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Week 4 - LSD

           I was intrigued by research findings regarding the crystalline structure of LSD and   its attachment to serotonin receptors. Unlike many other euphoric drugs, such as ecstasy, and unlike SSRI's used for depression, LSD does not effect the release of serotonin nor its breakdown and re-uptake. Instead this research shows that it mimics the effects of serotonin. With LSD the system does not get flooded by serotonin and therefore does not undergo habituation or sensitization. It may be for this reason that it is not known to be addictive. A non-addictive drug that produces euphoria? What could be bad?              There are always so many concerns expressed about drugs that produce a change in mental or spiritual perspective. The goal of research appears to be related to how we can take advantage of LSD's benefits without having a "euphoric," or mind altering experience. Even in class we very seriously discussed the importance of having a "trained" g
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Week 3 - The human species is living as if it had more than one planet to occupy

       Living as if a new life awaited us on another planet is analogous to a poorly managed outhouse that fills up with shit requiring a new one be dug. At this juncture we know of no other planet suitable for our species so the question is irrelevant. We have to keep shitting in our overflowing outhouse that is filled with flies and stinks worse than Elizabeth, New Jersey. If only someone had brought a bucket of ashes or straw to the outhouse it might have been salvaged before filling entirely. Now it is a health hazard and starting to contaminate the water. Everyone in the community has parasites and cholera. The government is handing out antibiotics like candy. The community leader took all of the communal funds to build a golf course and can’t spare a shovel to dig a new outhouse. He says the golf course will help support the community. There isn’t enough money left to buy a new shovel so everyone is shitting willy nilly because the outhouse is a hazard. People are walking on
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BioChemistry Week 2: Radiation

Bio Chemistry Week 2: Radiation A study conducted by Michael Pravikoff and Philippe Hubert at the National Center for Scientific Research and University of Bordeaux in France was released this past week revealing that some wines from the Napa Valley produced after 2011 contain up to twice as much radiation as prior vintages. The wines were melted to ash and then measured for cesium 137 levels, a manmade radioactive particle only produced by a  nuclear reaction. The radiation was traced directly back to the Fukishima nuclear disaster in 2011.  Since the disaster ocean waters, soils, milk and fish have all been tested along the west coast of the US and Canada for radiation levels. Results are consistently well below standards for health risks. It is surprising how scientists and news articles characterize and contextualize these levels of radiation. Pravikoff repeated in interviews regarding Napa wines that radiation levels, “certainly aren't enough to affect your health,
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Week 11 Biochemistry

1) The article “Side Effects Could All Be In The Mind,” discusses research about placebo and nocebo effects. Studies show that it is not uncommon for people to develop side effects from a placebo or miraculously heal from chronic low back pain after a sham surgery. Many people discount the validity of such symptoms arguing, “it is all in the mind,” as if that were an obvious rational for a dismissive conclusion. People have no trouble believing that stress, which derives from a mental state, eventually presents physical symptoms such as, hypertension, stomach ulcers, tension headaches, or heart attack. If a mental state can produce measurable and often irreversible physical symptoms why shouldn’t we believe that the mind can also produce measurable and long term healing from physical symptoms? Bravo to to the author of this article for suggesting we harness the power of the placebo effect, which is really to say that we should pay more attention to the mind as a force for healing.
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