Erik Buckingham                                                     appromiamately 220 words

11/28/16

INTD 105: Science Writing

Many people think that Antarctica is a barren area with no value for humans to study, but Glenn McClure, a professor at SUNY Geneseo, is exploring the continent for its value in the arts, specifically the music scene. He is using natural sounds from antarctica to “split the difference” between regular compositions with no numbers and the music that you get by translating numbers to sound.

The sounds that he is collecting are absorbed seismometers, which were placed in the ground a year ago and will allow McClure to view his data in mid December. Aside from the seismometers, Glenn has been recording natural sounds on his own, such as the crunch of different snows at different temperatures. He noted that it is hard to have a conversation if anyone moves their feet because of the loud crunching of the snow. McClure states that it creates a, “noisy, crazy environment” with the sound of snow crunches.

In addition to the sound of snow crunches, Glenn recorded an audio of talking penguins and a mother seal arguing with her offspring. “They were giving her quite a hard time” notes McClure.

Glenn McClure’s research fascinates me because it mixes the arts and sciences. He is using logical, concrete evidence to appeal to human emotions. He even states that the music will conduct with scientists’ emotions.

How do humans affect the natural silence of certain spaces?

How does noise pollution affect the ecosystems of yellowstone national park, and what solutions should we seek in order to reach a balance between human noise and the noise necessary for other live to flourish in the park?

Erik Buckingham

ekb7@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Science Writing

approximately 150 words

Thoughts on “The Heart of the Antarctic Appendix I”

By: Erik Buckingham

In “The Heart of the Antarctic Appendix I” a research team travels to Antarctica and surprisingly finds single celled organisms among the snow and extremely cold temperatures of the continent. They are astonished to find that these organisms have found a niche in such a harsh and difficult climate to live in.

This article had me thinking about how many organisms have adapted so well to the cold that they are becoming extinct because of the destruction of Antarctica and Alaska via Global Warming. Polar bears are quickly becoming extinct and many polar bears seen in the north look skinny and malnourished. It is amazing how organisms have adapted to harsh climates like the single celled organisms in the Antarctic, but I am wondering if the population of these organisms is going to decrease in the next ten years as they are accustomed to the cold climates that are becoming increasingly warmer.

Erik Buckingham                                                        approximately 180 words

ekb7@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Science Writing

Thoughts on Postcards from the Edge of Consciousness”

By: Erik Buckingham

In “Postcards from the Edge of Consciousness,” Meehan Christ uses sensory deprivation to heighten her senses and allow herself to relax. Sensory deprivation involves laying in a dark room with a tub that resembles a large shower room. The tub is filled with salt water that is more concentrated than the dead sea, and there is a button to the right of where the person lays that shuts off all of the lights in the tub room if it is clicked. After the lights are shut off and the person is laying in the tub, they begin to hear their heart beat, blood circulation, nervous system, and organs.

This reading speaks to the relationship between arts and sciences through the rich details that Megan Christ gives in her description of the sounds that she hears. She states that an air bubble coming up behind her ear feels like a “truck coming around” the curve of her head. I found that this was an excellent example of creative writing while helping us better understand how heightened our hearing is during sensory deprivation.

Erik Buckingham                                                       approximately 150 words

ekb7@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Science Writing

“Whisper of the Wild” Summary and Analysis

By: Erik Buckingham

            In “Whisper of the Wild,” Kim Tingley explores Denali National Park, searching for an area containing non-human made sound. This human-less sound that she searches for is an integral part of a popular new study called soundscape ecology. She states the sounds that we can find in nature without human interference include the “tiny gurgle of an ice cave” and “an escalating rumble of an avalanche.”

Sound catcher David Betchkal states in “Whisper of the Wilderness” that we have to learn how to produce sounds of nature ourselves before we appreciate them, such as the “krrrp krrrrp” sound of wood frogs. This reminded me of when I played the saxophone. My teacher would make us produce the sounds that the instrument made before we actually blew into the instrument. I think that this experience would intertwine with Betchkal’s in a writing piece in that we both are trying to produce sounds that traditionally come from non-humans/objects.

   Erik Buckingham                                                    approximately  200 words

SUNY Genseoo

INTD 105: Science Writing

ekb7@geneseo.edu

“Thoughts on ‘Land Divided, Coast United'”

By: Erik Buckingham

In “Land Divided, Coast United”, Josie Glausiusz describes the harsh conditions of those living in Gaza, an area facing a water and sewage crisis. She explains how Israel and Hama have been clash repeatedly over the water utility in Gaza.  Both Hama and Israel share the Gaza strip and the 90,000 cubic meters of raw or partially treated sewage, which is eventually emptied out into the Mediterranean Sea, affecting beaches that children play on (Glausiusz, 2).

Both countries are struggling to resolve these issues because of a blockade by Israeli forces, which prevents not only war materials but also water sanitation materials from being transported to Hama. Fortunately, an organization called Eco Peace has brought together environmental activists from Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories to work together to bring clean water to the Gaza strip.

I think that Eco Peace is an example as to how everyday people from differing countries can come together to rise above a government that is stubborn and uncompromising. This company is focusing on the people affecting by dirty water, who are being affecting by worms and protozoa, instead of focusing on the grudge that the Israeli government has with Hama.

Erik Buckingham                                                                                 Approximately 200 words

ekb7@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Science Writing

Radioactive substances affect millions of people each year. In “The Clan of the One Breasted Women”, Terry Tempest writes about the nine generations in her family who have had breast cancer due to radioactive explosions that occurred near Utah. As a Mormon, Tempest was taught to not challenge government authority. She left this idea once she found out that she had witnessed a nuclear bomb. She supports her new viewpoint when she states, “Tolerating blind obedience in the name of patriotism or religion ultimately takes our lives” (Williams, 8).

Tempest turned to civil disobedience and blamed the government for deaths in her family due to the nuclear explosions causing breast cancer in nine of her family members. This is extremely powerful because though many members of her family lost their lives due to the government, Tempest chooses peaceful protest.

“The Clan of the One-Breasted Women” is relevant today especially during this time of police brutality. Many people who are outraged about the murder of people by police officers are fighting back violently. Tempest’s method of retaliation is more effective because it does not negatively affect other peoples’ lives while still getting her point across.

Erik Buckingham                                                                         about 170 words

10 MacVittie Circle

Geneseo, New York 14454

(315) 939-9091

ekb7@geneseo.edu

Why Does it Matte if We Trim the Suess Spruce?

By: Erik Buckingham

            Many grounds men and administrative officials have insisted that the Suess Spruce tree should be trimmed. Any student focused on their education would wonder why they are so worried about this topic when registration, course planning and class sizes are seemingly more important issues. These students forget that the Suess Spruce is most likely the first thing that we saw on a Geneseo pamphlet before we applied.

Students would also question why the Suess Spruce has to be on pamphlets, but we cannot create a unique identity by displaying our only other distinct feature: ivy covered buildings. Colleges across New York State like Syracuse University, Hamilton College and Utica College all have ivy growing on their buildings.

Students who applied to many hilltop colleges would also question   why we do not just display the sunset on the front of Geneseo pamphlets. This is because there are so many other schools like Virginia Tech, Colgate University and University at Buffalo with sunsets that are advertised on their pamphlets.

Erik Buckingham                                                         approximately 200 words

ekb7@geneseo.edu

INTD 105-19: Science Writing

William Cronan and Seuss Spruce Graff & Berkenstein Arguments

By: Erik Buckingham

Most people will tell you that a waterfall in the woods is wilderness, but the grass and trees behind their house is lesser. I wholeheartedly endorse William Cronan’s claim that if wilderness, “can start being just as humane as it is natural, then perhaps we can get on with the unending task of struggling to live rightly in the world” (Cronan, 109). The Seuss Spruce’s imperfection is the core of its beauty. Its curved trunk symbolizes the positive neglect of a grounds crew after a harsh storm.

Adding to Cronan’s argument, I would point out that we can neglect nature while coexisting with it. After the storm, Geneseo laid gravel pathways and set up metal benches in the Seuss Spruce’s surrounding area. Cronan’s theory that a person with empathy and an innovative mind can experience wilderness anywhere (Cronan, 108) sheds light on the difficult problem of whether or not the college should trim the Seuss Spruce. If we have successfully built a quad around the tree, why can’t we learn and live with the Seuss Spruce growing freely? When we stop struggling to live rightly, we learn to coexist with the unconventional.