiently as it reaches breakpoint. If Facebook continues to grow, it will eventually break like some other networks did, such as Myspace. The relationship between networks like Facebook and ant colonies is just one example of how technology and nature are the same. In the future, as technology becomes more and more advanced, it will begin to resemble nature more and more. Even today, scientists inventors, engineers, etc. are looking at nature for ideas and inspiration. Nature creates the most efficient systems, so the better our technology is, the more it will end up resembling nature. It is important that we pay attention to nature, not just Facebook, because there are many things we can still learn from nature.
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