How do the noises an animal makes affect the conservatism of life in an ecosystem? Furthermore, if a sound were lost, how would the lives of surrounding species be affected?

Mike Emanuele        11/6/16

INTD 105-19 Science Writing      about 150 words

In her article “On Immunity,” Eula Bliss talks about the struggle between the herd mentality and the homestead mentality. The herd mentality is a hive mind pertaining to a specific group of people. Like sheep, everyone moves in the same direction. If one makes a stupid decision, everyone makes stupid decisions, or if one person gets sick everyone gets sick. This leads to the homestead mentality: where people on care for themselves and the ones close to them. On the topic of vaccination, most mothers won’t treat their kids to every vaccination because they believe it’s not for people like them. They believe in the separation from the herd. Personally I think it’s absurd for someone to think that they’re different than someone else when it comes to health, especially comparing a mother’s intuition to scientific research. I believe everyone should get the necessary vaccinations because it not only keeps you healthy but everyone in the community. However, I found it fascinating how powerful a homestead mentality can be, even when putting people at risk.

Mike Emanuele    11/1/16

me12@geneseo.edu about 200 words        INTD-105 Science Writing

In “Postcards From the Edge of Consciousness,” Meehan Crist sheds light on sensory deprivation: a process in which someone loses sight or sound for an extended period of time. In this article, Christ mentions how sensory deprivation can be used for exceeded rest. The rest gained from the sensory deprivation is more than a normal bed night’s sleep. During this deprivation, the user is set in a pitch black room and sustained in a bed of water. This gives the user a feeling of flotation, feeling nothing but the line of water against his or her skin. According to research, this is a form of restricted environmental stimulation therapy, or REST. REST is often used by sports athletes because of it’s benefits in performance and reduction in stress. In some cases, users exposed to Sensory Deprivation for too long start losing cognitive skills and experiencing powerful hallucinations, giving a feeling of unease.   

This article surprises me with it’s amount of benefits, but at the same time frighten me due to it’s side effects. I’ve always wondered why the body needs to shut itself down for eight hours at a time, and what causes the mind to dream. These are things that I would like to look more into.

Mike Emanuele    10/30/16

me12@geneseo.edu    150 words

INTD-105 Science Writing

In “Whisper of the Wild,” Kim Tingley shares her experiences in Denali national park in Alaska and her research on the sounds found there. Most would assume that the sounds made in a park are mostly made up of the chirping of birds, croaking of frogs, or flowing of streams. However, Tingley’s research shows that most sound actually comes from humans. Whether it be the tourists or the airplanes, humans apparently cause the most sound in these natural habitats. Surprisingly, The amount of noise made seems to be an annoyance and can be considered pollution to the area. For example, a songbirds need to shift their calls to a higher frequency in cities because it would not be heard otherwise. This means that human noise is affecting the reproduction of a species. Animals cannot function properly with the amount of noise interference caused by humans. Personally I had no idea that humans could pollute nature, even with sound. This brings awareness to the fact that pollute more than they think.  

Mike Emanuele     10/25/16

me12@geneseo.edu      Approximately 150 words 

INTD 105-19

“Land Divided, Coast United” is an award winning article by the author Josie Glausiusz. The article addresses the often neglected issue of pollution and brings attention to the mass sewage build within the Mediterranean sea. As many know, there is much conflict along the Mediterranean and these issues seemed to be pushed aside in an effort to clean the sea. Palestinians in Gaza do their best to attempt to clean the waters, however they are not given the proper resources. The Palestinians require massive amounts of electricity and water pumps in order to fix the problem, however Israelis deny them these resources because of mistrust due to conflict. Pollution is a problem on a global scale that is a greater threat than any rival nation or faction. This article proves that if humanity is to ever solve these major environmental problem, we must work together.

Mike Emanuele about 150 words

INTD: Science Writing

me12@geneseo.edu

“Clan of the One-Breasted Women,” by Terry Tempest Williams, is a short story about families falling victim of radiation given off by nuclear testing. The author recalls growing up, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and the family was forced to accept it and move on. The author described it as a blind patriotism, and was something that her and her family must follow, even it means disobeying her religion and beliefs. This begs the question, how much does our government care about it’s citizens. The government needed to test its new weapons for war and according to the short story, the government values its assets for war more than its citizens in the minority. Personally, my family has never been impacted by government intrusion of any sort, or of what I’m aware of. The small minority will find ways to make themselves heard, to reach out to others for sympathy.

Mike Emanuele    10/16/16

INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing 220 words

The Importance of a public facing science writing piece is to convey an event in the science community to the members outside it. Science writing authors can interpret lab reports of data and discoveries inside the scientific world, into translation for the general public. “Unusual bird-human partnership runs even deeper than scientists thought” by  Elizabeth Pennisi is an exceptional example of public facing science writing. The article discusses the mutual relationship between African honey hunters and the breed of bird “the greater honey guide.” According to the article, the honey hunters make special bird calls, resembling a trill grunt, that in response to the call these birds will guide the hunters to nests. The article continues by providing the results of experimentation and anecdotes from several researchers to support its claim. This helps readers understand the substance of the results.

What the article fails at is connecting the “why is this important to us” idea. It only briefly wrapped it up in a sentence. However, some readers could use their imagination as to what could come of the findings. But, I believe the author could include at least a few ideas within reason considering her resources and time invested into the subject. Otherwise, the piece successfully explains to the reader a science experiment simple enough for large portion of readers to understand it.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/unusual-bird-human-partnership-runs-even-deeper-scientists-thought

Mike Emanuele                         220 words

me12@geneseo.edu                                                                 

INTD 105 Science Writing

So What? Who cares?

It is important for human culture to understand its relationship with the non-human. In this situation, the dualism between human culture and wilderness. It is clearly established by Cronon that while the dualism is popular to believe, it is ultimately false. In my essay, I found it important to establish why the dualism existed in the first place. Then to give an understanding of coexistence and the impact humanity has on nature. One Critic or skeptic may contradict by saying that there is a fine line between nature and human creation. It is black and white, the difference between a tree and a skyscraper. Another may agree with Cronon’s paradox and say that humans cannot help but destroy nature. In response, it’s important to understand that a tree and a building are clearly different, but what happens when potted plants start appearing inside human structures? It is essential to realize that part of coexistence is the incorporation of non-human objects into our everyday life. Finally while humans may be the cause of the destruction of nature, humans are also capable of preservation. Human preservation an aspect that cannot be fulfilled by anything in nature. This is what causes us to coexist, when humans become involved in nature’s ecosystem. Human existence is essential to the earth as the wilderness.

Mike Emanuele

Cronon insight on object
Cronan perceives the wilderness to be a creation of mankind. He would argue that my object, the seuss spruce, is incorporated into the college’s center because it appeals to the core values he spoke about in his essay. “I celebrate with others who love wilderness the beauty and power of the things it contains. Each of us who has spent time there can conjure images and sensations that seem all the more hauntingly real for having engraved themselves so indelibly on our memories” (Cronan 84). In other words, we load wilderness with core values such as memories and give non human objects meaning. Students and professors alike relate to the tree in the sense of individuality, the tree is so unique because of it’s look and location. It serves as a symbol of how unique the college truly is. To add to Cronan’s argument, all the value we give the tree, does not mean anything. It is just another tree that functions like any other tree. It is just another piece of wilderness. It would not mean anything if it had never been discovered because it becomes nature the moment humans interact with it. Before the college started giving this ideality it was just untouched wilderness, now it has become sacred throughout Geneseo and an icon amongst college campuses. The college has determined that this piece of wilderness is worthy of staying in the college center, simply because it looks different. Now the tree is worthy of being preserved because it is some form of a token; representing coexistence with nature. Ultimately, once again debunking the false dualism between human culture and nature.

Mike Emanuele

“We Have Never Been Modern” by Bruno Latour

We live in a generation where false dualisms surround us. Humans have become hybrids, involving themselves with every element on this planet. We have blurred dualisms  such as nonhuman nature and human culture, combining  the two into a lifestyle. The definition of the word “modern” means a passage of time into a new regime, from revolution, rupture, or any significant change. However to be modern we must be symmetrical, meaning we must to be able to separate practices such as translation and purification. Being a hybrid is not modern because it breaks the symmetry. Latour describes our era as the Gordian Knot meaning the weaving of issues and crises all into each other even though they are irrelevant to one another. Science has little relevance in politics, as social affairs have little to do with science. According to my mini essay, we incorporate a tree into our living space and use it as a symbol. Ultimately involving something non human, to humans. This is not modern. Their is no symmetry between a human and a tree.