The Great Chaco Taco Question

If a person eats a Chaco Taco every day of his/her life up until he or she produces an offspring will said offspring have a stronger affinity toward Chaco Tacos than similar individuals whose parent(s) did not eat daily Chaco Tacos?

This question (in various forms) has been pondered throughout history and most famously by French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. In Lamarck’s evolutionary theory, articulated in the late 1700s and early 1800s he said that, yes, the offspring would have an affinity for Chaco Tacos.

This notion of passing on acquired traits has been subsequently disproven and given way to Mendelian genetics which is has then further been understood through our expanding knowledge of DNA.

While Mendel’s mechanisms came onto the scene later Charles Darwin (who was born the year Lamarck published a book reasserting the idea that acquired traits are heritable) swooped in to save the day and our understanding of how life works from generation to generation, with the theory of evolution through natural selection.  

Well, this is the type of narrative you learn about in biology courses. In many ways it seems like Lamarck was a villain or at least an oaf for his role in telling the story of natural history. Maybe it is never intended in this way but as a high school or college kid looking for the right answers the Lamarckian fool scenario is an easy one to arrive at.

Today as I was reading The Origin of Species (on the beach btw booyah I love vacation) I was surprised to read that Darwin gave some credit to the idea of acquired traits being passed on to subsequent generations but then later in the same chapter asserts that the laws of inheritance are largely unknown.

This reading was a gentle reminder for me that understanding is usually more of a gradient than a strict delineation of correct and incorrect (and also that I shouldn’t make out Lamarck as the Syndrome to Darwin’s Mr. Incredible).  But more importantly, as in the past, it will continue to be important to approach life’s questions, big or small, with an appreciation for the fact that we don’t always know everything.

The Natural Selection

When faced with the selection of whether to eat a Chaco Taco or a Twix the choice is only natural. Chaco Taco then Twix.

Context

A friend passed this image on today and I think it does a great job of contextualizing these different scales. For more context consider today’s high temperature: 84⁰F, 29⁰C or 302K

So why K? The Kelvin scale is the ultimate at contextualizing temperature. K references where temperature is actually, or better said, absolutely zero.  Temperature is a measurement of the average energy of the molecules in an object where heat is the total energy in an object.  When K = 0 there is no energy and therefore absolutely no temperature.

Wait a minute what was that thinkgyou said about the molecules and the energy and the thing?

Context can help. I read a nice example that illustrates the difference.  Imagine a small cup of water and a bath tub. Both are filled with water of the same temperature. However the bathtub has much more heat because there is far more total energy because there are a lot more molecules in the tub than in the cup.

Okayyyyyy……?

As another example let’s take two more containers of water. Container A has 10 total molecules and container B has 50 total molecules.

Each molecule’s energy is represented by the numbers in the table.

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><>

Container A				Container B
	6				6	7	4	9	6
	7				7	4	8	6	7
	3				3	8	6	7	3
	4				4	6	6	4	4
	9				9	6	7	8	9
	6				6	7	3	6	6
	7				9	3	4	6	7
	4				6	4	9	7	4
	8				8	7	6	3	8
	6				4	6	7	4	6
Average energy	6			Average energy	6
Total energy	60			Total energy	300

The average energy, or temperature, of the two containers is 6. However because container B has so many more molecules its total temperature is much higher.

The Kelvin temperature scale starts where there is no energy in the molecules which is why zero K is known as absolute zero.

Cooler Heads, Fire in the Belly

It’s interesting to see amateur adults compete.  You’ll see a lot of different styles and a lot of different reactions to adversity.  There are hot heads and cool heads, acceptors and negotiators. It’s important to be cool but not at the expense of the fire it takes to compete. No matter what the style I guess we’ll keep going after it, no matter the level of competition, until the fire goes out.

Back on the Line

So it turns out that a 5 year old five dollar set of ratchet straps suspended tightly between two trees isn’t quite sturdy enough to support the weight of a 200+ pound man.  It is however sufficient to carry 50-60lb human males, even concurrently.  Tomorrow I’ll stop at Home Depot to pick up a rig rated for 10,000 lbs. That should just about do it.  And for $13.96 it will be worth a try.  If not I may have to save up for a slackline made for just that purpose but at $70+ for a starter set it will be a tough pill to swallow.

Urban Bouldering and Backyard Slack Lining

Tonight I got dominated by a climbing wall built on the framework of a backyard climbing structure.  The bottom section was simple enough but the challenge can in transferring to the upper overhanging section. It was an awesome challenge and it was only about 12 ft tall.

Then the slack line.  Basically a wide braided strap cinched tight 3 ft from the ground between a tree trunk and a fencepost.  The line looked and felt tight on approach but when I first put my foot on and applied half the pressure to step up my foot found the slack in the slack line.  My entire leg began to oscillate back and forth as I increased the pressure.  Throughout the night others kept attempting the line including all of the kids. By the end of the night 3 steps was a great accomplishment and an unaided mount was a victory indeed.

None Down – About 16 to Go

I started my summer vacation at 8:30pm tonight.  After an extended day at work and a tired bus ride home I crossed the threshold into relaxation and non-employment type productivity. Let’s get to it. Tomorrow. Tonight, I sit!

The Organizational Benefits of Blogging

I have started many writing notebooks, journals, logs, etc. but they all end up dispersed to the ends of the earth (or at least the ends of the earth that I inhabit). As a result, anything I wrote and wanted to remember was ultimately lost, misplaced or generally inaccessible.  Even of the notebooks whose locations are known to me I still don’t have any catalogue of the contents and unless I page through them they may be as good as blank.

All this changed when I started storing my journals, musings and notes on the internet via this blog.  Now if I have a faint memory of a topic I wrote on I can just search for it via the handy search bar and the pages are retrieved before I could have even found the right notebook.  If nothing else comes out of this year of writing I’ve at least learned that the internet is a great place to write.  And if I ever forget exactly what I learned I can just search for it and I’ll be prompted with this very post.

Sure I still do some jottings on paper.  Just the other day I had a few topics I wanted to capture and they all came on relatively concurrently. In this case a notebook and pen are my best tool because I feel free to jot and jump across the pages.  For some reason the scribble of my hand seams more suited for that less organized work.

Now if I could only remember what I wrote down and where I put that notebook.

Life’s big questions - Part 2

I guess I could have just said it was a miracle (read yesterdays post if you haven’t read it yet or if you are having some trouble with your short term memoryJ) (A friend and fellow blogger wrote about miracles lately. You can check out the post here) but in light of the know natural explanation the declaration of a miracle would have come across hollow, if not now then later,  and would have served to shrink the God responsible for the life described, the father of all miracles.  Again, if not now, then later.

Just a few minutes after the bug exchange the boys were eating strawberries from the garden.  The boys quickly realized that there was a scarcity in strawberry resources and that a fair and equitable distribution schedule must be determined.  However, being 8 and 10 years old, this sounded more like this: “How many do you want?” (Said while holding the bowl away from the other) and “Just give them to me.” (Said while emphatically reaching for the bowl.)

My wife stepped in as the rational mediator and reminded them that there were more strawberries in the refrigerator, strawberries bought at the store. To this the youngest again asked; “How do they get so big?” to which I, of course, answered: “Polyploidy!”

Life’s Big Questions – Part 1

About a week ago we noticed a stink bug depositing eggs onto the glass outdoor surface of our back door.  It was a really cool sight to see.  After laying an egg the bug (yes indeed a true bug) would move itself slightly over and then after a few moments lay another one.  This went on for some time until a few dozen eggs were adhered to the glass.  In her final moments on the door the bug checked over the arrangement of eggs, almost appearing to count them, then flew off.

Yesterday the eggs were opened and there is now a clutch of tiny stink bug nymphs clumped on and around their empty eggs. Though they are still small, the nymphs are significantly larger that the eggs and when my youngest son saw this he asked, “How did the stink bugs get so big?” When he asked I simply told him, “Cell division and differentiation.”

I know what some of you may be thinking, “What a dumb answer to give and 8 year old.” I must say I totally agree and after I said it I immediately realized that a much better answer would have been; “Cell division and differentiation driven by molecular processes, specifically the reading of genetic information stored in DNA, which isn’t really “read” in a literary sense but decoded by molecular mechanisms driven by the physical and chemical environments of the cell.”

Yes that would have been a much better explanation.

Ligament FYI

Ligaments hold bones together to form joints. They are flexible and strong. Ligaments are made of collagen fibers which are long, elastic proteins. The fibers are bundled together like a rope and like a rope those fibers can stretch, fray, or be completely severed.  When any of these conditions occur the joints that are connected by the ligaments can become unstable.  Stretched ligaments are typically treated with ice, rest and a stabilizing brace. Partially or fully torn ligaments are typically treated surgically.  An alternative to surgery is also an acceptance of degraded levels of physical activity. Either way a bummer.

Napping

I thought I’d get some things done this afternoon, maybe pull a bike apart and inventory what needed to be done to get it back on the road. I was reading a book on the bus and train today and after I got home I gave myself another half hour before I’d start in on the bike. I also ate a sandwich, chips and a cookie. It was pretty good. I proceeded to read, this time while lying on the couch. Outside what started as a light sprinkle of precipitation turned into a fully fledged thunderstorm which combined with the sandwich and the couch and the book for the perfect storm precipitating in a glorious and productive nap.

Pulling out of a skid

After 5 straight losses the church softball team got a burst of offensive production and topped the leagues bottom dwellers with a ten plus run victory.  We hit the ball a lot better but we’ll have to tighten up a little on D.  The funny thing is that in order to tighten up we may have to loosen up a bit.

Most Fortunate Advancements in Technology

Imagine all the time saved with the advancement in oral hygiene commonly known as the tooth brush. This simple device allows the efficient cleaning of each tooth without requiring individual attention. Brilliant!

Imagine the time required if every blade of grass needed to be individually manicured. Enter the lawnmower and the ability to cut wide swaths of grass via the rotational motion of a a 20,22 or 24” blade attached to motor. Genius!

And finally the compression technology in shorts, tights and shirts for athletics and general comfort. Need I say more? Absolutely not!

Flock of Dodos

Tonight I watched the documentary Flock of Dodos (Which is available on Netflix).  The film set out to explain what intelligent design is and its shortcomings. The first impressive part of the film was how calm the film maker, Randy Olson, remained as he talked with leading voices in ID such as Michael Behe and others.  I know from a hand full of intelligence curdling encounters, in which I have had varying degrees of success in keeping my cool, that this feat is not easily accomplished. For this, Olson should be commended.  He also did well to allow people to speak for themselves and showed the humanity and good in everyone he interviewed.

I was less attracted to the original premise that generated the title of the film.  In the documentary Olson characterized a few of the opponents of evolutionary theory as dodos.  I was put off because of the damage name calling could cause and how a likely result would be that opposing viewpoints will close their ears and put up the defensive.

As the film progressed I got a better sense for Olson’s humor and appreciated the fun he had with the foibles of scientists and IDers alike.  As mentioned above the film really humanizes everyone no matter what side they come down on.  Olson showed that the camps are made up of real characters, not just caricatures, and that was a refreshing take on the matter.

In his final analysis Olson put the ownness on scientists to be better communicators, adapting to the communication needs of today’s culture and not going the way of the dodo.

Back to Work: Confident Humilty

In a chapter I started on evolution I wrote:

The evidence for evolution comes from many areas of science. Because the evidence is gathered with the tools of science we can have confidence that it is accurate.  If the evidence is not accurate the self correcting nature of science will disprove it. 

After reading this my writing partner asked:

How does this fit with the concept of humility from the previous chapter?

He was referring to the following passage:

Humility is one of the most important things that I have learned about science, and that has ultimately helped me to continue to pursue science.  Humility in science reminds us that science is not perfect and it is limited in its scope. Good science in the purest form uses evidence to describe the natural world with natural causes.  Scientists strive for this every day and have been doing so for centuries. 

People have always been curious about the world around them and science, in a way, has always been useful in satisfying those curiosities.  That isn't to say that science has always done the best job at answering questions or even at following the guidelines described earlier in this chapter.  Some of the great benefits and great shortfalls of science come from who science is done by: people.  

While the discipline and nature of science is impartial, the reality is that science is done by people and people are not perfect. No matter what venture engaged in, people bring with them their own personal experience and bias that can color the conclusions they draw.  Science attempts to filter for these irregularities through methodology and peer review but I submit that science can never be 100% pure. 

This could have been a big discouragement to me when deciding if science was an acceptable co-author author of my life. However, the things I have learned about people and our relationship with God through the Bible, Church, pastors and friends, has encouraged me to pursue science with confidence. 

God makes it clear through the Bible that we are not perfect.  Sin has infected us in such a way that corrupts our hearts and minds so that we are guaranteed to mess up. But God also makes it perfectly clear that we are made in his image and we reflect his image to the world around us.  God is creative. God is intelligent.  A scientist reflects these same qualities.

As I reread the comments and reflect on what I wrote and the question it generated I wondered myself how the confidence of science is reconciled with the humility we are called to as Christians and the inherent humility I had recognized in science.  I couldn’t seem to articulate how the two were connected or what type of bridge brought the idea of scientific confidence and humility together. I did, however, remember that C.S. Lewis wrote on humility in The Screwtape Letters and I think his comments are pertinent.

Thousands of humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools...God wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another. God wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favor that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor's talents—or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall. He wants each man, in the long run, to be able to recognize all creatures (even himself) as glorious and excellent things. He wants to kill their animal self-love as soon as possible; but it is His long-term policy, I fear, to restore to them a new kind of self-love—a charity and gratitude for all selves, including their own. C. S. Lewis (Screwtape Letters)

We can look on the cathedral of evolution that science has built, know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, with humility.  I was reminded in a recent excellent sermon (The Wisdom of God and Human Wisdom) that all truth is God’s truth whether articulated by an atheist or characterized by a Christian and that to deny that is the epitome of arrogance.

Transliteration

This post can be read if you transliterate every letter from these Greek characters to the more familiar letters of the Latin alphabet.  Of course if you don’t have a strong knowledge of Greek or the equivalents in its alphabet then you could just copy and paste into Word and change the font to something like Helvetica, Comic Sans, or Goudy Stout. Of course as any 8 year old learning Greek will tell you, this isn’t really Greek it is just English words written in something of a code.

Hmmmm

Oh hi how’s it going..Beding, do do de de do,

zzzZZZzzzZZZ brrrring brrrring huhwhat zzzZZZzzzZZZ

may the odds be ever in your… ♫ I’ve got a feelin’ woohoo ♫ … yeah wuz up, yeah I’m in a movie… no I can talk… what’s goin’ on later…