Perhaps you've heard of Columbia University's Biosphere II project at their campus in Tucson Arizona. At least some of the hypothetical greenhouse gas theory was derived from those experiments, at least some of the original components of the theory. The funny thing is that the Biosphere II project was sponsored by the Hunt Brothers, who were in the oil and gas business.
No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I'm not going to tell you that the oil and gas industry loves the global warming theory because it keeps their prices high because all the new competition being brought forth is not reliable energy or suitable to compete with fossil fuels which are packed with energy. So, I'm not going to say that here. Rather, I would like to speak to the knowledge gained from those experiments that had to do with heat stress.
You see, I have some close friends that live in New Jersey and they have greenhouses and they grow specialty plants for commercial real estate customers. In the summertime it's hot and sweaty in New Jersey, but go inside one of those greenhouses and the amount of thermal stress makes you want to leave pretty quickly, that or go naked. Seriously, it's very hard to deal with, it's very uncomfortable.
Now then, what if we are to create an enclosed and encapsulated biosphere in a space colony on another planet or on the moon? What about the heat stress, we are going to have to have sophisticated air-conditioning systems, it will matter. We want to keep the temperature at a comfortable level, but we will also wish to help the human immune system by slowing down the rate of growth of bacteria and other things that find their way into the colony, and the best way to do that is to keep the temperature lower, this is why hospitals often have a chill factor.
In August of 2004 there was an interesting article put out by NASA (NASA/TM - 2004-212824) titled; "Stress, Cognition, and Human Performance: A Literature Review and Conceptual Framework," by Mark A. Staal of Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, which speaks to many of the issues concerning cognitive performance in various conditions, and there are several sections on "heat stress" and it appears that this is going to be a real issue for space colonies, orbiting space stations, and long-term space flight. Humans perform best, and live longest in temperatures of 70-79 degrees Fahrenheit and with a low humidity.
It takes energy to create both air-conditioning, or heat and that may not always be in abundant supply despite the constant need for the enclosed atmospheric biosphere. Here are some other issues were going to have to consider;
Depression
Mental Health
High-end Cognition and Performance
If the temperature is too cold, and the body temperatures are not kept at the proper rate, or there is not enough food for their bodies to have the energy to keep themselves warm, we may find ourselves with depression in a space colony, and that can lead to anxiety, personality challenges, mental health issues, and it could even affect the performance when doing high-intensity mental tasks. We need to get the temperature exactly correct. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
Showing posts with label Human. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Human. Show all posts
Monday, 15 October 2012
Friday, 14 September 2012
How to Learn Human Anatomy Easily and Quickly
If you are a high school student, college student, or someone entering the medical field, you will need to take an all-important human anatomy and physiology course. The course is technical and enormous and will present a challenge to your time.
As a result, it will be necessary to seek resources that will make your study process faster and easier. Most professionals would agree that video and visual illustrations greatly aid in learning and retention. There are several online programs or courses that incorporate visuals and audios that facilitate learning and offer systematic study of this difficult course. Also available, is "software" that greatly simplifies this challenging study of human anatomy and physiology.
You should pursue those anatomy tutorials using both video and audio senses to help you learn the content in a step-by-step approach. Every part of the body can be placed in one of the many systems. Each system of the human body should be studied one at a time with visuals that reinforce the content making learning easier.
Another formidable undertaking in your task of learning anatomy is memorizing medical terms. Of course it is an advantage to find software or online programs that simplify the content. One great idea for memorizing is using "flash cards" with terms on one side and definitions on the opposite. The cards can be self-made which will require some of the time which you are trying to conserve. The internet is a good place to search for ready-made flash cards with wording already printed. Bookstores can be another source for finding these aids.
It is important to remember that each system of the human body is inter-related with the next. Most professionals agree that learning anatomy should be broken down into "systems" beginning with the skeletal system. These human body systems should follow in a proper sequence: Physiology and Actions of Muscles, Digestive, Respiratory, Urinary, Reproductive, Cardiovascular and Other Circulatory Systems, Endocrine, Nervous, and Muscular-skeletal. Approaching this course in this manner will lessen your fears of grasping the knowledge and make your study less daunting.
Learning the structure and functions of the human body may be a demanding task. But you can approach your study with greater confidence knowing that you can acquire the tools to grasp the knowledge more easily and quickly. Your academic success can be made easier and your accomplishment made quicker as you search out those resources that simplify your study.
As a result, it will be necessary to seek resources that will make your study process faster and easier. Most professionals would agree that video and visual illustrations greatly aid in learning and retention. There are several online programs or courses that incorporate visuals and audios that facilitate learning and offer systematic study of this difficult course. Also available, is "software" that greatly simplifies this challenging study of human anatomy and physiology.
You should pursue those anatomy tutorials using both video and audio senses to help you learn the content in a step-by-step approach. Every part of the body can be placed in one of the many systems. Each system of the human body should be studied one at a time with visuals that reinforce the content making learning easier.
Another formidable undertaking in your task of learning anatomy is memorizing medical terms. Of course it is an advantage to find software or online programs that simplify the content. One great idea for memorizing is using "flash cards" with terms on one side and definitions on the opposite. The cards can be self-made which will require some of the time which you are trying to conserve. The internet is a good place to search for ready-made flash cards with wording already printed. Bookstores can be another source for finding these aids.
It is important to remember that each system of the human body is inter-related with the next. Most professionals agree that learning anatomy should be broken down into "systems" beginning with the skeletal system. These human body systems should follow in a proper sequence: Physiology and Actions of Muscles, Digestive, Respiratory, Urinary, Reproductive, Cardiovascular and Other Circulatory Systems, Endocrine, Nervous, and Muscular-skeletal. Approaching this course in this manner will lessen your fears of grasping the knowledge and make your study less daunting.
Learning the structure and functions of the human body may be a demanding task. But you can approach your study with greater confidence knowing that you can acquire the tools to grasp the knowledge more easily and quickly. Your academic success can be made easier and your accomplishment made quicker as you search out those resources that simplify your study.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
The Human Body Is Adaptable to Changes in Heat and Humidity Regardless of Genetic Heritage
Some folks think that because they are white, black, or some other skin color that they do better at certain temperatures. Okay so, scientifically speaking this is true, but it hardly matters in the mid ranges, generally it is significant at the extremes of the temperature scale - hot or cold, but in the middle, well, most humans regardless of gene set, gene expression, color, or race all like the mid to upper-60s, 70s, 80s, and low to mid-90s Fahrenheit the best. Okay so, let's talk about those Caucasian people for a moment, what are the issues with their ideal temperature for that specific gene set?
First, let's get straight the reality that most folks have mixed gene sets by now, we are melting together, and this has several advantages, yes, even for heat stress or "thermal stress" as the physiologist researchers call it. So, now that we have that understood as a condition of moving forward on this topic, let's continue.
In fact, in the Journal of Applied Physiology there was a paper published in 1963 titled; "Heat reactions of Caucasians in temperate, in hot, dry, and in hot, humid climates," by CH Wyndham, RK MacPherson, Et al. which noted that Caucasians seemed to acclimate to the change in temperature and weather and once they did their new re-set bio system gapped over half-the-difference, between those who were un-acclimated to the new climate they had just arrived in.
Although the study didn't address the native gene set in the warm hot dry climates (native Africans) or the humidified climates (islanders), it did show a huge metamorphic change in how the body adapted. Which brings me to another point seeing as I happen to be a white Caucasian living in a desert resort town with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees in the summer months. Your blood thins out, and your body deals with the new temperature and climate changes - quite nicely actually - well that plus a little less time in the sun, and more spent inside in the air-conditioning.
Still, having enjoyed walks, jogs, and bike rides in the 105 plus day heat, usually forgoing days any hotter than that, and realizing it is a dry heat here for the most part, I can see a huge change in my own body, even as it attempts to maintain higher levels of water to adapt to the condition, as if it has cellular memory of the previous week. Pretty neat evolutionarily evolved apparatus this human body is. Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
First, let's get straight the reality that most folks have mixed gene sets by now, we are melting together, and this has several advantages, yes, even for heat stress or "thermal stress" as the physiologist researchers call it. So, now that we have that understood as a condition of moving forward on this topic, let's continue.
In fact, in the Journal of Applied Physiology there was a paper published in 1963 titled; "Heat reactions of Caucasians in temperate, in hot, dry, and in hot, humid climates," by CH Wyndham, RK MacPherson, Et al. which noted that Caucasians seemed to acclimate to the change in temperature and weather and once they did their new re-set bio system gapped over half-the-difference, between those who were un-acclimated to the new climate they had just arrived in.
Although the study didn't address the native gene set in the warm hot dry climates (native Africans) or the humidified climates (islanders), it did show a huge metamorphic change in how the body adapted. Which brings me to another point seeing as I happen to be a white Caucasian living in a desert resort town with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees in the summer months. Your blood thins out, and your body deals with the new temperature and climate changes - quite nicely actually - well that plus a little less time in the sun, and more spent inside in the air-conditioning.
Still, having enjoyed walks, jogs, and bike rides in the 105 plus day heat, usually forgoing days any hotter than that, and realizing it is a dry heat here for the most part, I can see a huge change in my own body, even as it attempts to maintain higher levels of water to adapt to the condition, as if it has cellular memory of the previous week. Pretty neat evolutionarily evolved apparatus this human body is. Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
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