Wake me up early, and I am not exactly what you would call "fun to be around." Aside from my disheveled hair and puffy eyes, I am slow-moving and atypically snappy. If I must choose, I prefer to wake up early in the summer rather than in the winter, which may come as a surprise. There is nothing worse than waking up while it's still dark outside. Nothing.
On the flip side, if you find me around 9 or 10 p.m. on any given day, I am energetic and feeling alive. Even sometimes before I'm about to sleep I'll catch a second gust of wind and be ready to sail for a few more hours.
A recent scientific discovery might help shed light on the vast differences between Morning Birds and Night Owls. The study published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms asserts that there is a significant difference in brain function between people who claim to be more active in the morning and people who claim to be more active at night. Scientists tested the excitability in the brains of study participants, and learned that the levels of excitability between Morning Birds and Night Owls are completely opposite: Morning Birds' brain activity is most excitable at 9 a.m., whereas Night Owls' brain activity is most excitable at 9 p.m.
So, perhaps there is scientific reasoning behind my morning crankiness and my evening liveliness, after all.
The word "dinosaur" can trigger many emotions. Some shudder in disgust at the beasts that maintain the reputation of ferocious savages. Some might remember the magnetic books that author Michael Crichton penned and director Steven Spielberg recreated on the golden screen. And some, like myself, may be completely fascinated by the mysterious creatures that once roamed our planet. And recent findings prove that these creatures might be even more mysterious than we can fathom.
A June 21 article published in the Journal of Zoology asserts that a formula created 25 years ago to calculate dinosaur mass is terribly inaccurate. The paper states that dinosaurs, which have always been thought of as massive beasts, were much smaller than originally presumed. In fact, in some cases they were actually half of the size they were initially thought to be. After reworking the formula, scientists have already begun to recalculate the masses of dinosaurs. For example, the Brachiosaurus, once thought to have been 35 tons, was actually 18 tons.
This discovery must be shocking, overwhelming, and in some ways unsettling for the scientists who have dedicated their lives to uncovering the secrets of dinosaurs. Imagine fully trusting and believing in something with 100 percent confidence, only to learn that it is totally untrue. At the same time, however, I can't help but hope that this new discovery is exciting for the scientists. It certainly is a bump in the road, but perhaps it will open new doors to learning more about dinosaurs. How is that not exciting?
This is once again a humble reminder that there is still so much for us to learn. Our short time on this earth has granted us time enough to make discoveries, to form hypotheses, and to explore nature. But the job is very unfinished. In fact, I don't think it ever will be finished. There are still new species waiting to be found and new lands awaiting our exploration. It has always amazed me that mankind acts like it knows so much, when in reality it knows so little.
Here it is: During a CNBC interview this week with John Harwood, a fly began buzzing President Obama's head. In an effort to continue with the interview without further distractions, Obama successfully swatted and killed the fly.
When I first learned about this situation, I must admit that I was surprised people even cared. I've spent the past three years studying journalism at the University of Oregon, and amidst the tedious grammar and essay writing, I've learned a fair amount about newsworthiness. It makes sense. As a journalist, you report what people want to hear about. In this case, are people really going to care about Obama swatting a fly? And God forbid, if he killed one in front of the public eye, imagine the others insects he's taken down. Really? Really, America? Is this something you have a deep interest in? Outside of the pure comical aspect of it, is it really necessary to create such a buzz? Well, leave it to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am a self-proclaimed PETA fan and I even have a history of working at my local zoo's Insect Zoo. Although PETA can be pesky and seemingly unreasonable at times, I have always admired its strong and educated stances on issues. And I almost always free the little spider that snuck in through the cracked window, or even the giant wasp that's dive-bombing my head. My conscience doesn't let me kill the little guys. But all of that aside, I can't help but laugh at this hole that Obama has unintentionally dug himself into. PETA certainly has earned a reputation for taking things to the next level, and often times taking situations too far. In this case, I have to say PETA may have done it again.
Even CNBC proudly showcases the video of Obama precisely targeting and then slapping the fly on its website. The clip even has the caption, "The President shows a winged pest who is Commander in Chief." Not exactly compassionate. In the clip, interviewer Harwood even commends Obama with a triumphant "Nice!" after the fly falls to the ground.
In PETA's defense, its website does claim that the media are the ones who began this controversy by contacting PETA and asking for its stance on this issue. But although PETA didn't necessarily initiate this dispute, the organization still has a strong opinion. PETA wasn't hesitant to announce that no matter how small the creature, it's still against any kind of harm. Still, the statement released on its website almost serves to patronize Obama. It says, "As we all know, human beings often don't think before they act." Ok, let's run with this. Our president, whom we elected, doesn't think before he acts? We are at war and in an economic crisis. In my opinion, he has much more important things to be thinking about than a droning fly's life.
I can definitely respect PETA's stance, but at the same time, I don't think Obama was in the wrong at all and I certainly don't think this incident was a result of Obama not thinking before he acted. For a good laugh, watch the clip.
I am a senior at the University of Oregon in the School of Journalism and Communication with a focus in public relations. Animals continually fascinate me and I never tire of learning about them. Learning to cook is a constant struggle, but my determination to bake cookies without burning them is still here. Traveling and meeting new people are two passions that I hope to pursue my entire life. I'm regularly indecisive, painfully clumsy and always curious.
