TA faculty have been spending much of our meeting time this past year writing, and reviewing standards. As I've thought about the standard on Reflection, I've found my own self reflecting on the phrase "let your mind dance", some words that came to mind while writing a Zoobot post earlier this year. This morning, as I was doing my usual Sunday morning web surfing, I came across an article in The New Republic about President Obama's Secretary Of Energy, Steven Chu that starts with a great example of this:
"In the winter of 1984, a young scientist named Steven Chu was working as the new head of the quantum electronics division at AT&T's Bell Labs in Holmdel, New Jersey. For months, he'd been struggling to find ways to trap atoms with light so that he could hold them in place and study them better. It was an idea he'd picked up from an older colleague, Arthur Ashkin, who had wrangled with the problem all through the 1970s before finally being told to shut the project down--which he did, until Chu came along. ("I was this new, young person who he could corrupt," Chu later joked.) Now Chu, too, had hit an impasse until, one night, a fierce snowstorm swirled through New Jersey. Everyone at Bell had left early except for Chu, who lived nearby and decided to stay a bit longer. As he watched the snow drift outside, he realized they'd been approaching the problem incorrectly: He first needed to cool the atoms, so that they were moving only as fast as ants, rather than fighter jets; only then could he predict their movements and trap them with lasers. It was a key insight, and Chu's subsequent work on cooling atoms eventually earned him a share of the Nobel Prize in physics. While it may sound inevitable in retrospect, big breakthroughs like that don't come along too often."
This anecdote captures perfectly the idea of letting your mind dance. Sometimes we face problems, assignments, situations, or blog responses not knowing how to start. Whether its a paper or a painting, what is the first word or brushstroke to put on the paper or canvass. This anecdote emphasizes the importance of non-active thinking. Letting the mind wander. Looking out the window. Giving yourself the opportunity to relax enough to allow your mind to forge some natural connection between what you already know and what it is you are trying to grasp - that elusive idea that lies just beyond your reach.
I emphasized the final sentence in the New Republic piece, because it too raises an important aspect of letting your mind dance. Very often the outcome - that big breakthrough - seems inevitable when it becomes explicit. I'm sure that every Chem 1 student would know that atomic motion slows down as temperature decreases. But it took a moment of wonder (yes, and a pretty smart guy) to experience the epiphany that this simple fact could be applied in an entirely new way in order to achieve an elusive research goal.
Let your mind dance on this last thought for the semester: Current studies indicate that the Silverback Gorilla will be extinct in 30-50 years. Ishmael’s epitaph includes the statement: “With the Gorilla gone, will there hope for man”? Reflect on this statement. Dance around some of the information you gleaned from reading The Sixth Extinction article several weeks ago on the library’s lawn a couple of weeks ago. Share your thoughts.
My summer wish for all of you is that you allow yourselves the opportunity, nay - that you make multiple opportunities - to relax and let your minds dance.
Peace- out.
Posted by Gary at 4:16 AM 0 comments
18 comments:
Thank you mr. Engler and you have throughout this whole semester been encouraging us to let our mind dance. Some of us even did a dance of ATP.
For now about the gorilla problem. It is sad that a gorilla 98 percent as close to our DNA can be going extinct. If they're going extinct I'm worried what's in store for us in the future. Gorilla's have been around for a long time and so have we. I think that more peoples "minds shoud dance" because maybe there would be a way to stop this threat of extinction with the gorillas. Ishmeal was a very sad story but I think that it has a good lesson to us all. I enjoyed this semester and I am able to see things differently. Thanks for this learning experience.
peace out girl scout!
-Elsa C.
Dancing always makes me feel better!!!
Anyways...It's sad to think that a creature so great is so close to extinction, and we are a main cause of that. I think without gorillas or many other species that are on the Endangered Species List our earth will not flourish the way that it used to.
Basically, I think humans will suffer greatly if gorillas die off, because there is this balance between all of life, and we are losing the balance when species keep dying off. Soon humans will be all that is left, and we cannot survive if all that is left are each other. We need the animals that provide us with nutrients and help create the diversity of the world.
Obviously, we need to do something, and something fast!! If we do what Ishmael told his pupil to do, educate at least one hundred people then maybe we can make something happen!!!
Later Days!
~Stacy~
As an animal we need to relearn how we are conected to the rest of the amimals. We are becoming to self centered and less careing about the rest of the world. When you look at it we really are not as different then animals as we try to be.
We have to rely on what is given to us, from the world.
To truly last as a part of the world we have to respect the way of the world. If we bring the land down we will have noting left, so how could we live.
Gabriella
Think that this question is a paradox, what I mean is what we been told all our lives that if one species goes extinct than the entire web of live collapses too. However, when you look at all the major extinction you can see that when a species goes extinct it gets filled in by another species. This replacement can happen very quickly, probably fast enough that it won't affect a thing. Who knows?
PS I like to dance too!
Personally I believe that no matter what happens in the coming years, massive extinctions or none, the earth will recover. It troubles me that mankind is probably going to be cause of these extinctions, and while I would like to do something to stop it, I don't think I could do it alone. I can live the greenest possible life I could, but unless mankind as a whole changes its perspective, it's not going to do a thing.
So we're all going to die and take most of the life on earth along with us. So I guess with Gorilla gone, there really isn't much hope for man.
So I guess I'll dance while I can and enjoy life while it lasts. Hopefully people will begin to see what they're doing to the world and there will be something done to stop it. Then everything will be happy and good. Yay.
The End. Or is it? I don't know... Why are you asking me?
-Michael D.
I find it to be a very sad and somewhat questioning topic when the extinction of gorillas is brought up. I think it is a huge problem. I mean after all, whenever I think of evolution and how we were made and developed I think of Chimpanzees. I know this isn't the same thing as gorillas, but a lot of the traits and charchteristics are the same. So when I think about gorillas becomming extinct, it makes me think of all the bad ways in which we will be effected.
The world cannot continue to strive and do well with nothing but humans on it. We need other species in order to maintain, or maybe even get back, this suitable and liveable world we once had. I myself cannot imagine living in a world without gorillas or polar bears or any of the other animals that are slowly linning up on the Endangered Species list.
Lastly, thank you Mr. Engler for a wonderful year in Advanced Biolog. I enjoyed it a lot, except for the fact that I'm pretty sure I will never get the nasty smell of formaldehade out of my poor nose! hehe, but anyways, thanks again..I'm sure I will be back to visit eventually
See ya,
-Heidi
As I sit here wondering what to write, I can't help but feel a bit perplexed and very tired. When we discuss the extinction of any animal it's a sad topic. Every animal, well almost every animal, plays a huge part in the worlds extremely diverse ecosystems. Although it may not seem like it, all organisms are connected in some way.
Gorillas are some of the most majestic creatures in the world. At this very momoent they are being illegally poached and captured for later sale. The men who go about hunting gorillas and creatures like them are very knowledgeable about jungle habitats and are almost impossible to bring to justice. It's almost inevitable that several unique animal species will go extict in he next hundred years or so.
As I said before, all organisms are connected. So it brings about the question of what the effect would be if gorillas went extinct. The phrasing in the book is "With gorillas gone, will there be hope for man?" To tell the truth, I have no idea what would happen if gorillas died out. To people like us who live so far away from any wild gorillas it seems like the result would be little to nothing; but this is obviously not true. All I can say is that without man, there WOULD be hope for gorillas.
Thank you Mr. E for letting our "minds dance" you know I am definitely one who does that!
For the matter about the gorillas. It makes me very sad to hear about any extinction, and to hear about a species that is so closely related to us is, well, it is scary to think about. So many species are on the brink of extinction and I hope that we all want to save them all. Everyone here and the gorillas have lived and adapted through the word together. If one of us dies out, what will happen to the other? If gorillas die out i think it could be one of the greater downfalls for the human race. We need every animals, every plant every person to care, otherwise we will be the only ones left. We need to move fast and make sure that something is done. We need to save the gorillas!
Now we should all go let our minds dance in the rain!
-Anya
With gorilla gone... who knows? I like to think that there will still be hope, at least for a while longer. It may be true that we're on a collision course with destiny, and in 100 years no one will remember what grass looked like, but who am I to say? I prefer to focus on the small things that I can do, like ride my bike to work and buy local food, rather than spend time worrying about the distant future. If I do what I can to make my life a little less destructive to the earth, I think I've done my part. I plan to enjoy the life I have on the earth that we have while it's here.
-Rebecca N
With gorilla gone, will there be hope for man? First, I'd like to say that there is always hope. Whether there is hope for man is another matter entirely. In only 10,000 years of 'civilization', we have managed to drive hundreds of species into extinction, and push thousands more close to the edge. It is difficult to say whether one more will make the difference. I believe that every species is vital to the survival of life as we know it on Earth, but if it is not preservation of all life and just the preservation of man that concerns us, the survival of the gorilla is probably not critical. The Silverback Gorilla has been driven so close to extinction already, and the human race has forged on, unstoppable. Once they are truly gone, will anything really change?
The extinction of organisms like plankton, which provide nearly a third of our annual atmospheric oxygen supply, is more likely to be the death of man. The loss of the ocean food chain would begin there, and the death of the ocean would lead quickly to the death of man. For centuries we have lived as if the Earth's resources were limitless, but we no longer have that option. Time is running out for the gorilla, but time is running out just as quickly for the human race. As the species that took it upon itself to tear this planet apart, it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to stop its downward spiral before the inevitable crash comes. There is always hope. Hopefully we will never have to find out whether there is hope for man once gorilla is gone.
Jennie M.
The gorilla is very closely related to human beings. If the become extinct I'm not positive of what the repercussions would be. While each species has a place in the world and helps it keep our ecosystems in balance I don't think we will know exactly how different our world would be without the existence of many animals.
Thinking about the story that is told in Ismael I wonder if it is fair for humans to live on and have our predecessors (animals) die off. What was the world created for. Though we have evolved from these creatures if they all die off then the balance that has been created will be lost.
I don't think something to that scale can be reversed so if we want to maintain something similar to what we have on this planet, reading stories like Ishmael will help educate our society and hopefully help spread the word, that something needs to be done.
Thank you!!!
Caitlin R.
The hope for man does not depend on weather or not the silver back gorilla lives or not, it is simply a reflection of what humans hold as a priority. In general we don’t care about the Earth. We don’t care if the gorilla dies or the Amazon rain forest is cut down. And goodness who gives a hoot if those miniscule krill go extinct. If it is not going to effect us right away dramatically we don’t do much. The only way to catch our attention is to start a draft or take our “rights” away. Our gluttonous was are disgusting. It is true there are people out there trying to make a change. They wake up every day and tell the world “The end is near!” They’re right, it is nearer than we think because we are all to busy texting to our friend, watching TV, or gossiping about the latest celebrity break up. Sure we want to help the Earth it is our home after all, but if it cuts into The Hills at 6:30 well the Earth is just going to have to wait.
To answer the question “With the Gorilla gone, will there hope for man”? I say maybe in a sense that man kind may go on, for a little while at least, but if we care so little about the other creatures who inhabit this earth we are bound to not last long. The beauty of the earths ecosystem is that we are all connected. Every creature down to a microscopic single celled organism found at the bottom of the deepest crevass in the ocean. From sea to land we need one another to live. Human kind seems to feel above this concept. Since man kind has become “the most dangerous animal” on earth our ego has soared we have come to believe that we were given this earth by God to do as we please or as Anne Coulter says, “God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'” These are the opinions of many humans though not all who inhabit this planet and it is because of thought like these that our race will not last long and the earth will go in for the better.
Ashleen
I found it a bit sad that Ishmael had to die. He was such a smart Gorilla. But the outcome was and is inevitable for us all. The authors mind did a whole lot of dancing. I'd say it certainly wasn't square dancing either. Gosh now I want to say something witty and unnerving, but I can't quite think of what to say.
With gorilla gone man must learn for himself and teach others thus taking Ishmael's role. For leavers this means a change and a new start from a sad ending of gorillas. But for the self absorbed takers this means no more chance for planet of the apes.
Time for my mind to dance. I will make you feel the pain of Ishmael's life trapped in a cage fed only once or twice a day, what would you do in those countless hours of limitless thought. Find someone to tell your tale to and prevent your race from future damnation.
Andrew Harhen
t makes really sad to learn about the prospect of the silverback’s extinction. I hate learning these things. Just because of our greed, we destroy wonderful living beings.
“With the Gorilla gone, will there be hope for man?” At first, I thought, what a stupid question, we don’t need a Gorilla to live. Of course, it’s sad, but we don’t NEED him.
But again, the statement can be read in two different ways. First, it can indicate, that the Gorilla in some way threatened the human life, but secondly, that without the Gorilla human life is threatened. And, pretty obviously, we have to think of it the second way. Doesn’t the extinction of the Gorilla indicate the extincion of more and more, and finally ourselves? The Gorilla is one of our closest relatives. And we caused his extinction. I don’t know if there willbe hope, if we don’t significantly change our lifestyle. I have to stop now, my last Biology lesson is over.
Thanks a lot for evrything!
I think it's quite sad that gorrillas are dying off. They're amazing creatures and it's horrible to think that we are the main causes of this.
It's not only sad, but it is a bit scary as well. Gorrillas are one of the many species that are close to extinction. If all of these species continue to become extinct, then we will have some serious problems in the future. As the diversity of animals and plants become smaller, our ecosystem encounters more problems. Soon humans will be the only species left and there is no way we can surivive that way.
katie B
Well, not to be nitpicky or anything obnoxious like that, I think the phrase was "With the Gorilla gone, will there be hope for man" not "With the Gorilla gone, will there hope for man". Just kidding... maybe... or not? You know you'll miss my probe-breaking abilities.
Anyways, more serious-like thoughts now. Many creatures are going to be extinct in the semi-near future. I believe that yes, this is mostly the fault of humans. I get the feeling we are headed for another mass extinction within a thousand years or so if we don't turn things around (which we probably won't enough to make a huge difference). I'm not particularly worried about the actually loss of that many species since its part of the grand-scheme of the world's cycle. However, I am worried that the world won't get the several million years required to re-balance. With humans having accelerated their rate of "evolution" with technology to the point where we are incredibly fast at adapting compared to other animals. If humans can't live in balance with nature by the time there is a mass extinction there may be no hope for natural evolution and animals in general.
Of course, by that time maybe humans will start creating animals that are already adapted to the world in the future or maybe just evolving animals artificially so they don't die off. It may not be the "best" option or the most natural, but maybe it will help biodiversity remain.
-Daniel G. But you already knew that.
Letting your mind dance is a wonderful way to get your ideas down no matter what they are. This is a great way to brainstorm ideas and people should do this as often as they can.
It is definitely sad to see gorillas so close to extinction. It helps represent all the other animals that are going extinct as well. Maybe this devastating effect for gorillas will open the eyes of humans. Hopefully people will soon realize the effects that they are having on the environment.
After this realization, there is still one more step. People must then find a way to to stop and reverse their ways. This will not be easy but anything is possible. If we were intelligent enough to get to this point, then I believe that we are also capable of reversing it and fixing this problem. I think a good place to start, in this process of coming up with ideas, is for people to let their mind dance.
Thank You Mr. Engler for a great semester!
-Amanda
"WITH GORILLA GONE WILL THERE BE HOPE FOR MAN? " that is the question... Whether tis nobler the mind to suffer the- just kidding. It's a yes. no, I don't know question isn't? so I ahve to answer one of those three, I just have to think first. okay other way round "WITH MAN GONE WILL THERE BE HOPE FOR GORILLA?" that one is easy, yes. They were here before us and only started to become endangered once we appeared os once were gone, it stands to reason that they will be just fine. okay so I'll work that the other way around. They were here first, so in order for us to survive they have to go! wait. the problem with that is there were tons of things here before us. I mean we could go and kill everything that was here before us but that would mean killing the world IE killing us aswell, so that's not valid. So scince the bell just rang and I am having seriuous trouble recreating this, here my point. Gorillas could hypothetically evolve into us, so with them gone when we die, we might never re-become... Yes keep them around!
Da Cleava
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