Tuesday, April 28, 2020

blog #14


Haydee Ramirez

English 1101

Professor Harris

25 April 2020

Is Thomas Edison responsible for the light bulb?



(One example of Thomas Edison’s perfected lightbulb.)

Imagine living in the world without light, other than the sun’s rays. The light we flicker on and off in our homes came along way since the 1800s. We use the invention of lightbulbs constantly during our lifetime, but have you ever wondered whose famous face hides behind this life changing invention? The lightbulb idea had many takers and many improvements added one after another. However, should we give the credit to those who made it happen or the one with the bright idea? When it is broken down, Thomas Edison invented the infamous lightbulb. Another question that is popular is as follows…what should be taken into consideration whether someone should be credited for the discovery of an idea or the invention of the idea? Innovations from previous lightbulb inventions/ideas, accessibility to more money for better supply, help from a team of experts; are all key factors whether the inventors really deserve recognition. With the help of scientists, theorists, articles, and textbooks we can gather information from all the inventors who helped produce the final product. Inventors like Joseph Wilson Swan, Henry Woodward, and Mathew Evans helped make major contributions to the lightbulb invention. Because of all these attributes, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb as he improved and commercialized the technology. After all, the rule of thumb is that discoveries apply to things that have long existed, while inventions – to things that have never existed in the past.

            One crucial understanding is that without the fundamentals of the previous lightbulbs, Thomas Edison possibly would not have been successful with his patent. As we look way back, there were infamous scientists that worked on having a successful light bulb, but each came with an issue. For example, in 1879, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed the first practical method of generating electricity, the voltaic pile (Who Invented the Light Bulb?” LiveScience.) This served as one of the earliest manifestations of the incandescent lighting. Shortly after Vola’s discovery, English chemist and inventor, Humphry Davy produced the world’s first electric lamp. Humphry Davy’s arc lamp was just a closer improvement to Volta’s discovery. However, Davy’s lamp was said to burn out to quickly and too bright for home living and work. After this, the 1800’s boomed with a development of many other electric lamps and bulbs. There was a British scientist named Warren de la Rue, whom designed a lightbulb using coiled platinum filament, but failed because it was too expensive to commercialize. Similarly, English man William Staite’s lamps failed because the batteries used to power them were also too expensive. Soon came the 1850’s, English chemist Joseph Swan, who tackled the cost-effectiveness problems from previous inventors. His idea was to replace platinum filaments with carbonized filaments. While his prototype invention was a success, it was impractical in usage. Finally, Thomas Edison realized Swan’s problem. Thomas Edison figured that a thin filament with a high electrical resistance would make a lamp practical because it would require only a little current to make it glow. With this discovery, Swan improved his lamps and founded an electrical company. Thomas Edison sued for patent infringement (“Do You Know Who Really Invented the Light Bulb?”) The two soon joined forces and created the Edison-Swan united, which served as the world’s largest manufacturers of lightbulbs. Behind their success, two inventors Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans also had a patent, but failed to commercialize their lamps, having to sell their patents to Thomas Edison (“History of the Light Bulb: Lighting Basics.” Bulbs.com.) When Thomas started to design the lightbulb, he was far from the first person to try. Instead, he was the first to commercialize a lightbulb that was effective.

 One advantage Edison had compared to the other inventors, was his wealth. He had already had previous inventions made before this incandescent, electric light. Edison’s wealth came from the infamous telegraph and the tin foil phonograph. This placed Edison at a higher advantage because there were no issues gaining expensive supplies, with a great quantity and quality. Warren de la rue, could not further his invention because the cost of platinum was too high to commercialize. Has he had the money Thomas Edison had, he could have had success? William Staite invention could not surpass because the cost of the batteries used to power them reduced the budget for his commercial projects. Thomas Edison had all the money, to gain all the supplies, the workers, the labs, and researchers he needed. It had cost $40,000 (about $850,000 in today's money.)

Another advantage Edison Had was his vast team of researches and high-tech equipment in his fancy lab. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. Edison and his team of researchers in Menlo Park, N.J., where the lab was located, tested more than 3,000 designs for bulbs between 1878 and 1880.William Joseph Hammer, a consulting electrical engineer, started working for Edison and began his duties as a laboratory assistant in December 1879.Unlike other inventors who had no accessibility to scientist and researchers working endlessly, their inventions were done single handily, which resulted in too much time consumption and less ideas. Edison was the only lightbulb inventor who had access to such an expensive team. 

On the contrary, many believe that Edison’s unfair advantages gave him more likelihood to produce a successful lightbulb. If other inventors had the same access to all of Edison’s, they too could’ve been successful. Also, those believe that said person who came up with the idea simply deserves all the credit to the invention. Those who oppose, say that said person to have a working invention, is whom deserves the recognition. When all is said and done… Thomas Edison used his attributes and it benefited him to success. Thomas Edison was a very intelligent man, who self-made all his inventions. Edison's bulb was more successful because he created a complete vacuum inside the bulb, and he used a better filament.

Unluckily, recognition for major inventions is not negotiated by historians: it matters upon markets, circumstance, and popularity, potencies not bound by precision. If people attempted to make the incandescent light bulb function, who deserves the credit? Should they be credited for the idea itself? Have a model? Would it matter how long the model stay alight? How bright it burned? In conclusion, Thomas Edison deserves his easy recognition for his invention. He demonstrated merit to earn his way up to have accessibility to anything he desires. With the use of smart tactics, he accomplished his invention. None of which would’ve been possible without his efforts and previous success from previous inventions. 








Work Cited

Palermo, Elizabeth. “Who Invented the Light Bulb?” LiveScience, Purch, 17 Aug. 2017,www.livescience.com/43424-who-invented-the-light-bulb.html.

“History of the Light Bulb: Lighting Basics.” Bulbs.com, www.bulbs.com/learning/history.aspx.

“Do You Know Who Really Invented the Light Bulb?” Awesome Image, 20 Apr.20 ,www.blueappleelectric.com/do-you-know-who-really-invented-the-light-bulb/.

Many Minds Produced The Light That Illuminated America.” US News & World Report, 27 Jan. 2020.https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/03/21/why-thomas-edison-isnt-the-inventor-of-the-light-bulb.

 “Thomas Edison Did Not Invent The Light Bulb.” Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 19 Apr. 2018, https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/or-not-thomas-edison-light-bulb/.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

blog #13

Haydee Ramirez
English 1101
Professor Harris
25 April 2020 
Is Thomas Edison responsible for the light bulb?
Imagine living in the world without light, other than the sun’s rays. The light we flicker on and off in our homes came along way since the 1800s. We use the invention of lightbulbs constantly during our lifetime, but have you ever wondered whose famous face hides behind this life changing invention? The lightbulb idea had many takers and many improvements added one after another. However, should we give the credit to those who made it happen or the one with the bright idea? When it is broken down, Thomas Edison invented the infamous lightbulb. Another question that is popular is as follows…what should be taken into consideration whether someone should be credited for the discovery of an idea or the invention of the idea? Innovations from previous lightbulb inventions/ideas, accessibility to more money for better supply, help from a team of experts; are all key factors whether the inventors really deserve recognition. With the help of scientists, theorists, articles, and textbooks we can gather information from all the inventors who helped produce the final product. Inventors like Joseph Wilson Swan, Henry Woodward, and Mathew Evans helped make major contributions to the lightbulb invention. Because of all these attributes, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb as he improved and commercialized the technology. After all, the rule of thumb is that discoveries apply to things that have long existed, while inventions – to things that have never existed in the past.
            One crucial understanding is that without the fundamentals of the previous lightbulbs, Thomas Edison possibly would not have been successful with his patent. As we look way back, there were infamous scientists that worked on having a successful light bulb, but each came with an issue. For example, in 1879, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed the first practical method of generating electricity, the voltaic pile (Who Invented the Light Bulb?” LiveScience.) This served as one of the earliest manifestations of the incandescent lighting. Shortly after Vola’s discovery, English chemist and inventor, Humphry Davy produced the world’s first electric lamp. Humphry Davy’s arc lamp was just a closer improvement to Volta’s discovery. However, Davy’s lamp was said to burn out to quickly and too bright for home living and work. After this, the 1800’s boomed with a development of many other electric lamps and bulbs. There was a British scientist named Warren de la Rue, whom designed a lightbulb using coiled platinum filament, but failed because it was too expensive to commercialize. Similarly, English man William Staite’s lamps failed because the batteries used to power them were also too expensive. Soon came the 1850’s, English chemist Joseph Swan, who tackled the cost-effectiveness problems from previous inventors. His idea was to replace platinum filaments with carbonized filaments. While his prototype invention was a success, it was impractical in usage. Finally, Thomas Edison realized Swan’s problem. Thomas Edison figured that a thin filament with a high electrical resistance would make a lamp practical because it would require only a little current to make it glow. With this discovery, Swan improved his lamps and founded an electrical company. Thomas Edison sued for patent infringement (“Do You Know Who Really Invented the Light Bulb?”) The two soon joined forces and created the Edison-Swan united, which served as the world’s largest manufacturers of lightbulbs. Behind their success, two inventors Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans also had a patent, but failed to commercialize their lamps, having to sell their patents to Thomas Edison (“History of the Light Bulb: Lighting Basics.” Bulbs.com.) When Thomas started to design the lightbulb, he was far from the first person to try. Instead, he was the first to commercialize a lightbulb that was effective.
 One advantage Edison had compared to the other inventors, was his wealth. He had already had previous inventions made before this incandescent, electric light. Edison’s wealth came from the infamous telegraph and the tin foil phonograph. This placed Edison at a higher advantage because there were no issues gaining expensive supplies, with a great quantity and quality. Warren de la rue, could not further his invention because the cost of platinum was too high to commercialize. Has he had the money Thomas Edison had, he could have had success? William Staite invention could not surpass because the cost of the batteries used to power them reduced the budget for his commercial projects. Thomas Edison had all the money, to gain all the supplies, the workers, the labs, and researchers he needed. It had cost $40,000 (about $850,000 in today's money.)
Another advantage Edison Had was his vast team of researches and high-tech equipment in his fancy lab. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. Edison and his team of researchers in Menlo Park, N.J., where the lab was located, tested more than 3,000 designs for bulbs between 1878 and 1880.William Joseph Hammer, a consulting electrical engineer, started working for Edison and began his duties as a laboratory assistant in December 1879.Unlike other inventors who had no accessibility to scientist and researchers working endlessly, their inventions were done single handily, which resulted in too much time consumption and less ideas. Edison was the only lightbulb inventor who had access to such an expensive team. 
On the contrary, many believe that Edison’s unfair advantages gave him more likelihood to produce a successful lightbulb. If other inventors had the same access to all of Edison’s, they too could’ve been successful. Also, those believe that said person who came up with the idea simply deserves all the credit to the invention. Those who oppose, say that said person to have a working invention, is whom deserves the recognition. When all is said and done… Thomas Edison used his attributes and it benefited him to success. Thomas Edison was a very intelligent man, who self-made all his inventions. Edison's bulb was more successful because he created a complete vacuum inside the bulb, and he used a better filament.
Unluckily, recognition for major inventions is not negotiated by historians: it matters upon markets, circumstance, and popularity, potencies not bound by precision. If people attempted to make the incandescent light bulb function, who deserves the credit? Should they be credited for the idea itself? Have a model? Would it matter how long the model stay alight? How bright it burned? In conclusion, Thomas Edison deserves his easy recognition for his invention. He demonstrated merit to earn his way up to have accessibility to anything he desires. With the use of smart tactics, he accomplished his invention. None of which would’ve been possible without his efforts and previous success from previous inventions. 


A picture containing indoor, object, sitting, table

Description automatically generated

One of Edison’s perfected light bulbs.















Work Cited
Palermo, Elizabeth. “Who Invented the Light Bulb?” LiveScience, Purch, 17 Aug. 2017,www.livescience.com/43424-who-invented-the-light-bulb.html.
“History of the Light Bulb: Lighting Basics.” Bulbs.com, www.bulbs.com/learning/history.aspx.
“Do You Know Who Really Invented the Light Bulb?” Awesome Image, 20 Apr. 2020,www.blueappleelectric.com/do-you-know-who-really-invented-the-light-bulb/.


Saturday, April 18, 2020

Blog #12


Thesis:  Does Thomas Edison deserve recognition for the lightbulb? //Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb


         I.             1. Better Supply

a. expensive resources

b. more chances for improvement

c. time booster

 

       II.             2.More money // research and patents beforehand



a. Joseph Wilson Swan, Henry Woodward , Mathew Evans

b. connections with higher people

c. surplus of materials




                             3.Team of Experts

a. scientists

b. research from previous patents

c. fast process


Rebuttal:

a.       Without the previous patents Thomas Edison would’ve not advanced profoundly

b.       Previous opponents could have made the final product if they had more money to invest into better supplies and research

c.       Previous opponents did not have so many connections or big team of experts

Conclusion: Although, the lightbulb had many different styles…Thomas Edison put together and extensive team and money to create a final lightbulb that actually did what it was designed to do without failure.


Bibliography:

“The History of the Light Bulb.” Energy.gov

This webpage provided me the British inventors beforehand that were working on the bulb’s life spans. With this, Thomas Edison used their research and improved the filament. They provided specific dates and details to his steps of improving the lightbulb.


Interesting Engineering / Science / Energy and Environment

This article listed all the people that deserved recognition for the infamous invention. The author, Christopher McFadden, listed Joseph Swans contributions ..as well as Nikola Tesla, Humphrey Davy ,Warren de la Rue and many more. The author provided how each scientist contributed to the lightbulb.

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Blog #11


Imagine living in the world without light, other than the sun’s rays. The light we flicker on and off in our homes came along way since the 1800s. We use the invention of lightbulbs constantly during our lifetime, but have you ever wondered whose famous face hides behind this life changing invention? The lightbulb idea had many takers and many improvements added one after another. However, should we give the credit to those who made it happen or the one with the bright idea? When it is broken down, Thomas Edison invented the infamous lightbulb. Another question that is popular is as follows…what should be taken into consideration whether someone should be credited for the discovery of an idea or the invention of the idea? Innovations from previous lightbulb inventions/ideas, accessibility to more money for better supply, help from a team of experts; are all key factors whether the inventors really deserve recognition. With the help of scientists, theorists, articles, and textbooks we can gather information from all the inventors who helped produce the final product. Inventors like Joseph Wilson Swan, Henry Woodward, and Mathew Evans helped make major contributions to the lightbulb invention. Because of all these attributes, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb as he improved and commercialized the technology. After all, the rule of thumb is that discoveries apply to things that have long existed, while inventions – to things that have never existed in the past.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Blog # 10



Making a Claim Worksheet



Before beginning research, you should have a thesis or research question suitable for a long argument essay.  The following process will help you narrow the focus of your topic into a question and working thesis suitable for argument.

                                               

1.      What is your general topic of interest? (ex: Bananas):                           

2.      Narrow that into a Specific Focus. (ex: Banana Plantations)

3.      Develop a Research Question (what do you want to know?). Must be arguable, researchable.

a.       (ex: What are the best practices for banana plantations in Haiti?)

4.      State your thesis and controlling ideas. After some preliminary reading or brainstorming what is your working thesis?  

a.       (ex: In Haiti, best practices for managing a banana plantation focus on proper fertilizing, crop rotation, and harvesting.

b.      Controlling ideas: crop fertilizing, crop rotation, and harvesting methods

5.      What types of evidence would be appropriate for your research and credible to support your claim?

a.       Identify sources that might contain information? Ex: agriculture practices in the tropics?  Journals on agriculture methods?  

b.      Identify some popular web-based sources appropriate, available, etc.

c.       What types of rebuttals or arguments oppose your point of view? (refutation)

6.       Post the completed form in the D2l drop box by the due date.



Write your answers on a new document using the format below




1. Lightbulb invention



2. Who should be credited for the invention? (Idea or Final product)



3. What factors contribute to recognition of the invention?



4. a.  The lightbulb idea had many takers and many improvements added one after another. However, should we give the credit to those who made it happen or the one with the bright idea? When it is broken down, Thomas Edison invented the infamous lightbulb.? Innovations from previous lightbulb inventions/ideas, accessibility to more money for better supply, help from a team of experts; are all key factors whether the inventors really deserve recognition.



4.b. Innovations from previous lightbulb inventions/ideas, accessibility to more money for better supply, help from a team of experts



5. a. scientists, theorists, articles, and textbooks



    b.  People who believe the idea is the invention, People who believe that previous inventors would’ve been successful if they had all the accessibilities Thomas Edison had.
c.
https://www.livescience.com/43424-who-invented-the-light-bulb.html
https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/ask-history-who-really-invented-the-light-bulb-video

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Blog #9 - Opposing viewpoints


Assisted Suicide - In this article, they provided many opposing points of view like due to disabled and aging patients see view themselves as burdens and depressive that can simply be given antidepressant medications and palliative care as alternatives. As well as family relatives taking advantage of early inheritances & violation of ethical conduct of doctors. The NCD and some disability rights organizations base their opposition to PAS on the inadequacy of current laws to safeguard against abuse.
Vegetarianism -Critics of vegetarianism have argued that meat is a necessary part of the human diet. They also state vegetarians are not as healthy as they claim. Which focus on the difficulty in getting certain vitamins and other important nutrients in a meat-free diet. Nonvegetarians may also view vegetarianism as a threat to their lifestyle and fear that vegetarians are trying to force a plant-based diet onto them or restrict what they can eat. Multiple studies have identified an association between vegetarianism and higher rates of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorders.
Cosmetic surgery-The increasing popularity of cosmetic surgery has raised concerns about the misuse of such procedures by those who suffer from certain mental disorders. The increasing popularity of cosmetic surgery has raised concerns about the misuse of such procedures by those who suffer from certain mental disorders. Repeated cosmetic surgical procedures can be a symptom of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Because the fees for cosmetic surgeries are often lower abroad, some people seeking affordable cosmetic surgery opt to take “cosmetic vacations”, which could be very dangerous if preformed by someone who is not certified to perform surgical procedures. 

"Cosmetic Surgery." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3021900040/OVIC?u=ggcl&sid=OVIC&xid=5a72f04f. Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.

"Assisted Suicide." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999159/OVIC?u=ggcl&sid=OVIC&xid=525ee552. Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.

Vegetarianism "Vegetarianism." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999016/OVIC?u=ggcl&sid=OVIC&xid=44f04796. Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Fact 8 : Music


Haydee Ramirez

27 February 2020

English Comp 1 Sec 11

Professor Harris

                                                                         Critical Analysis 
"Stand by Me” was originally from Ben E. King roughly in 1960. Since then, the song has blown up in almost every part in the world. Even after fifty-five years this song was written... the song still wields the kind of emotion heft that can reduce people to tears. The famous songs’ gives the message that as any problem shall erupt and that special someone stands by you; you will be okay. In the video “Playing for a Change: Stand by Me”, we see that the song is being played and sung all around the world. There are many diverse cultures performing the same catchy loving tone that is Stand by Me. In my opinion , I believe the person and or people who put together this meaningful video attempted to show their audience that no matter who you are or where you are , we all need someone to stand by us . This indicates that although we are all different, we feel the same way. As humans, we endure emotions.

 The video beautifully used the Written Element in their video by providing the location points in every clip that the performers were located. This helped the audience understand that any culture from any part of the world can relate to the song. The Oral element found in this video showed the singers vocals as well as any and all the instruments used to produce noise that we hear. Rhythms were blended from different vocals and different instruments, although they sound different they were put together and sounded well, complimenting the message of the video. The visual elements can be seen in the diverse backgrounds of each of the part of the world. From the beautiful clay floors in Africa to the busy happy streets of Louisiana. The video also provided a father and his daughter dancing as they were amused by the street performer. This helped us connect emotionally to Stand by Me , as we sympathize .Also, the visual cue of an airplane , lets the audience understand the song has left common ground aka : The United States of America and off to another part of the world like Russia , The Congo, Brazil, etc.Because, the video was found on YouTube … we can conclude that the Electronic element was met. This lets anyone from any part of the world to view and retain the message the video intends to give. We also see the use of electronic equipment like headphones and speakers. Some nonverbal elements include: eye contact, body movements, facial expressions and gestures that mimicked the rhythm.. These were seen from the performers as they sang and danced with passion and feeling, so the audience could engage more due to the emotion they gave off.



 The article, “What are the benefits of Music Therapy “helps readers understand how music plays apart in our emotions. The article says Music can affect a client’s attention, emotion, cognition, behavior, and communication. I believe this video compliments the previous fact very well. As the elements of WOVEN helped the audience connect their emotions to the message. The article Also states, “Functional neuroimaging studies have shown that listening to music can have effects on the core structures of emotional processing (the limbic and paralimbic structures) in both musicians and ‘non-musicians ‘Listening”. Which we may say, that whether you are listening to this video presentation or the singer. We still manage to hear and feel the message in the same exact way. This Stand by Me performance helps develop social skills and interaction by just being aware of other cultures there are in parts of the world we may not know of . It helped us perceive that all of us on earth are one big happy diverse community. Even with different backgrounds and history , together we can make something beautiful. Reading the article helps connect these interesting facts to the Play For Change video.



 Overall, the artists and people behind Play for Change presented their message beautifully by using the Standby Me song. It was a clear and happy message to the world. I Would certainly recommend the video by Play for a Change to everyone! I am positive that any human will expression emotion and hear the message out loud!


“What Are the Benefits of Music Therapy?” PositivePsychology.Com, 20 Mar. 2019, https://positivepsychology.com/music-therapy-benefits/.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Fact 7 : HEALTH


   Bones give us the structure we have in our bodies. They are accountable for our daily activities, growth, storing calcium, protecting vital organs and much more. Research has come a very long way, at least about 15 years or so. However, there are two controversial sides on how often our bones replenish themselves. One side believes, because our bones are different since birth, we have much less bones now and adult skeletons replace themselves about every 10 years. The alternate side believes the entire human body replaces itself about every 7 years.


One online explanation, I found discussing the differences between children bones and adult bones was on a medical site. (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta). They explained that, adults have 206 bones in their body, while a newborn baby has roughly 300 bones in theirs. As well as: continuous growth of children's bones, children's ability to heal and reshape them unlike adults. Why? Because babies contain heavy loads of flexible cartilage. As they mature, the cartilage hardens and becomes bone, or the fusing of smaller bones into one whole one. The writer here used their medical platform to engage readers that their statements were true and information that is important to understand for the sake of the audience’s health. This visual was targeted to a curious and help wanting audience. The article presents itself with no oral form of communication since it’s an article with text, They provided a list of specialists and even a URL to look for help. It is clear the writer wanted the reader to be informed of children's bone development and how crucial it can be. Overall, this article was informative and helpful to understand why bones differ as the human body evolves.



One video explanation, (The Skeleton Book) discussed why children's bones differ from adult bones. This video provided a physical doctor orally presenting his explanation to the audience. A nonverbal element used was the hand gestures and body language the professor gives while going over the explanation. They also provided a skeleton in the background to help explain. Although, this video was very informative, it was very short. The web articles were more helpful since they provided more details and URLs, if anyone wanted to investigate further into the topic.



 All the sources used media to present their messages using logos, as we the audience were given logical information. The articles were accessed via the web, presented written information and images. The video sources presented their media electronically, orally, & visually. I would recommend a viewer to have the video as a source for a quick fact reminder or a friendly discussion. I would recommend the articles for someone who is writing a paper and needs furthermore precise details.



  • Arias, Clemente F., et al. “Bone Remodeling: A Tissue-Level Process Emerging from Cell-Level Molecular Algorithms.” PLOS ONE, vol. 13, no. 9, Sept. 2018, p. e0204171, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204171.

  • “7 Ways Kid Bones Are Different From Adult Bones.” Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, https://www.choa.org/medical-services/wellness-and-preventive-care/parent-resources/all/7-ways-kid-bones-are-different-from-adult-bones. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

  • The Skeleton Book: Why Does a Baby Have More Bones than an Adult? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMghmH302C8. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Fact 6 : Valentine's day







 When you think of Valentines day... you may think of chocolates , flowers , and thousands of super markets covered in red, white and pink aisles. But have you ever wondered where Valentine's day originated ? or, Who was this holiday named after? Well, there are tons of versions that theorists argue to this day !

 One theory is that Valentine's day  originated as the pagan festival "Lupercalia". Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. This festival involved a sacrifice of a goat , for fetility and a dog , for purification. The goat's hide was used for strips that were dipped into the dog's blood . These were then used to slap women due to their belief that it would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in that day , the young women's names were taken down in a urn and the city's men would choose a name and be paired with their chosen woman , which often led to marriage. However, this festival was deemed " un-Christian" . Thus, the theory that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's day in the middle of February in effort to " Christianize " the celebration of Lupercalia.

Another theory is that Valentine's day originated as a liturgical feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr , or multiple martyrs. There were several Christian martyrs named Valentine. One specifically, was imprisoned and sent the first "valentine" greeting after falling in love with his supposed jailer's daughter. Another story goes on to say that St. Valentine defied the emperor's orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. For this reason, this feast day is associated with love. There are many murky legends of these Valentines , however they all share a sympathetic , heroic , and romantic feel.

Who knew such a sweet and innocent holiday had its gory and sad legends behind it? Which fact has more credibility to it though...  In my opinion , I believe Valentine's day originates from the legends of the martyrs. Mostly because , of the amount of evidence there is laid out in ancient lives of these saints .Many ancient sources reveal there were many St.Valentines who died on Feburary 14th , roughly around the the reign of Roman emperor Claudis Gothicus in 269-270 A.D."How do we know this? Because, an order of Belgian monks spent three centuries collecting evidence for the lives of saints from manuscript archives around the known world."(The Gory Origins of Valentine's Day).That same article also says..."The Brothers dug up every scrap of information about every saint on the liturgical calendar and printed the texts arranged according to the  saint’s feast day.Many may argue that , "Valentine's Day derives from a Christianized version of a pagan holiday. Just as the Christians stole Christmas and Easter, from the pagans, they took this celebration from the Roman pagans.(The Dark Orgins of Valentine's Day) so in a gist ,  If one doesn't not adhere to Christology, then why would one want to celebrate to the name of a Catholic Saint who had nothing to do with the original festival?

“The Gory Origins of Valentine's Day.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 14 Feb. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gory-origins-valentines-day-180968156/.

Seipel, Arnie. “The Dark Origins Of Valentine's Day.” NPR, NPR, 13 Feb. 2011, www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133693152/the-dark-origins-of-valentines-day.


Tuesday, February 11, 2020

FACT 5 : Wrestling vs. Running

Tailteann games in Ireland
 If running is the only form of exercise you like doing, and someone asks you what your sport was , the reasonable answer you would give is " running " right ? But is it really? The argument whether running is considered a sport is a heavy topic. According to definition.com a sport : should involve physical exertion , involve a degree of skill , should be done competively for entertainment, should have a certain amount of people participating , and a fixed set of rules. Does running fall into all of these examples? Well, to a certain extent , yes. It depends, if one simply runs from time to time at a near by park or at home on a treadmill then technically this does not go in favor of the definition of a sport . However , if one is on a school track team...then the definition of sport applies to running well. According to "8 Oldest Sports In the World" , human running evolved sometime around four and a half million years ago. According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia , One early depiction was found in the Lascaux caves in France roughly about  15,300 years ago! However , in a competitive view , the earliest cited was in Ireland , 1829 B.C , as a running competition.

                                                In contrast , Wrestling is also cited for being the first sport in the world.
Egyptian Mural around 2400 B.C
 In the old days , wrestling was a way of saying " I am stronger than you." Now , some say its just fake entertainment you see on television and others join teams and do state competitions. Is wrestling really considered a sport? Just like running , wrestling complies to the definition of sport , only in context to being involved as a competition. There are historical pictorial representations of early wrestling  , cave paintings in the Bayankhongor Province of Mongolia dating back to Neolithic age of 7000 B.C. But , Wrestling cited as a competitive sport was introduced into the ancient Olympics in 708 B.C.

Now , the fact I am concentrated on in this blog,  Is whether or not wrestling is the oldest sport or running is. After comparing and researching so many sources ... I conclude that in a Competitive state , Wrestling is the oldest sport. We cannot take cave drawings as reliable evidence .Mainly because, we cannot fully understand what was happening or what it was meant to represent . One may never know how our ancestors viewed their physical exertions as just a game or a way to show dominance. But , we do know when humans started to treat these activities as a competetion.

“Wrestling Freestyle: Equipment and History - Olympic Sport History.” International Olympic Committee, 15 May 2018, www.olympic.org/wrestling-freestyle-equipment-and-history?tab=history.
“8 Oldest Sports in the World.” Oldest.Org, 30 Oct. 2017, http://www.oldest.org/sports/sports/.
4, Matthew May, and Name *. “Oldest Sports in the World.” Pledge Sports, 4 Sept. 2019, www.pledgesports.org/2018/02/oldest-sports-in-the-world/.
Groeneveld, Emma. “Lascaux Cave.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 9 Feb. 2020, www.ancient.eu/Lascaux_Cave/.


Tuesday, February 4, 2020

 In most sources today , we are made to believe that Thomas Edison invented the incandescent lightbulb. What the articles and textbooks we read fail to mention, is the backstory of how the idea was even sparked. In , The Age of Edison: Electric Light and the Invention of Modern AmericaThe author explains that the lightbulb had many inventors rather than Thomas Edison. This invention was a very complex social situation. Who did invent the lightbulb after all?
 The story of the lightbulb goes back farther than when Edison successfully commercialized the lightbulb in 1879. The " Voltaic Pile" which consisted of discs made from zinc and copper. This was a first example of conducting electricity , all thanks to Alessandro Volta. Soon , using this idea Humphry Davy made the first electric lamp. This sparked numerous developments to different sorts of electric lamps and bulbs.

From my research, Warren de la Rue was the first scientist to develop the first lightbulb made of platinum. However, due to a high cost of platinum caused the invention to be successful. In my opinion, Warren de la Rue was truly entitled to receive all the credit to inventing the lightbulb. Next, inventor’s henry Woodward and Matthew created the very first electric lamp! But, just like warren, lack of funds costed the development. Infamous Edison was riding high on fame and profits from his gadgets for telegraph printing, multiplex telegraphy, telephone improvements and the brand-new phonograph. He knew he could pull off a well working incandescent bulb with his 40 researchers sand impressive lab.  Due to many hours of research, Carbon was the answer instead of platinum. This varied from $40,000 ($85,000 todays money) and 1,200n experiments before its big debut.
There was a growing reputation around the world for being able to take other people’s breakthroughs, figuring out how to make them practical devices, & finally marketing them across the world. It took a lot of people  to invent all the ways to adapt electric light and make it more efficient .In Argument , many may say Because Edison deserves his full credit because his version dominated earlier versions due to : an effective incandescent material , higher vacuum, and a high resistance. However, remove all previous inventors, the electric light we know disappears.