Human Biology and Space Radiation Issues

Sometimes natural disasters remind us of just how fragile human beings really are, and then afterwards we realize how resilient humans can be, as we find inspiration to rebuild and not give up - it's just amazing to me really. Although they may not seem so at the time, natural disasters here on Earth are not the end of the world. If you have a few moments I would like to discuss this with you from a philosophical standpoint, and offer some guidance on what we can learn by studying and doing research on these things for the future.

You see, after the giant Japanese Earthquake, I'd written an interesting piece titled; "We should study the radiation effects of the Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami Fukishima Nuclear Power Plant Disaster and Apply What We Learn for Future Space Missions." Why you ask? Simple really, in space our astronauts and travelers will be subject to a massive amount of space radiation.

Top 10 Things You Wish You Knew About Butterfly Wings

We tend to admire butterfly wings for their captivating beauty. Our negligence in overlooking other fascinating facts about these wings is therefore quite excusable... but wouldn't you like to know more? Here are our top ten (well, maybe more) facts that you will be excited to learn.

Butterflies Have Scaled Wings

The scientific name for the butterfly/moth family is Lepidoptera. This word is derived from Greek roots meaning "scale wings." For scientists, the most obvious feature that separates butterflies and moths from other insects is their scaled wings. While we may not notice this immediately, closer inspection of a butterfly reveals the fact that their wings are made from tiny scales that are actually bulbous, modified feathers. The pigments of the scales on their wings come either from chemical pigments such as melanin or from plants and waste that build up during metamorphosis. 

Depletion of Biodiversity of Jharkhand State of India

INTRODUCTION:

The term biodiversity was coined by Walter and Rosen in 1985, which is the abbreviated word of Biological Diversity. The biosphere constitutes a vital life support system for man and its existence of human race. The newly formed state Jharkhand of India is very rich in biodiversity due to its diverse physiographic and climatic conditions. The Jharkhand state is situated between 21°58'10" to 25°18' N Latitude and 83°22' to 87°57' E Longitude. Jharkhand forms part of the Chotanagpur plateau province of the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone. As the name of the state suggests, it is having a good covering of forests (reserved forest 4,387.20 sq km, protected forest 19,184.78 sq km and unclassified forest 33.49 sq km). The forest of the state includes tropical dry deciduous, moist deciduous, dry peninsular and dry mixed deciduous forest. The forests form catchments of the three main rivers - Koel, Damodar and Subernekha. 

A Look Into: Mutations

Contrary to popular media, mutations are not always as great as they are made out to be. They do not constitute to super powers as many would like to believe, although sometimes they provide beneficial traits that can help out a species. For example, an organism may develop a mutation that codes for a certain color that allows it to camouflage from its predators. This will then give the organism a better chance to reproduce and the potential for a resulting new population of its species thanks to its particular trait. Though, most of the time mutations lead to hindrances that affect survival because changes are more likely to cause a problem to the intricate system of nucleotide translation. Mutations result from damage in an organism's DNA. They can occur either spontaneously during DNA replication or through exposure to factors that increase the chances of acquiring mutations, mutagens. An example of a mutagen is the UV light radiation from the sun's rays, which is why you hear that you should not sunbathe constantly because doing so will continuously expose the skin to this type of radiation and can result in a mutation that causes adjacent thymine bases in DNA to dimerize and potentially lead to skin cancer.