Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 200 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

Skype Response

By Sarah Lambert

   The technology humans have developed over the past few centuries has astounded many and been useful to most. Being able to see a live picture of another person on the coldest continent on Earth more than 9,000 miles away impressed me more than I thought it would. This astounding place, Glen McClure states, is somewhere where “humans were not meant to be.” Talking to Glen McClure sparked my interest not only in his expeditions but in the expeditions of past explorers to the South Pole.

I inquired if McClure left behind any pets at home and if bringing them would have brought a better sense of safety to this environment that inspired both awe and terror. In his response, he mentioned his dog that he left at home and explained how it would have been more of a hassle to care for. This idea contrasts with my argument that dogs were used for companionship in the early 1900s expeditions to Antarctica. However, I believe that the technological abilities that humans now have can provide a similar sense of companionship; the Skype call itself is an example of this.

Why did canines play a significant role as pack animals and companions in Robert Scott, Roald Amundsen and Earnest Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions?

After reading and analyzing multiple articles within Shackleton’s works, I settled on a question focused on the use of dogs on such expeditions. My research question is as follows: What significant roles did canines play in the South Pole expeditions of Robert Scott, Roald Admunsen, and Earnest Shackleton?

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 150 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

The Rifts in the Research of the Ross Ice Shelf

By Sarah Lambert

    After reading multiple pieces on Peter Bromirski’s research on vibrations in the Ross Ice Shelf, I have a better grasp on the extent of his research in Antarctica. Studying how the IG (infragravity) waves propagate from the North Pacific to the most southern continent and cause the ice shelf to calve, we can see how the waves will affect the environment in the future as climate change becomes a more prominent issue.

    The research in Antarctica is interesting because it coincides with very current events. Dealing with climate change, this research and the results following can be very influential on the actions taken to deal with climate change. Some questions that arise include the following: How do these North Pacific waves affect the RIS more than local ones? What effects do these IG waves have on other coastal areas? How will these developments add to the developments in combatting climate change?

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 150 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

The Significance of Soundscapes

By Sarah Lambert

    Kim Tingley’s personal narrative elaborates on her experience in the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. She follows Davyd Betchkal on an expedition to set up recording equipment that will be able to observe the pure soundscape with minimal human interaction. Tingley exemplifies how important the role of these soundscapes are on our planet because of the way, from them, we can determine how our ecosystems are thriving or diminishing. Determining how the sound humans create affect the natural order of things in the wild illustrates how we can use “sound ecology” to study our environment even closer.

    Tingley’s piece interested me especially because music and sound, in my experience, can be extremely influential on emotions and mental states. I’m very interested in this specific case study and how the results turned out. Our ability to translate these moments in time in specific places is outstanding and inspiring.

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 170 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

History Repeats Itself

By Sarah Lambert

    Terry Tempest William’s piece written in 1991 about her experiences and family history involving breast cancer and the radioactive test site in Nevada. She points out the significance of the nuclear testing and the Jenkins decision in 1984 in our history and the need to question society in her own, personal history.

    It is interesting that Williams alluded to the idea of “sovereign immunity…from England,” that though we have tried, over the years, to eliminate cultural ties with Europe and prove ourselves to be a better, more democratic country, this idea is still present. Williams piece is moving in how she evokes emotion in her audience through the work of pathos and inclusion of detail. It is unbelievable that such tragedies exist and that people struggle with these hardships. Something that this brought to mind was the devastation that colonization has had on our world and older societies. The effect people have on other groups of people can be extremely harmful, even if it is not intentional.

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 260 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

Bruce Bower’s Public-Facing Article

By Sarah Lambert

    To achieve the appeal of the majority of society in science writing takes a skilled writer who can manipulate data, statistics, experiments, arguments and facts into comprehensible information and still appear educated in their sophisticated language. Often, it is a challenge for those outside of the science community to understand the data and complicated language of those within it. Writers who can effectively illustrate the events occurring in the science community are valued by those who wish to know what is going on and struggle to understand scientific language as these writers are essentially translators for these outsiders.

    Bruce Bower’s article, “Chimps, other apes take mind reading to humanlike level,”  effectively conveys and synthesizes several experiments done on chimpanzees and their reactions to other ‘ false beliefs. Bower relies on evidence like direct quotes, such as, “‘Apes anticipated that an individual would search for an object where he last saw it, even though the apes knew that the object was no longer there,’ says evolutionary anthropologist Christopher Krupenye.” He also includes data like, “Experiments included 41 apes — 19 chimps, 15 bonobos and seven orangutans.” This allows Bower to appeal to the logical aspects of the reader’s mind. These logical appeals develop Bower’s effectiveness in terms of this scientific writing because it allows him to develop evidence that the reader can comprehend and see the reasoning behind and within the experiments,

    Having an effective style of writing is very important when it comes to the sciences; it allows the rest of society to understand what’s going on around the world. More of Bower’s article can be read here: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/chimps-other-apes-take-mind-reading-humanlike-level

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 250 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

To Think Outside The Box

By Sarah Lambert

    It’s hard to see that nothing in this world is pure given that we can chemically create pure water, solely hydrogen and oxygen, and we can find images of solid colors, seemingly untouched and untainted. It is also understandable that when we look at something like a flower, it appears too overwhelmingly beautiful to be anything other than just that, a beautiful flower. Why would it be anything else?

    Just because we do not see something does not mean it is not there. Often, a simple object, like a beautiful flower,  connects to the world in many more ways than just one. To only see an object for what it is is to disregard what it does, affects, or illustrates. A beautiful flower not only catches our eyes but is pollinated by bees who make honey which we harvest to use in our tea to soothe our sore throats; that flower is more than just a flower.

    It is important to see things not only for what they are but how they affect their surroundings. This mindset is effective in our society to solve world problems. For compromise, we must see things from other people’s point of view and for advancements we must understand how the use of technology will affect our world. Because of this, it is crucial in today’s society to “think outside the box.” Understanding that not everything is set in stone or “black and white” is important for our advancements.