Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts

Monday, December 28, 2009

How could our brain memorize things?

As we know, our brain is full of neurons which have synapsis to connect between one neuron to another. To remind you, we've studied this in Junior High and here's the picture. Synapsis is on the box, and zoomed in.




So, when we learn new things, we store memories. And the most important process in storing memories is that the synapses as what i pictured above is playing a role to cement the memory. Those synapses have to be strengthened so that the memory is in place and stays there.
To strenghten synapses, we needs to make new proteins since these proteins builds the synapses and make it stronger.
It was just like exercise, new proteins are needed to build up muscle mass, and so do synapses.
The production of new proteins can only occur when the RNA that will make the required proteins is turned on. Until then, the RNA is "locked up" by a silencing molecule, which is a micro RNA.
When we are starting to hearing or watching something interesting, or we could say as remembering, synapses got activated, and one of the proteins wrapped around that silencing complex gets degraded. Then the RNA is suddenly free to synthesize a new protein.
So when we forget something, the synapses are gone or the connection between one neuron to another one are lost.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Sahara becoming GREEN!

THIS ONE
IS BECOMING THIS


Paradise's coming to the barren land!
According to scientists, Sahara desert and surrounding regions are greening due to increasing rainfall. These are--well, probably a good impact of global warming.

Want details? click the title or click here.

Such a coincidence, I've just re-watched The Mummy 2. And I've seen a lot of greenies on desert in that movie. Maybe, that could be the view of Sahara after I'd become a grandma--or great grandma, whatever-- in 2080. Who knows? Many predictions to our uncertain future.
taken from nationalgeographic.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Stem Cell Research Allowed by Obama

Stem Cell -- adalah sebuah sel, yang ketika kita masih janin (sebenarnya masih embrio), berfungsi untuk mendiferensiasikan fungsi sel. Stem cell ini-lah yang membuat kita bertumbuh menjadi punya mata, hidung, jantung, dan organ lainnya, dari kita masih embrio (ketika baru di fertilisasikan dan tidak berbentuk sama sekali). Sel ini mempunyai totipotensi (kemampuan sebuah sel untuk membelah diri dan menspesialisasikan diri) yang tinggi.

Dengan sel ini, bisa dikatakan dapat membentuk apa saja. Para peneliti tidak menyia-nyiakan kesempatan tersebut, dan berusaha untuk dapat memanfaatkannya agar dapat mengobati penyakit seperti HIV, Parkinson's disease, dll. Dan hal tersebut sudah terbukti berhasil.

Tetapi, dengan memanfaatkan stem cell tersebut, sama saja kita seperti membunuh embrio yang akan menjadi manusia -- membunuh nyawa bayi. Hal tersebut sangatlah kontroversial.

Di tambah, kita bisa jadi berbuat sewenang-wenang, dan mungkin kita bisa menjadi tuhan dari kita sendiri karena dengan sel tersebut, kita dapat menciptakan manusia dan organ-organ dalam tubuhnya -- yang sesuai keinginan kita. Dan itu sangatlah menggoyangkan kenyataan kita, sebagai orang yang beragama.

Oleh karena itu, former-president-Bush membatasi bioteknologi ini. Ia hanya memperbolehkan tidak lebih dari 60 sel.

Sampai pada tanggal 9 Maret kemaren, Obama membelokkan aturan Bush tersebut dan Stem Cell tersebut untuk kembali di teliti lebih banyak.

maaf cuma bisa kasi sedikit info.

for more information, visit :
cnn.com (berita tentang obama tadi)
wikipedia (for more detailed about stem cell)
stem cell controversy

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Barrack Obama Facts

It's also an old video about Obama, approximately 6 months ago uploaded. But I'd like to preview it on my blog just for some kind of review of what Obama has said.

Letterman: Top 10 Interesting Facts about Barack Obama

1. At age six, Obama moved to Indonesia. Obama attended schools in Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia) up until he was ten years old.
2. Barack Obama can crack walnuts with his thighs.
Well actually i don't even really understand what it means, is it true or not.

Milk causes cancer

Have you heard it? Well, I guess you haven't. Or maybe you have. Ah, nevermind.
It's an old opinion, actually.

Milks from mammals contain different 'cocktails' of growth factors which enchance growth and development of different organs. And whoever consume whatever milk, certainly will absorb those growth factors, too. Of course cow's-milk-growth factors are not meant for humans. It's for cows, not for human beings.

Aforesaid, Growth factor works to stimulate growth of normal cells. But unfortunately, it also stimulate growth of cells that have been damaged by mutagenic substances (from prepared foods, polluted air etc.). If DNA / RNA has been damaged, as we all know, this may cause cancer.

In fact, preventing cancer is about decreasing intake of mutagenic substances (consume as little proteinous prepared foods), and about preventing absorption of growth factors other than those from human milk by the suckling. Consume as little prepared food and do not consume any kind of milk. See diet suggestions
After all, in this modern lifestyle i don't think we could fully avoid those factors. But at least we could try to minimize them. Have the best from the worst!

And here's the simple logic : Why do we keep drinking cow milk since we're babies, teenagers, adult, until grandma, but cow itself only drinks it when they're babies!
Well not just cows, but all of the mammals (except us), drinks it's mother's milk only when they're newborn!
Yet, cells in adults don't need to multiply that fast anymore.
Recently asked question : But don't I need the extra calcium ? No. Fruits already contain all the calcium you need. Absorbing more calcium may cause osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis
reverences:
*for more detailed, and scientific facts. It's a good site, sourced from many books and others.

also, you can buy Gillian's Rose book's "Cow's milk and cancer".

Monday, October 27, 2008

Humans' nature of being herbivore (or omnivore?)

hey hey, guess what? My friend disagreed with me when I said that human is naturally born herbivore. There are so much differences which could prove it scientifically. But unfortunately, I hadn't really had a deep knowledge about it. So I googled this through and what I found is ;

Are Humans Carnivores or Herbivores?
September 9th, 2005 by Steve Pavlina

Intestinal tract length.
#Carnivorous animals have intestinal tracts that are 3-6x their body length, while herbivores have intestinal tracts 10-12x their body length.
~Human beings have the same intestinal tract ratio as herbivores.

Stomach acidity.
#Carnivores’ stomachs are 20x more acidic than the stomachs of herbivores.
~Human stomach acidity matches that of herbivores.

Saliva.
#The saliva of carnivores is acidic.
~The saliva of herbivores is alkaline, which helps pre-digest plant foods. Human saliva is alkaline.

Shape of intestines.
#Carnivore bowels are smooth, shaped like a pipe, so meat passes through quickly — they don’t have bumps or pockets.
~Herbivore bowels are bumpy and pouch-like with lots of pockets, like a windy mountain road, so plant foods pass through slowly for optimal nutrient absorption. Human bowels have the same characteristics as those of herbivores.

Fiber.
#Carnivores don’t require fiber to help move food through their short and smooth digestive tracts.
~Herbivores require dietary fiber to move food through their long and bumpy digestive tracts, to prevent the bowels from becoming clogged with rotting food. Humans have the same requirement as herbivores.

Cholesterol.
#Cholesterol is not a problem for a carnivore’s digestive system. A carnivore such as a cat can handle a high-cholesterol diet without negative health consequences.
~A human cannot. Humans have zero dietary need for cholesterol because our bodies manufacture all we need. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods, never in plant foods. A plant-based diet is by definition cholesterol-free.

Claws and teeth.
#Carnivores have claws, sharp front teeth capable of subduing prey, and no flat molars for chewing.
~Herbivores have no claws or sharp front teeth capable of subduing prey, but they have flat molars for chewing. Humans have the same characteristics as herbivores.

But aren’t humans anatomically suited to be omnivores?
Nope. We don’t anatomically match up with omnivorous animals anymore than we do with carnivorous ones. Omnivores are more similar to carnivores than they are to herbivores. For a more detailed summary table that compares the properties of carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores side by side, see this page:Comparative Anatomy & Taxonomy

copy pasted from: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/09/are-humans-carnivores-or-herbivores-2/

I guess that's fair enough. Still don't believe it? http://groups.msn.com/CrazyVegan/humanherbivore.msnw
*It gives us specific tables so we could compare easily

http://www.goveg.com/naturalhumandiet_physiology.asp
*or this, for a different way of explanation


And, I also searched for the web who talked :

Humans Are Omnivores :
In this web if I conclude the argument which is rational enough ;

Depending mostly on climate conditions, the ratio of plant to animal intake varies. In colder and more severe environments, the meat in-take is usually much larger.
This primarily occurs for two reasons:
1) plants won't grow. You can't eat what isn't there. (Ask an Eskimo. He'll know.)
2) the concentration of nutrients is much higher in meat than in vegetables. This means you can harvest less tonnage of food. It also means the culture can have less of an impact on the environment (then if they cut their meat in-take and became more herbivore-like.)
http://membrane.com/synapse/library/health/diet/research/humans_are_omnivores.html

check this out :
http://www.ecologos.org/omni.htm

even WikiAnswers says humans are herbivores!
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_humans_omnivores_or_herbivores

In my opinion, that is just some kind of adaption of human kind to still stay alive. But in fact, meats and fleshes are not really suitable to our body. Since we hardly could absorb proteins in fleshes. And that's what distract our liver.

But nowadays, People are now eating (a not really healthy food) just for indulgences. Which why people are more likely to choose meats (way more tasty than boring vegetable) . Even if it's naturally not suitable to their body. No doubt it kills slowly. Researches prove that a vegetarian live longer and have a healtier life than those meat-eaters (well, what i mean is a real vegetarian, not a "Junk-Food Vegetarian").

Who cares? Who could resist the irresistible appetizing junk-food and meats, scattered all over?

Well you could. If you want to live longer I say. Regretting older's no use.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Guitar Hero IV

Poor me. I've got a bad internet connection that i couldn't even upload any photo. I was just about to write about my last visit to Australia on the back days--Emm... Sorry for friends, I haven't give you souvenir that i've bought there, always forget somehow.

Anyways, let's just talk about others. Hmm.. Well, actually I don't really have any particular topic exactly. My days were just going as usual--except for the "A Level things" I've babbled so much that I'm sure you'll bored hearing me whining it again and again.

Hmm.. Let's see I was just browsing around searching for a good topic to post here, then i found this;



the latest version of Guitar Hero
4th Guitar Hero : GUITAR HERO WORLD TOUR

Yeah! And it will coming up shortly in 4 days!--On Sunday, October 26. Ahh can't wait!

The thing is, this version is somehow different, since now the game's featuring drum and microphone controllers so that we can play the vocal and percussion parts, too!

Moreover, we can also create new songs, including drums, rhythm guitar, lead guitar and bass guitar!--Well, excluding the vocal recording--but hey! that's okay--if they're going to update this part on the fifth series, (I hope). Nevermind.


The gameplay will be similar as the usual Guitar Hero, so you don't have to adapt much. It's still our-dearly-beloved-game-which-never-be-bored-playing.


This new version will provide 86 songs with all master recordings. Riff-heavy classics as Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze", Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer" are all took in. But GHWT will also gives new genre such as Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" countries, even a dance pop like Michael Jackson's "Beat It".

For they who's never played this kind of game, or still amateur, there's it--a beginner level added. So now there're five levels : Beginner, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert.

Ah, barely forget. GHWT will be available in many platforms including Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. So there's no reason not having it!


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Reverences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero_World_Tour
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/21/guitar.hero/index.html

link to more detailed blog : (click here)