Oscar the Sunflower

After getting off to a rough start (meaning Oscar I died and had to be replaced with Oscar II), this is my resulting sunflower! 

Mitochondrial Eve

This refers to the woman from whom all living humans descend on their mother's side. All mitochondrial DNA in each person is a direct result of hers because all mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child without recombination. Mitochondrial Eve is estimated to have lived around 200,000 years ago, most likely in East Africa. This woman is the most recent person to whom all people can trace their genealogy; there were many women who came before and after her, but her life is the point from which all modern branches on humanity's family tree grew.

Animal Testing

Animal testing is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Around 50–100 million vertebrate animals are used in experiments annually. I have not decided if I am for or against animal testing. On the plus side, we as humans benefit from the discoveries found through experiments done on animals first. It is definitely safer, for us anyway, to test on something other than humans before the drug or whatever is released to humans. However, animals are often treated cruelly during these experiments and that is not right at all. Can there not be a happy medium?!

Standard Operating Procedure

  

Overview:  We will teach you how to leave Mercer University in your car

Equipment/ Supplies:

Equipment: The equipment you’ll need is a safe car with all of its parts working, especially a seatbelt.

Supplies:  You will need a set of keys to a car, preferably your own car, a comfortable outfit, and a pair of close-toed shoes.

Procedures:

Step One:  Find your car in the parking lot

Step Two:  Unlock your car and get into your driver’s seat

Step Three:  Close your door and put your seatbelt on

Step Four:  Stick your key into the ignition and turn your car on

Step Five:  Put your foot on the brake and put your car into “reverse”

Step Six:  Check your rearview mirrors and slowly let your foot off the brake in order to roll out of your spot

Step Seven:  Turn your wheel clockwise/ counterclockwise depending on where the exit is

Step Eight:  Once out of the parking spot fully, press the brakes and put the car into “drive”

Step Nine:  Turn your wheel the opposite way it was backing out, and slowly let off the brakes

Step Ten:  Once your wheel is straightened and you are headed towards the exit, let off the brakes fully and you can even press on the gas

Step Eleven:  Once at the exit of the parking lot, make sure you stop/ yield according to the signs provided

Step Twelve:  After following the signs, you are out of the parking lot and on the roads!  CONGRATS!

Quality Control:  Always make sure your car has gas and battery before you drive.  Make sure you remember where you parked so you’re never searching around for your car for too long.  Always take precautions when driving (i.e. checking surroundings and mirrors, following signs, having a plan as to where to go,…)

Wiwaxia

These creatures are often compared to slugs in the way that they appear. They had a series of hard plates covering their bodies which scientists claim that they molted off as the wiwaxia grew. These plates give researchers reason to believe that the wiwaxia were related to annelids. The wiwaxia also had an anterior jaw with two rows of teeth which would seem to mean that it was a bottom feeder. Also, it had two rows of spines along its back used for protection.

The following link is a video of an animation of the Burgess Shale from the museum:

Burgess Shale Animation from the Field Museum

Here's a picture of the Burgess Shale from Google Earth:

And just for giggles, here's a song about the Cambrian Explosion!

The Cambrian Explosion

Communication

There are many styles of communication. These styles include visual, auditory, ways of writing, languages, the arts, body language, etc. Interpretations are the perfect example of successes and failures within the subject of communication because ideas and thoughts can be conveyed to others differently. This also connects with the idea of clarity of thoughts. Conveying your personal information to others and allowing them to be a part of your understanding allows for the idea of sharing unbiased information. All of these ideas on communicating provide a wider perspective on the whole concept of communication.

Whether it's a wink, a head nod, words spoken, or words written, there are a million ways to convey information. A smile- "Hey, it's nice to see you again." A yell-"I can't believe that just happened..." A picture of children uploaded to Facebook- "I'm so proud of my kids." Humans interact in so many different ways so consistently, most of the time we may not even know we're sending a message. It is a way of expressing our thoughts, feelings, actions, everything. People communicate not only through spoken conversation, but with body language, pictures, poetry, stories, etc. The options really are endless which in my opinion makes communication vital to our society.