Sunday, May 19, 2013

Never Give Up






  1. Joey Arnold
    April 29
    Original Oatmeal
    Understanding Evolution: What is Natural Selection?

    “When it was introduced in the 1940s, penicillin was a miracle drug, especially effective at curing infections caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”). In 1941, the drug c...See More
    Photo: Understanding Evolution: What is Natural Selection? “When it was introduced in the 1940s, penicillin was a miracle drug, especially effective at curing infections caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”). In 1941, the drug could wipe out every strain of staph in the world. Now, seventy years later, more than 95% of staph strains are resistant to penicillin.” — Dr. Jerry Coyne, 'Why Evolution is True', p. 131 In 'Why Evolution is True', Dr. Coyne used this example in the chapter entitled, “The Engine of Evolution.” The engine he’s referring to is none other than natural selection, and this little insight regarding the adaptability (evolution) of Staphylococcus aureus is excellent evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection. It’s my go-to “proof,” if you will, when someone asks me to provide proof of evolution because (a) it’s simple and easy to understand, (b) it definitively shows that an organism can adapt to a new environment, in this case a human body injected with penicillin, (c) it doesn’t require any discourse regarding fossils or the fossil record (which is probably the best evidence for evolution, but it’s very difficult to explain fossil evidence to someone who wants to “see” evolution if you don’t have fossils on hand!), and (d) bacteria are excellent for ‘showing’ evolution in action because they reproduce quickly, meaning that they can potentially evolve much faster than, say, a dog or a dolphin. Let’s expand on point (d) for further clarification: Bacteria can reproduce in as little as 20 minutes, so if you leave some bacteria alone for 24 hours, they will have gone through 72 generations. 72 generations in regards to a human generation (~25 years) is equivalent to ~1800 years. So, you can see that, in bacteria, you can get a good amount of change in a very short amount of time. In regards to the above example (Staphylococcus aureus and penicillin), the bacteria had 70 years to evolve and become resistant. That’s equivalent to, if I did my math correctly… ~74,000 human generations, which would be about 1.8 million years for us! To put that in perspective, our species, Homo sapiens, has only been around for about 200,000 years, and Homo erectus, a long extinct hominin of our genus, would have still been walking around that many years ago! And, 1.8 million years just so happens to coincide with the approximate distance you’d have to travel into the past to see the first hominids make their way out of Africa! Now, I’d like to point out a statement made by a famous biologist, geneticist and Nobel Prize winner, Jacques Monod: “A curious aspect of the theory of evolution is that everybody thinks they understands it.” I added that quote for an important reason, and now I’d like those who have little to no background in evolutionary theory to stop for a moment, take a breath, and forget everything you think you know about evolution -- notable exceptions being what I wrote in the first two paragraphs! I say this because many people believe they know exactly what the phrase “evolution by natural selection” means. You may have heard people talk about it, or maybe it was being discussed on the news. For many, the words “random” and “chance” (or “random chance”) come to mind. Also, the phrase “survival of the fittest” may pop into your head along with the notion that natural selection is some type of force (dynamism is the word I hear too much of in this respect). Forget all of these things. None of these things are true. “Survival of the fittest” is technically *close* to the truth, but not a truth in and of itself. Now, let us “define” (describe) natural selection: “The idea of natural selection is not hard to grasp. If individuals within a species differ genetically from one another, and some of those differences affect an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment, then in the next generation, the “good” genes that lead to higher survival and reproduction will have relatively more copies than the “not so good” genes. Over time, the population will gradually become more and more suited to its environment as helpful mutations arise and spread through the population, while deleterious ones are weeded out. Ultimately, this process produces organisms that are well adapted to their habitats and way of life.” (Why Evolution is True, p.11) To show you how simple of a process this is, let’s take a look at a hypothetical example in nature (I say “hypothetical,” but it’s entirely plausible that something similar to this has or could have occurred). Picture in your mind a stick insect. Now, imagine that this stick insect carries a gene mutation which makes it somewhat more “stick like” than another similar stick insect. That is to say, your imagined stick insect is better camouflaged than another stick insect. It follows, then, that the stick insect which is somewhat better camouflaged, that is better adapted to its environment, will have a better chance to survive and reproduce than the other stick insect. Ultimately, the better-camouflaged is less likely to be seen and thereby eaten by a predator such as a bird. When this stick insect reproduces, it’s likely to pass on this “good” mutated gene to its offspring. These offspring will then be better camouflaged (adapted) and therefore more likely to survive and reproduce. They’ll produce more offspring, who will produce more offspring, and so on and so forth. Over a long period of time, the stick insects with the original gene mutation will come to outnumber those without it due to being better adapted to their environment, i.e., in this example, they are less likely to be eaten by predators and therefore more likely to survive, allowing them to produce more offspring. These stick insects are then said to have been “naturally selected” as they are more adapted to their environment (they are “fitter”) than their predecessors, making them more likely to survive and reproduce. So, essentially, the phrase should be “survival of the ‘fitter’,” not “survival of the fittest.” Now, the reader may have noticed that I’ve yet to define or describe evolution itself. I realize this, and I also realize that it’s quite unorthodox to begin a series on evolution by describing natural selection. But, it’s been my experience that most of the controversy and confusion surrounding evolution regards natural selection. In the future, we will go more in depth into evolutionary theory, but I hope this post has dispelled any misconceptions you may (or may not) have had regarding natural selection, and I sincerely hope that you’ve learned a thing or two that you can go and share with others! - Jake West P.S. Please feel free to comment below if you have any comments, questions, or criticism, and I will be sure to respond as soon as I can. Or, you can contact me on Twitter @NonrandomEvo. The original piece can be viewed in its entirety on my blog: http://nonrandomevolution.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/the-evidence-for-evolution-intro-to-natural-selection/ *I generally do not like to use the same source more than once, but it just so happens that Coyne’s description of natural selection is my favorite (and simplest to understand) description I’ve come across (so far). I opine that many sources, such as the average internet user’s favorite source, Wikipedia, use definitions and/or descriptions of natural selection that can be confusing or difficult for the average person to understand. Sources: "Why Evolution is True," Dr. Jerry A. Coyne "The Blind Watchmaker," Dr. Richard Dawkins Biology 111.... For more reading: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/home.php Image Source before editing: http://thoriumforum.com/nasa-researchers-natural-gas-would-cause-far-more-deaths-nuclear
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  10. Notes · 2
    • Room For Rent?
      By Original Oatmeal · Friday, April 19, 2013
      Thanks for writing to me. I do appreciate the feedback I get on Couch Surfing since CS is often more friendly to travellers than Facebook or other websites appear to be at times. I was even able to get suitable advice here when I was asking about extending my 3 months long Vietnam Tourist Visa and concerning my questions about buying phones, bikes, laptops, and now rooms. Jenny Ly, thanks for the tip. I do live at that street road right now. So, I need to keep my eyes upon to that. I did not see the signs that say "ROOM FOR RENT" around here yet. I will try looking harder. I live in District 1 on this same road. Here is my address as following: Saigon Backpacking Hostel: 203 Phạm Ngũ Lão, phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Phuc Vy, thank you for this link about Craigslist.org. the link you gave me is http://vietnam.craigslist.org/. I have been on this website back when I lived in the United States. I have also been here on this site while I have been living in Vietnam during these past 6 months as well. I have been looking at the ads on CL and emailing people. Tran Khang, thank you. That does sound right. I think you are right. District 10 probably is cheaper than District 1 which is the center and most popular area of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. that does make sense. So, I will keep my eyes open for the near by districts around District 1 and District 3. I want somebody to do my laundry for me. Pick up my clothes, throw them in the washing machine, hang them up to dry. Fold them for me. Some places include this laundry service in the cost of the $200 USD or so rent price per month. If I want cleaning services included then $200 or so might be the cheapest I can go. If I go any cheaper, then laundry and cleaning services may not be included in such a deal and package. The less I get in a room then the less I should have to pay for the room. The more I have to pay for a room for rent then the more I should get out of the room. The more I pay the closer to the center of District 1 it should be. I am willing to live in a very small room that has nothing in it really if it was like $10 USD per month or something. Like a closet with no windows or TV or wifi or fans or electricity or bathroom. Anything that costs more should be a little bit better than a dungeon. Here are some of the things I want in a room: House Key. No bed time curfew. In and out when I want. I want to be able to leave and go at 2am in the morning, in the middle of the night, all day and all nights, at all hours of the day, 24/7. Having a House Key is one of the most important things on my list of things I want. It is better than having to ring the bell or knock on the door because what if the owners of the house are gone for a week? I can do wtihout a house key if the room is like $200 USD or less a month. Room Key Laundry Service. Wash my clothes in a washing machine. In the washer. Dry them and fold them. Maybe iron them for me too. I could do my laundry myself for a cheaper rent price. If I have to pay more money for rent then I would love to have like a maid housekeeper helper or something. But I do like saving money and saving less for a room as well. I can do without laundry services if the room for rent is like $100 or so a month. Wifi wireless internet or even wired ethernet capable fast internet. The faster and better the internet the more money I may pay for a room. I have an ethernet cable cord wire so I can plug that into the phone like plug in wall jack in the wall. That can make the wired internet faster than the wireless wi-fi counterparts. I could do without wifi if the room is around $10 USD or less money. A TV that is not stuck to the ceiling which includes cable channels that are in English, like the Discovery Channel. I do not want to pay extra money or too much money for TV, cable, wifi,electricity, water, washer machine, etc. I could do without a TV if the rent is less than $50 USD or so per month. A stove and/or oven and/or microwave and/or conventional oven and/or rice cooker and/r toaster and/or anything else that may help in cooking and making food and meals and stuff. I could do without a stove or cooking things if the rent is less than like $200 per month. Air-conditioning, fans, unless if the room cost less than like $200 USD or so. Bath tub and/or shower. I can do without a bath tub if the rent is like $200 a month or less. I really do need a shower. I do not mind sharing the bath room or sharing other things. The place need to have a bed to sleep on. But maybe I could sleep on the floor and have no bed if the rent is $50 a month or less. I do need plugins in the wall to plugin my laptop and phone charger. I can do without power and plugins for like $5 USD for the rent per month or less or so. Over night guests allowed. But I could maybe do without allowed over night guests if the room for rent is like around $200 USD or less. Windows. But for less than $200, I could do without windows. Not Microsoft windows but windows to see outside with. Windows with glass near dear doors. Fridge to keep food and drinks in, but I can do without a fridge if the room is $200 a month or less. Drinking water, but I can do without a huge water jug container in my room if the rent is like around $200 or less each month. A room on the 1st or 2nd floor. The higher floor, the less money I should have to pay because it takes time and energy to go up stairs or to go up the elevator. The smaller the room the less the money it should cost and the bigger it is then the more it may cost. I do not need a big room. I will try to go for the smallest and cheapest room possible. Electricity included in the cost of the rent per month. Water cost included in the cost for the room for rent. Maintenance fees and hidden secret monthly fees included in the cost of the rent each month. Laundry and cleaning services included in the cost for rent each month. I do not want any surprises for how much money I may owe each month. I am willing to give up some of these things for cheaper rent prices for possible potential rooms. The more money I pay then the more I should get and want. I do not have to have all these things. I may add to this list things I have forgot to mention about what I want and all. To be continued. I will continue to talk to people to find a room and I will be going to Papa Foods in Bac Ninh, Vietnam, near Hanoi, to get my other suitcases full of the films I started making when I was 10 years old. I am an artist, musician, movie maker, writer, English Teacher, inventor, counselor, world traveller, basketball player, athlete, play video games, bike, adventures, dance, sing, games, sports, make people laugh, try new things, photographer, draw, comics, and so many things. Be my friend. Lets play basketball and volleyball and practice English and so many things. Here is my contact information: Email me: text me: find me on facebook: tell me what you think: Joey Arnold Original Oatmeal (84) 0-163-425-1695 OriginalOatmeal@Gmail.com http://FaceBook.com/OriginalOatmeal http://Tagged.com/OriginalOatmeal http://YouTube.com/OriginalOatmeal
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    • Nintendo Shows
      By Original Oatmeal · Tuesday, February 26, 2013
      What are your favorite kind of shows? It's the kinds that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Recently, I have seen some creative cartoons on Cartoon Network. One of the new cartoons actually break the 4th wall and project the cartoon onto live-action background. I think the show is called The Amazing World of Mr. Gumb Ball or something like that. Speaking of Gumball, & Spaceballs, back in the 1980's we had a cartoon called Jumby which was also made out of bubble gum.   I am a fan of Nintendo games like Paper Boy and Mario and Duck Hunt from the 80's. I dream of making movies and making videos games and cartoons and books and comic strips and music videos and water wells for the thirsty and orphanages for the fatherless and giant water slides for the kids at heart who are really hot and ready for some action.   Life is suppose to be full of educational excitement and exploration and I believe that technology are tools that can enable our minds and our souls to sour like noodles sizzle in a pot on a stove.
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