Week 13: How might we deal differently with environmental pollutants?

How about if we didn’t create them in the first place? And if they are created, why not practice some Green Chemistry approaches and have zero waste? There’s a concept for us. I mean really, did we have to create a let loose over 80,000 chemicals into the environment? Wasn’t anyone paying attention to the havoc we are wrecking on the earth’s atmosphere, waters and land and the health of all the species of life that inhabits it?

Last week the New York Times came out with an article that the leading scientists are now thinking that these 80,000 loose chemicals are what might be causing the huge upswing in various forms of cancers, degenerative diseases and autism. Really, it just occurred to them? And, then we have to consider what happens when those chemicals combine with one another…because it’s not like they aren’t combining and creating yet more deadly, hazardous combinations amongst themselves.

We need to go back to the premise that Paul Pitchford urged us to practice: don’t put anything on your body that you wouldn’t put in it! And that goes for the environment…if you wouldn’t let whatever the pollutant is loose on your own family and property, then don’t let it loose on the rest of creation, either!

Week 13: Do we rely to heavily on supplements to provide antioxidants?

Absolutely! The problem is that the most vital antioxidants are Vitamins C, A & E -which- disappear quickly from veggies and fruits within a half hour of them being picked. The reason we rely on supplements, if because of the state of our food supply. We regularly fly and truck foods from other states and countries, when they are under ripe, only to have them ripen en route to their destination. Any farmer can tell you this vastly under rates the effectiveness of the enzymes, vitamins and nutrition in the food you are eating. Until we make some radical changes in the way that we grow, deliver and eat our foods…we will have to rely on supplements to provide antioxidants. But, it is not in our best interest to do so. Our bodies then become accustomed to being provided the building blocks of life, instead of creating them themselves. Plus, there is the whole question of the purity of those ingredients as well.

So, for these reasons, we have to go back to doing what our Mom’s told us all along (with one caveat*): eat your fresh (organic*) fruits & veggies!

Week 11: Memory & Magic

There is an article in the most recent Scientific American that speaks to this very tendency to see what we believe to be true, not what is really there. We project meaning onto life and based on our perspective and perceptions, this colors our experience. Apparently, this is means to continue the species that we have developed over time. And who hasn’t seen a stick or rope in the road and at first glance thought it was as snake? Jumped back in fear, only to realize, sheepishly that it was just a ‘trick’ of our minds. After all, what do we really see? It’s not as if we have windows in the front of our heads. The perceptions that we call our sight, is the function of synapses and neurotransmitters and flashes of electrical activity deep in our brains where no light can even penetrate!

Small wonder that some enterprising humans have thought to use this tendency to create ‘slight of hand’ illusions that have mesmerized us for eons.

Week 11: “to live is to know” (Santiago Theory)

Personally, I whole heartedly agree with the Santiago Theory, because since “living systems are cognitive systems”, as Maturana states, this means that as such they are imbued with consciousness, the ground state of all being. It is because of this consciousness that cognition is possible. And indeed all that lives is conscious, alive and imbued with that same underlying spark of divine energy.

In fact, Descartes had it completely wrong…it is our thinking minds that take us out of the ‘present moment’ as Echhart Toley states in the “Power of Now”. The thinking mind is a construct of the ego, and necessary perspective and function of being in form and functioning in the world. However, neither our minds or our egos are who we truly are. Rather, they take us into the past (which we regret and fret about) -or- into the future (which we become anxious about based on past experiences, which we project there as happening again). Whereas, true being and life occur -only- in the present moment of the hear and now. The place where consciousness also resides.

Week 10 Spike’s Gallery

Wow, these images are sooooo beautiful! Even the tick, flea and worm! And the algae looks like miniature plants…so exquisite. But, then again, I am a fan of extreme close-up photography…which this is! Wow just amazing. And the lighting is just perfect. It reminds me of the time I had a chance to look through the electron microscope at the UCLA School of Public Health when I worked there. It’s amazing the life forms that are busy have lives all around us, that we’re never even aware of!

Week 10: Links on cells

It’s amazing how different the various cells are from life form to life form. Clearly, the animal cells are the most complex, followed by the plants -which- are strikingly similar. And I have heard that analogy made that the chlorophyll that runs in plants veins is very similar in structure and function to the blood that runs in animals. What really struck me was just how alien the virus cell make-up and structure is. Very chilling. Reminded me somewhat of the Borg’s on Star Trek…definitely another life form, and one you don’t want in your body!

Week 10: Examine your own immediate environment for diversity of species

We are lucky in that we live in the woods and as such have abundant wild life! Some of the species of birds that we see on a daily basis include: chickens, ravens, turkeys, crows, quail, robins (my favorite), humming birds, common wrens, palliated woodpeckers and stellar jays (blue birds)...and boy, are they noisy!!

In addition, we regularly see the following animals on our property: squirrels, raccoons, skunks, jack rabbits, deer, and our domesticated dogs and cats. Rarely, we will see black bear, mountain lion and bobcats (tyring to eat our chickens).

As far as the insects go, we have frogs (especially this time of year!), toads, praying mantis (I love them!), all kinds of butterflies and moths (the sphinx moth pollinators of the lavender are the coolest), bumble bees and honey bees, lady bugs, yellow jackets (booo!), worms of all kinds and various garden ‘pests’ (potato bugs, snails, leaf minors, aphids).

We also are blessed to have the following one-leggeds and green nations surrounding us: pines, oaks, redwoods, madrone, Manzanita, apple trees and lavender (22 varieties), yellow dock, dandelion, plantain, soap root, evening primrose, poison oak, to mention only a few!
Plus, we have a diverse human species in Laytonville: loggers, ranchers, hippies, rednecks, pot growers, back-to-the-landers, latinos, African-Americans, gay, straight, polyandrous individuals…in other words, a really eclectic group. So, I think we can say we have a pretty diverse environment in Mendocino County.

Week 9 Animations

I checked out the animations for various links, including Vitamin C, Folic Acid and DNA replication to name a few.

And while I liked the visuals, it would have been more helpful if there was descriptive audio as well…then the animations would have had more impact, the content would have had more meaning and it would make more of an impression to the student and be remembered longer.

Week 9: Definitions “Chemistry of Life”

It seems that like with most things, beliefs are based on the perceptions of whoever is doing the “seeing”. And taken in that spirit, all of the definitions apply, individually; and taken as a whole, collectively.

Personally, I like the very first one: Biochemistry is the chemistry of life. Simple, short, inclusive of all live forms and to the point!

Week 9: Ethics of Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is the “insertion of genes into an individual’s cells and tissues to treat a disease, and hereditary diseases in which a defective, mutant allele is replaced with a functional one.” That being said, the trouble is trying to get the gene in the right place. This technology has already been used with some success, as in the case we read about in class where a young girl was born with SCID, a rare genetic disease that essentially meant she lacked a healthy immune system. This therapy allowed this young woman to ultimately lead a relatively healthy life, which would have been impossible without this therapy (she would have been relegated to live life as another “bubble baby”).

However, since human gene therapy is in its infancy and very complex, there are many issues from various perspectives (legal, biological, medical, philosophical, and religious to name a few) that need to be taken into consideration moving forward.

Also, there are currently various methods for getting the gene into the right location…including inserting a normal gene into a nonspecific location (this is most common), swapping one specific gene for another, genes can be repaired through selective reverse mutation (whatever that is!) and through ‘regulation’ (turning the gene on or off)…all of these approaches will require further rigorous development and experimentation to fully develop the procedures.

Then, there is the issue of the vectors for getting genes into place. Viruses are one of the current methods used to insert genetic materials into their ‘host’; however, the problems with this approach are many…beginning with: how do we know that the virus takes the gene to the place it need to go? Then, there is the issue of preventing undesirable effects, and insuring that the new gene won’t disrupt any of the already existent genes in the genome.

And if those weren’t enough of a red flag for consideration of this technology, there is always the specter of abuse of the power this technology wields, be it for creating ‘designer babies’ -or- using it for less than beneficial purposes, such as a weapon for military purposes. In fact, it has been suggested, that it is just this sort of genetic tinkering that created Lyme’s disease (suspected to be a genetic distortion of Syphilis, with which it shares common etiology and symptoms).

And yet, if we were that young girl, living in a bubble, who wouldn’t leap at the chance for a relatively ‘normal’ life…regardless of the potential cost? This therapy is too young at present and needs much more oversight and contemplation moving forward.

Week 8: Semiconductor- Silicon

Name: Silicon
Symbol: Si
Atomic number: 14
Atomic weight: 28.0855 (3)
Standard state: solid at 298 K
Group in periodic table: 14
Group name: None
Period in periodic table: 3
Block in periodic table: p-block
Color: Dark grey with bluish tinge
Classification: Semi-metallic

Silicon is present in the sun and stars and is a principal component of a class of meteorites known as aerolites. Silicon makes up 25.7% of the earth's crust by weight, and is the second most abundant element, exceeded only by oxygen. It is found largely as silicon oxides such as sand (silica), quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate, flint, jasper and opal. Silicon is found also in minerals such as asbestos, feldspar, clay and mica.

Silicon is important in plant and animal life. Diatoms in both fresh and salt water extract silica from the water to use as a component of their cell walls. Silicon is an important ingredient in steel. Silicon carbide is one of the most important abrasives. Workers in environments where silicaceous dust is breathed may develop a serious lung disease known as silicosis.

Both silicon and (in certain aspects) carbon are semiconductors, readily either donating or sharing their four outer electrons allowing many different forms of chemical bonding.
Measured by mass, silicon makes up 25.7% of the Earth's crust and is the second most abundant element in the crust, after oxygen. As the second most abundant element in the earth's crust, silicon is vital to the construction industry as a principal constituent of natural stone, glass, concrete and cement. Silicon's greatest impact on the modern world's economy and lifestyle has resulted from silicon wafers used as substrates in the manufacture of discrete electronic devices such as power transistors, and in the development of integrated circuits such as computer chips.

Week 7: What is a mole?

According to this article, “the mole was determined by experiments, where the standard temperature chosen is 25 degrees C. and the pressure on the gas is chosen as one atmosphere or 760 millimeters of mercury. While there is nothing special about these values, the temperature is about average room temperature and the pressure is average atmospheric pressure at sea level. It is only important that everyone doing the experiments uses the same temperature and the same pressure (or makes appropriate corrections). It was eventually shown that a Gram Molecular Weight of a gas, at standard temperature and pressure, would occupy 22.4 liters of volume. Or saying it the other way, 22.4 liters of a gas at standard temperature and pressure contains the number of molecules that weigh as much as the molecular weight of the gas expressed in grams.”

The next logical question to ask is: "What is that number of molecules that weighs in grams what the molecule weighs in relative atomic weight units?" The number, named after Avogadro, is 6.0221367 x 10 exp23, is a very large number, indeed. This is the number of molecules in 22.4 liters of gas at standard temperature and pressure, but it is also the number of molecules in a sample of any material that weighs as much as the molecular weight of the substance expressed in grams. A Gram Molecular Weight of any substance contains Avogadro's number of molecules.
The idea of a MOLE is a very useful concept, since it allows you to relate the weight of the material to the number of molecules in that weight. The mole idea also allows you to combine equal amounts (numbers of molecules in each) of two compounds. If you have a gram molecular weight of one compound and a gram molecular weight of another compound, there are equal numbers of molecules in the two weights. If you wanted the two compounds to combine so there was one molecule of each material available to combine with every molecule of the other compound, then mixing the two gram molecular weights would create this result.

"The mole is the amount of substance of a system which contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 0.012 kilograms of carbon 12." As so defined, the mole became a key unit (fundamental unit) of the International System of Weights and Measures (aka Metric System) adopted worldwide. As such the mole is technical unit used mainly by chemists, chemical engineers, ceramic engineers, and potters…for potters, the mole is an essential notion of glaze technology, a division of applied chemistry, or chemical engineering, ceramics branch. Who knew!

Week 7: Avogadro’s number…

Avogadro had an interest in math and physics and combined those interests when he became the first chair of mathematical physics at the University of Turin.
In 1811 Avogadro published an article that proposed his famous hypothesis, and drew the distinction between the molecule and the atom, which pointed out that Dalton had confused the two. In what is now known as Avogadro’s Principle, he hypothesized that equal volumes of gases, at the same temperature and pressure, contain equal numbers of molecules.

In the example shown in the link testing Avogadro’s hypothesis, we see that there are two volumes of Hydrogen and one volume of Oxygen, which produce 2 volumes of water molecules. Further, we notice that each container has the same number of molecules in it to begin with. So, we can conclude that the ratio is 2 hydrogen to 1 oxygen and we end up with 2 volumes of water molecules, and nothing left over.

Week 7: Alkali Earth Metal - Beryllium

Name: Berrylium
Symbol: Be
Atomic number: 4
Atomic weight: 9.012182(3)
Group in periodic table: 2
Group name: Alkali Earth Metal
Period in periodic table: 2
Block in periodic table: s
Color: white-grey metallic

Beryllium is found naturally only combined with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which contain beryllium include beryl (aquamarine, emerald) and chrysoberyl. The free element is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight brittle alkaline earth metal. It is primarily used as a hardening agent in alloys, notably beryllium copper.

The name beryllium comes from the Greek which means to "to become pale," in reference to the pale semiprecious gemstone beryl. Beryllium is a constituent of about 100 out of about 4000 known minerals and precious forms of beryl are aquamarine, bixbite and emerald.

Because of its low atomic number and very low absorption for X-rays, the oldest and still one of the most important applications of beryllium is in radiation windows for X-ray tubes. Also, due to its low atomic number, beryllium is almost transparent to energetic particles. Therefore it is used to build the beam pipe around the collision region in collider particle physics experiments. Notably all four main detector experiments at the Large Hadron Collider accelerator use a beryllium beam-pipe.

Beryllium has one of the highest melting points of the light metals. Because of its stiffness, light weight, and dimensional stability over a wide temperature range, beryllium metal is used for lightweight structural components in the defense and aerospace industries in high-speed aircraft, missiles, space vehicles and communication satellites. Several liquid-fuel rockets use nozzles of pure beryllium.

Commercial use of beryllium metal presents technical challenges due to the toxicity (especially by inhalation) of beryllium-containing dusts. Beryllium produces a direct corrosive effect to tissue, and can cause a chronic life-threatening allergic disease called berylliosis in susceptible persons.

Beryllium is a relatively rare element in both the Earth and the universe. The element is not known to be necessary or useful for either plant or animal life.

Week 6: Halogen of the Week- Fluorine

Name: Fluorine
Symbol: F
Atomic number: 9
Atomic weight: 18.998.4032
Group in periodic table: 17
Group name: Transition non-metal
Period in periodic table: 2
Block in periodic table: p
Color: pale yellow or brown gas
Classification: Halogen

F2 is a supremely reactive, poisonous, pale, yellowish brown gas. Elemental fluorine is the most chemically reactive and electronegative of all the elements and it will readily "burn" hydrocarbons at room temperature, making molecular fluorine is highly dangerous, more so than other halogens such as the poisonous chlorine gas.

Fluorine's highest electro-negativity, so it readily forms compounds with most other elements, and its small atomic radius gives unique properties to many of its compounds. For example, the carbon–fluorine bond is one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. Drugs are often fluorinated, to prevent their metabolism and prolong their half-lives.

F2 is a corrosive pale yellow or brown gas that is a powerful oxidizing agent. Fluorine combines with the noble gases argon, krypton, xenon, and radon. Even in dark, cool conditions, fluorine reacts explosively with hydrogen. Fluorides are compounds that combine fluorine with some positively charged counterpart. They often consist of crystalline ionic salts. Fluorine compounds with metals are among the most stable of salts.

The mineral fluorspar (also called fluorite), consisting mainly of calcium fluoride, was described in 1530 by Georgius Agricola for its use as a flux which is used to promote the fusion of metals or minerals. The name Fluorine comes from the Latin: fluere, meaning "to flow".

Fluorine is incorporated into compounds with biological activity. And while Fluorine is not an essential nutrient, it had been thought that it had an important role to play in preventing tooth decay. However, according to Paul Pitchford (Healing With Whole Foods), that is a total misinformation. In fact, according to Paul, Flourine is a by-product of the alluminum industry which used to be very costly to dispose of. Then, someone had the bright idea of using it in drinking water and toothpaste supposedly as a preventative of tooth decay. While the exterior of the teeth may be protected, frequently, the inner core of the teeth are rotten. Also, because Fluorine and the other halogens have lighter molecular weights than iodine, they can offset and displace it in the body, causing a host of problems with the endocrine system and related glands that rely on iodine for their proper functioning.

Week 8 General Chemistry: Balancing Equations

I like the way they set-up this tutorial; it was really easy to see how many atoms of each element were on each side of the equation in this example. But, I wish that there was more than just one example. Because when I went back to the previous Chem Balancer equations and Brain Boggle, and tried to apply what I had learned, I still couldn't balance #7 from the first test series -or- the Brain Boggle question. There just didn't seem to be any way to balance them out...

Week 8: Chem Balancer

It seemed so easy in class, when Larry did it. And, indeed the first 6 Chem Balancer questions were pretty easy. But, when we get into the more complicated compound formulas (starting with #7), then I was totally stumped! I just could not figure it out. I tried the trial and error method and wrote it down on paper as well as using the on-line application, but I just didn’t get it.
And when I went on to the Brain Boggle Chem Balancer, I couldn’t even figure out the first one. This requires more review and practice.

Week 6: Alchemy - Science, magic, art?

Back in the 17th century “Alchemy” and Chemistry were synonymous, and both referred to “the study of matter by analysis, synthesis, and transmutation”. Then in the 18th century, the term alchemy started to be used to refer to attempts to turn base metals such as lead into gold. By the 20th century, the meaning of the term alchemy came to be used in yet a different manner, referring primarily to psychic or spiritual transformation.

I would venture to say that alchemy can be considered all three: science, art and magic. The science part is easy, due to the common heritage of today’s chemistry from the soil of alchemy. And, indeed, today there is a new type of alchemy developing in chemistry with the development and future use of super atoms which can combine into super molecules, with the potential for becoming new materials…the chemistry of which might be able to be harnessed to make more efficient fuels. Another possibility, is that these super atoms might provide new types of materials, like expanded crystals, with superconducting capabilities. These, in turn, might be able to be used to bond with other conducting polymers, in order to create new, unique molecules with improved conductivity. And another use of such materials would be as a fuel additive to boost the reactivity and produce more energy from a given fuel. This application is pure science; yet, there is also an aspect of art inherent in this process of discovery and creation of new materials.

On the other hand, alchemy can be considered a magical process, especially as it relates to the human psyche and the healing arts. The alchemical process of healing is inherently one of transformation: with the use of acupuncture and herbs, from illness and imbalance comes health and balance. Certainly the use of the needles and herbs induce changes in the body that invoke changes in the body’s chemistry. To go from a state of sickness to health, due to the body’s own healing mechanism, is nothing short of pure magic!

Week 4: Green Chemistry As a Social Movement

I think that one of the testimonials to how the Green Chemistry Social Movement is doing, is the fact that prior to attending this class, I had never heard about such a concept. Not that I am at the pinnacle of the Green Movement in America -but- I would have thought I would have at least heard about this concept.

That being said, after reading the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, I can see that there are several of these principles that are embodied in the environmental changes that people the world over are adopting in the face of global warming. Hopefully, it isn’t too late.

And I can also see that on other levels policies are also changing. Take for examples the Presidential Green Chemistry Awards that have been in effect since 1995. Many of the companies who have won the award since the programs inception, are those chemical corporations that we might have identified as the biggest offenders to the environment. Companies such as Dow Chemical, Cargill Dow and Shaw Industries are winning this award because of the cutting edge green chemistry programs they are enacting to reduce toxins, use safer solvents and eliminate waste in their production processes.

In 2006, the University of California, Berkeley, published a report on potential chemicals policy for the California Legislature entitled, Green Chemistry in California: A Framework for Leadership in Chemicals Policy and Innovation (http://coeh.berkeley.edu/greenchemistry/). The report finds that “long-standing weaknesses in the U.S. chemical management program, have produced a chemicals market in the U.S. that discounts the hazardous properties of chemicals relative to their function, price, and performance. The report concludes that these market conditions represent a key barrier to the scientific, technical, and commercial success of green chemistry in the U.S., and that fundamental policy changes are needed to correct these weaknesses.”

In 2007, Europe enacted legislation that requires companies to prove that their products are safe. Unfortunately, as of yet, the U.S. has not yet brought any similar legislation into effect. Need I say more?

Week 3: onal Metal of the Week: Manganese

Name: Manganese
Symbol: Mn
Atomic number: 25
Atomic weight: 54.938045 (5)
Standard state: solid at 298 K
Group in periodic table: 7
Group name: Transition Metals
Period in periodic table: 4
Block in periodic table: d block
Color: silvery-grey metal
Classification: Metallic

Manganese, whose name is a derivation from the Greek word for magic, is a silvery-gray metal resembling iron. It is part of the iron group of elements, which are thought to be synthesized in large stars shortly before their supernova explosion. Manganese is hard and very brittle, difficult to fuse, but easy to oxidize.

According to John Emsley, author of Nature’s Building Blocks: A-Z Guide to the Elements, “Manganese makes up about 1000 ppm (0.1%) of the Earth's crust, making it the 12th most abundant element there Abundance of elements in the universe.” Sources of this commonly occurring element are thought to be the sun, meteorites, the Earth's crust, the oceans (manganese is present in quantity in the ocean’s floor), as well as rivers and streams.

The Linus Pauling Institute states that “Manganese is a required trace mineral for all known living organisms and may be essential for utilization of vitamin B. As such, it plays an important role in a number of physiologic processes; as a constituent of some enzymes and an activator of other enzymes. Low dietary manganese and low levels of manganese in blood or tissue have been associated with several chronic diseases such as: Osteoporosis, Diabetes mellitus and Epilepsy”. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/manganese/

The human body contains about 10 mg of manganese, which is stored mainly in the liver and kidneys; and it’s also an important component in the process of photosynthesis for plants.
Several oxides of manganese, for example manganese dioxide, are abundant in nature and due to color these oxides have been used as since the Stone Age. The cave paintings in Gargas contain manganese as pigments and these cave paintings are 30,000 to 24,000 years old.
Manganese compounds were used by Egyptian and Roman glassmakers, to either remove color from glass or add color to it.

Manganese is essential to iron and steel production, since by its virtue it makes iron and steel hard, but not brittle. Steelmaking, and iron making, have accounted for most 80-90% of the manganese demand. Manganese phosphating is used as a preventative treatment against rust and corrosion on steel. The second largest application for manganese is as an alloying agent for aluminum. Among a variety of other uses, manganese is a key component of low-cost stainless steel formulations. It is also used for its sulfur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties. Manganese ions have various colors, depending on their oxidation state, and are used industrially as pigments.

Manganese oxidizes easily and forms halides, oxides, sulfides, hydrides, and complexes. In the 20th century, manganese dioxide has been widely used in commercial applications as material for commercial disposable dry cells and dry batteries.

While, manganese compounds are less toxic than those of other widespread metals such as nickel and copper; in larger amounts, and apparently with far greater activity by inhalation, manganese can be toxic in mammals, including causing neurological damage which is sometimes irreversible. Excesses of Manganese build up in the Liver and Kidneys, the organs of elimination, and are difficult to remove from the body. Manganese poisoning has been linked to impaired motor skills and cognitive disorders and all manganese compounds should be regarded as highly toxic as well as possibly carcinogenic and teratogenic (causes birth defects).

According to Science Daily, “Manganism, or manganese poisoning, is prevalent in such occupations as mining, welding, and steel manufacturing. It is caused by exposure to excessive levels of the metal manganese, which attacks the central nervous system, producing motor and dementia symptoms that resemble Parkinson's disease.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090201141559.htm

Week 3: Chemical Bonding

When I read the article in the handout from class, I had a hard time understanding all of the material. I could easily envision how an ionic, covalent and multiple bonds worked (or at least I thought so) from reading the assignment. But, I had a harder time understanding polar and non-polar covalent bonding…probably, because in my mind’s eye, I couldn’t grasp how these concepts would work in actuality.

Then, I checked out the link for this week about the same subject to see if there was more material available online…and indeed there is. The flash animations really helped me understand how we think atoms and molecules work. But, the funny thing is, that the way the shared electrons move back and forth between the two different elements wasn’t at all how I had thought it worked when I imagined it in my mind. Even what I thought I understood about how covalent bonds worked - was different that I had imagined! And, I’ll bet that these models are just our best bets about how it all works…on a quantum level.

According to the ThinkQuest website, “…have the electrons outsmarted us? Perhaps, but they have also taught us one of the most fundamental lessons in quantum physics - an observation is only valid in the context of the experiment in which it was performed. If you want to say that something behaves a certain way or even exists, you must give the context of this behavior or existence since in another context it may behave differently or not exist at all. We can't just say that an electron is a particle…we can only say that when we observe the electron in the two slit experiment it behaves like a particle. To see how it would behave under different conditions, we must perform a different experiment.”

So, maybe we don’t really know how these bonds work at all…check out this animation on You Tube, “Dr. Quantum Double Slit Experiment” to see more about these enigmatic electrons!

Week 3: Neptune’s Medicine Chest

I can appreciate the spirit and efforts of Bill Fenical and Scripps research, working toward a ‘cure for cancer‘. However, I think the approach and motivation is the same as it always has been, just in a different location: instead of terra firma, we’re now plundering the oceans. What disturbs me about this are several things. #1: Apparently, we haven’t learned any lessons from our experiences with the previous ‘magic bullet’ medicines that the pharmaceutical industry has developed and produced over the years; that biologic life is smarter and bacteria will adapt and overcome whatever they throw at it. #2: In TCM, Western Herbalism, Ayurveda, Homeopathy (just to name a few), we already have plenty of herbal remedies made of plants, animals, herbs, fungi, minerals, etc. that can be used to treat the imbalances that lead to cancer -or- to relieve the pain of swelling and inflammation…but, the problem is just that: they are naturally occurring substances that can’t be patented. However, only the natural substances are complex enough that the bacteria, etc. can’t mutate and become immune to it. Which leads me to reason #3: Really what Scripps is after are products that they can patent and make royalties on…essentially, making money on people’s illness. Currently, I have a friend who is using Western Medicine to fight an aggressive form of kidney cancer; one of his medicines, alone, costs $10,000 per month! That’s unconscionable! People are going bankrupt trying to heal from their diseases! #4: If we really want to prevent cancer, we need to take a look at the environmental pollution of our air, water and food and the over-proliferation of chemicals that we are bombarded by internally and externally every day. That approach would go further in the fight against cancer…the only problem is, Scripps won’t make $$$ that way.

In Mendocino County, and many other places, the latest treatment for cancer is something called “Simpson Oil”, after the man who developed a process of distilling cannabis leaves to an essential oil that truly is healing and curing all kinds of cancers and other illnesses…and people are making this medicine available to those who are sick, for free. To watch a 7-part video regarding this go to You Tube and type in: “Run From the Cure: the Rick Simpson story”. Thankfully, were able to procure some Simpson Oil for our friend, who is feeling much more comfortable in his body, since he’s been using the oil for the last week.

Week 2: Elements, Compounds & Mixtures

Well, at least I could understand this link. I’m going to have to review the Atomic properties Menu & Structure & Bonding Menu at another time. Right now, they’re just making my eyes roll back in my head.

It’s interesting that an element can be either a single atom or a molecule, which contains 2 or more of the same atoms, chemically bound together. And, they can’t be broken down into simpler matter physically or chemically.

Then there are compounds, which consist of the atoms of 2 or more elements bound together (always in the same ratio to each other) but that can be broken down into their component parts chemically -but- not physically. Whereas mixtures are 2 or more different elements or compounds that have been physically combined and therefore can be physically separated once again.

Looking at this page, the material doesn’t appear that difficult. But, truly understanding it, is another question. I find myself rereading the class material, but not really absorbing it. Chemistry is hard.

Week 2: Ozone

I decided to use this opportunity to learn how our Ozone system works to clean our water, something I have been wondering about for awhile. So, I contacted Larry Desmond from Mendocino Water Works, who designed the system for our well to explain how it worked.
Larry explained to me that our water system is one of the more challenging that he has had to deal with. It seems that we have some really ‘nasty’ water due to the high amounts of naturally occurring manganese and iron that need to be filtered out…which is why he recommended we use (2) 5,000 gallon tanks, each with it’s own Ozonator unit.

With our non-filtered water, if we tried to use bleach (not that we do) to wash out clothes, the bleach would react with the iron in the water, cause the iron to precipitate out of the water, using our clothes as a filter, leaving behind orange stains (which is not really the look you were going for with your white clothes!).

Larry said he really likes using Ozone for this application, since it is a much stronger oxidant than bleach with none of the toxic side effects to us or the environment. The way our water purification system works is that we have an atmospheric ozone unit; the pump of which draws in Oxygen from the atmosphere, exposes it to Ultra-Violet light which changes the O2 to O3 -or- Ozone, an unstable, free radical.

Next this free radical Ozone is bubbled out of the filter in each tank. Because it is highly unstable and is looking to combine with something else in order to become more stable, the Ozone bubbles create a positive flow toward the filter of any minerals, bacteria or viruses in the water.
The idea is that when these particles combine with the Ozone it creates an even larger particle (iron and manganese particles are too fine by themselves) that precipitates out of the water and can then be removed. The reason we need the (2) tanks, Larry explained, is that the 1st tank removes the iron and the 2nd removes the manganese.

Because we are on well water, this system is sufficient to purify our drinking water. However, if our source were a spring or some other surface water system, Larry said it would require an additional Ultra-Violet purification and filtration process be added to the system. The way the Ultra-Violet rays work is that any bacteria, E. coli, Giardia, that are exposed are sterilized at the DNA level, so they just die off and don’t reproduce in our bodies.

In our case, we are seriously considering drilling a deeper well, say maybe down to 200 feet or so (the current one is only 90 feet deep) to get out of the pocket of naturally occurring iron and manganese that we are in. For several reasons: #1 is our health. Manganese is a trace element and necessary in small amounts, but Hair Mineral Analysis has revealed that myself, my partner Martha and our land partner Carolyn all have 3,000 times more Manganese in our bodies than we need!! At these levels, excess Manganese lodges in the Liver and Kidneys, where it causes myriad health problems while being difficult to remove from these important organs. Not to mention, that because of the extraordinary amounts of precipitate in our water, we have to clean out the tanks every 2-3 months, versus once a year like with most other water purification systems. The labor costs for this are very high and we even burned out a pump with the excessive precipitate last year. And, we not only use this water for household use (bathing & cooking), we also use it to water in the vegetable and lavender gardens and for our distillation process. So, no matter how you look at it, we need good water…and whether we pay for it sooner (by drilling a new well) -or- later (multiple cleanings/replacement pumps), ultimately it’s a wash.

Week 2: Element of the Week…Iodine

• Name: Iodine
• Symbol: I Atomic number: 53
• Atomic weight: 126.90447 (3)
• Standard state: solid at 298 K
• Group in periodic table: 17
• Group name: Halogen
• Period in periodic table: 5
• Block in periodic table: p-block
• Color: violet-dark grey, lustrous
• Classification: Non-metallic

The word Iodine comes from Greek: iodes meaning violet (or purple). Under normal conditions, Iodine is a shiny grey solid. However, when heated it becomes a gas that is violet-pink in color with a an irritating odor. This halogen forms compounds with many elements, but is less reactive than the other members of its Group VII (halogens).

Iodine naturally occurs in the environment chiefly as dissolved iodide in seawater, although it is also found in some minerals and soils. Although the element is actually quite rare, kelp and certain other plants have the ability to concentrate iodine, which introduces the element into the food chain. This helps us to understand how Iodine came to be required in trace amounts by all animals and some plants, while being the heaviest element commonly used by living organisms.
Iodine is used in pharmaceuticals, antiseptics, medicine, food supplements, dyes, catalysts, halogen lights, photography and water purification.

We humans need the proper amount of iodine in their diets for optimal thyroid and endocrine system function. I became aware of just how important Iodine is to our health, when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year. That being said, I never realized it is because Iodine is actually used to create the steroid hormones.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute: “Iodine is an essential element that enables the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Three iodine molecules are added to make T3 (triiodothyronine), and four for T4 (thyroxine) -- the two key hormones produced by the thyroid gland -- so iodine is essential to the production of these two hormones of the master gland of metabolism. Iodine accounts for 65% of the molecular weight of T4 and 59% of the T3. 15–20 mg of iodine is concentrated in thyroid tissue and hormones, but 70% of the body's iodine is distributed in other tissues, including mammary glands, eyes, gastric mucosa, the cervix, and salivary glands. In addition to regulating many aspects of growth and development, thyroid hormone is important for mylenation of the central nervous system, which is most active before and shortly after birth.”

Thyroid enlargement, or goiter, is one of the earliest and most visible signs of iodine deficiency. The thyroid enlarges in response to persistent stimulation by TSH. But, without the proper amounts of Iodine in the system, the body is incapable of producing the T3 & T4 hormones regardless of the TSH istimulation.

In areas where there is little iodine in the diet—typically remote inland areas and semi-arid equatorial climates where no marine foods are eaten—iodine deficiency gives rise to hypothyroidism, symptoms of which are extreme fatigue, goiter, mental slowing, depression, weight gain, and low basal body temperatures. Iodine deficiency is also the leading cause of preventable mental retardation, called Cretinism, an effect which happens primarily when babies and small children suffer from hypothyroid symptoms due to lack of the element in their diets.

The addition of iodine to table salt has largely eliminated this problem in the wealthier nations, but iodine deficiency remains a serious public health problem in the developing world…what a pity, considering how easily it could be prevented by using iodized salt.

Male Infertility & Xenoestrogens

Well, after our discussion in class last week, I was wondering just how high the infertility rates due to xenoestrogens in our environment are…so I did a little research online…

Xenoestrogens by author Stephanie Trenciansky, ND

http://www.alive.com/1059a3a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=167

Hundreds of chemicals–found in pesticides, fuels, drugs and polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and food containers–either cause hormonal activity similar to estrogen, the human sex hormone, or alter the hormone’s effects. In fact, the vast majority of the 70,000 chemicals currently in use have never been tested for health risks. Yet they are in our soils as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers. They are in our water because of rain erosion runoff from landfills and agricultural lands. They are in our food supply–in animals, fish and grains. On the upside, many researchers are investigating prevention-oriented strategies to limit exposure to these chemicals. There are also many ways that individuals can avoid the health hazards associated with xenoestrogens.

Declining Sperm Counts
Contrary to popular belief, natural estrogen plays important roles in both men and women. In males, estrogen imbalances influence the reproductive systems in myriad ways. Many scientists believe that estrogenic pollutants underlie some disturbing trends such as decreasing sperm count and function, decreasing testosterone production and testicular malformations. Since 1938, sperm counts of men in 21 countries have plunged by an average of 50 per cent, reported Danish endocrinologist Niels Skakkebaek in 1991. He also found that testicular cancer had tripled. A coincidence? Possibly, but Skakkebaek suspects that the culprit in both cases is from men’s exposure (as fetuses and newborns) to estrogen-like chemicals found in their mother’s blood and breastmilk.

Dr. Devra Lee Davis, a toxicologist, and researchers from five medical centres have reviewed studies and concluded that estrogenic pollutants in our environment are inducing or promoting mammary cancers in lab animals. Both endocrinologists (specialists in disorders of endocrine glands such as ovaries and testes) and reproductive biologists have suggested that long-term exposure to xenoestrogens might underlie the apparent breast cancer epidemic in women.

Dr. Stephanie Trenciansky is a naturopathic physician in Langley, BC, specializing in women’s health. She uses nutrition, botanicals, homeopathy, acupuncture and intravenous therapies such as chelation and ozone.


Xenoestrogens in the Human Body by: Sarah Spencer and Amber Yates

http://chem4513.pbworks.com/Xenoestrogens

Xenoestrogens in Males:
The effects of xenoestrogens are do not just manifest themselves in women, although their implications in breast and ovarian cancers are the most concerning to date. Xenoestrogens have also been implicated in a number of problems in males: infertility, prostate cancer, and decrease in sperm counts.
Much of what is known about xenoestrogens and their effect on fertility and reproduction, like in studying breast and ovarian cancer, comes from animal studies.

But while doses of xenoestrogens in animals generally are not strong enough to affect human adult males (or adults in general), their effect on a human fetus would be much more pronounced because a developing fetus is much more sensitive.

Male Infertility, Some Facts:

• There are more than 20 heavily industrialized nations where the birth of baby boys has declined every year for the past 30 years - amounting to 3 million fewer baby boys.
• The number of boys born with reproductive defects has increased by 200% in the past two decades.
  The average sperm count of a North American college student today is less than half of what it was 50 years ago - 85% of that is abnormal.
• Damaged sperm have been linked to a 300% increase in testicular cancer - a form of cancer that affects young men in their 20s and 30s.
• The chemical industry has developed more than 90,000 man-made chemicals in the last sixty years. Eighty-five percent of them have never undergone testing for their impact on the human body.

One major compound under scrutiny for its possible harmful effects is Bisphenol A, a compound known to have estrogenic properties. Bisphenol A has been used commercially for over 50 years in numerous products. It is used most commenly in plastics including, ironically, baby bottles. Again, in animal studies, bisphenol A has been linked to obeisity, infertility and insulin resistance in rats. Health Canada has long maintained a view that the chemical is not a hazard to human health, but last month the federal government banned the sale and import of polycarbonate baby bottles containing Bisphenol A. This announcement followed a statement in April by the Health Minister who requested the safety margins for levels of Bisphenol A in baby bottles be raised.

(This is the wiki component of CHEM4513 "Medicinal Chemistry Seminars". In the second part of the course, student teams are creating wiki chapters on important medicinal chemistry topics.)

Week 1: Pharmaceutical Industry Control

The problem with pharmaceuticals, is the mindset of the companies that create the drugs, that own the schools, that teach the doctors-to-be; and then send reps to wine & dine them, who ‘persuade’ the doctors, to over-prescribe the meds, that they manufacture and sell. The other problem are the people who watch the advertisements on the television, that describe the new disease symptoms that they are sure that they have, who go to their doctors and tell them they have whatever it is they just saw on the T.V., and ask for a prescription for the magic pill that will make it all go away, which is why they are at the doctors in the first place.

Back when I was a kid (and we‘re just talking the 60‘s here), when my uncle was a ‘family doctor’ (remember them?), drugs were something you took only when you were really sick -and then- only for a short duration. They weren’t something that you were prescribed and lived on for the rest of your life to ‘manage’ a disease; that was what rest, healthy home-cooked food and daily exercise was for. But, that doesn’t keep the corporate bottom line growing, so over the past 50 years the mindset has changed for what is acceptable and common practice in medicine. Now the HMOs mandate to the doctors what drugs and proceedures, in which order, and for whom they may prescribe. Which is why today, one of the most common causes of death is from ‘iatrogenic causes‘, and a large percentage of which are from multiple-drug interactions.

According to the website “Your Medical Detectives”, (http://www.yourmedicaldetective.com/public/335.cfm), who report: “Iatrogenic Disease: The 3rd Most Fatal Disease in the USA

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Dr. Starfield has documented the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm in the following statistics:

Deaths per Year - Cause
106,000 - Non-error, negative effects of drugs
80,000 - Infections in hospitals
45,000 - Other errors in hospitals
12,000 - Unnecessary surgery
7,000 - Medication errors in hospitals
250,000 - Total deaths per year from iatrogenic* causes

* The term iatrogenic is defined as "induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially to pertain to a complication of treatment." Furthermore, these estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent Institutes of Medicine report. If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after deaths from heart disease and cancer.

It has been known that drugs are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.”

Besides that, the other problem with pharmaceuticals is: they don’t go away. Once you take them and ingest them, you pee them out in exactly the same chemical form that they went into your body in. Which means, for those of us who are not on public sewer systems (we'll have to ask Larry what happens in that case), they go into the septic tanks and leach fields, and make their way into our ground water…in exactly the same form that they were in before we put them in our mouths. And that means they are getting into our environment…which is part of the reason why we are growing such antibiotic resistant bugs, these days. The microbes mandate is to survive, and that they do, growing bigger and stronger and smarter, all the time. While we hapless humans are blithely unaware of the multiple pharmaceutical broth we are swimming in, of our own making.

So, do I think we need more control on the pharmaceutical industry? Ah, that would be a definite: yes.

Week 1: Shift to Electric Cars likely?

While the technology for electric cars has been around for awhile now, auto makers haven’t been promoting them because there was just too much profit in gas driven guzzlers and the status quo. But, now a large percentage of the populace has woken up to the fact that global warming is a real phenomenon, whose clock is ticking; and that burning of fossil fuels, and the emissions they produce, increase the global warming potential. So, for that reason alternative forms of transportation that minimize the use of liquid gasoline and diminish the greenhouse effect are all the rage: enter electric cars to save the day…and the auto maker’s bottom lines.


That being said, I have to say, I’m really not that impressed by the current city and highway mpg ratings that the Eco Cars at the latest Detroit Auto Show are touting. You’d think with all our technological advances, we’d be able to make economical, ecological vehicles that got better mileage! I mean really, today we have phones that surf the Internet and make videos no less (not that I really need my phone to do anything other than make a call), why can‘t we get better gas mileage on our vehicles?

So, yes, I do think that hybrid vehicles of some sort, be they driven by electrical power or hydrogen fuel cells will be a societal requirement moving forward; but, I still think we have a long way to go until they meet the needs of the consumer and the environment.

Week 1: Carbon Neutral & Our Planet

I think that the idea of aspiring to be carbon neutral is a good and worthy cause. According to Wikipedia, Carbon Neutrality “refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset.” Essentially, we would be attempting to create a balanced, self-contained, self-sustaining, living system. Certainly such efforts would reduce emissions, help with recycling efforts and cut waste on many levels.

In addition, society itself would benefit from the connections that would be made and community created from organizing individuals in various community minded projects; like neighborhoods growing their own food in shared gardens (be they urban or rural) as well as purchasing food from locally grown sources. The smaller towns and villages, and their businesses will benefit from the local, sustainable approach to commerce as well. Similarly, additional modes of public transportation (train, monorail) would need to be developed along with alternative modes of transportation (walking/hiking trails, bike trails)…which would create jobs for the areas involved. Local solutions to produce renewable energy (that don’t produce carbon dioxide) could potentially provide additional job opportunities, while creating new energy sources for the towns and cities they serve.

While the net results of such efforts are clearly win-win in terms of community building, one of the driving reasons for reducing greenhouse gases is economic: it will save money. Energy prices are constantly on the rise the world over, and this will only continue, ultimately making resources scarcer and common amenities (like air travel) harder to afford for everyone. So, it’s a no-brainer to use energy as sparingly as possible, both for the benefit of the climate and the rest of our planet’s inhabitants.

Week 1: Chemistry Quiz

Well, out of 12 potential questions, I got 3 wrong answers. Not great considering it’s 25% of the material covered in the lesson. This chemical change versus physical change and homogeneous versus non is more difficult to understand in practice, than it seemed at first. I understand now how burning wood is a chemical change -not- physical and dissolving sugar is physical -not chemcial.

But, I still don’t understand how coffee is a homogeneous substance, like water though. According to coffee-tea.co.uk, “There are many compounds in coffee that are often thought to have implications upon human health; these include Caffeine, micronutrients, LDL cholesterols and chlorogenic acid.” So, I don’t really understand how that is homogeneous (dictionary definition: unvarying, alike, similar, identical), yet impure? I understand how Salt is impure (because besides NaCl it can also contain trace amounts of minerals, depending on the source where it is mined) and I think that also makes it non-homogeneous. I’m just having trouble wrapping my head around the coffee question…