Science

Recently I wrote a piece kind of throwing together the ideas of human evolution and personal genealogy, two things that clearly are ultimately connected because they both come down to simple genetics and who begat whom, but in reality are so separated in time that we cannot properly connect them. But those who accept genealogies and DNA tests for paternity have to accept evolution, because the concepts are the same. Ultimately genes work a certain way and we understand how they work quite well. Evolution is no great mystery or controversy. What is amazing is that Darwin, with no concept of genes, came up with a system that once genes were studied was found to fit very well how genes actually work. Genetics and Evolution started as separate fields, but amazingly the two separate fields merged almost perfectly. To me genealogy is simply what we can see up close of our evolutionary path. Once we get a few generations back, the branches of our ancestry become quite tangled and hard to see...but they are there. And their imprint is in our genes.

Recenly some new developments occurred in studying human evolution that I now want to fit into my previous thoughts on the subject. Slowly it seems like the path of human physical and cultural evolution is being outlined, and I am enjoying each new piece of information.

I am flabbergasted that someone like Ben Stein, a man who actually had a game show built around how nobody was smarter than him, would become an apologist for the anti-evolutionists aka Intelligent Design movement. His membership in Mensa should be revoked immediately for the offensive anti-science, let's pander to the extreme right narrative of the pseudo-documentary, Ben Stein is Expelled : No intelligence Allowed.

Well, when PZ Meyers, my favorite science blogger, demands we join his minions and spread the word of a counter documentary for ID propaganda, am all over it. Sit back and pass the popcorn, it's time for Expelled Exposed.

An ongoing effort of mine is to fight the misuse of antibiotics. Misuse of antibiotics has been an increasing health hazard for people, leading to many strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria that infect, and sometimes kill, people, particularly children, the elderly and the immunocompromised. Last time I wrote about this I was able to report a victory in the fight to keep antibiotics effective. Today I want to introduce the latest fight.

First, for those who want more background, the Union of Concerned Scientists has an excellent rundown. An excerpt from their site:

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise. Patients once effectively treated for pneumonia, tuberculosis, or ear infections may now have to try three or more antibiotics before they find one that works. And as more bacterial strains develop resistance, more people will die because effective antibiotics are not identified quickly enough or because the bacteria causing the disease are resistant to all available antibiotics.

Why have bacterial strains become resistant? The short answer is overuse of antibiotics. Physicians and hospitals have overprescribed the drugs, and patients have demanded them—even for illnesses not caused by bacteria. Veterinarians, too, overprescribe drugs to treat sick animals.

Republican corruption has inspired voters to vote out a good chunk of the Republican leadership. Democrats have replaced Tom DeLay and Mark Foley. This coming Saturday, March 8th, voters might elect Democrat Bill Foster to replace the disgraced Dennis Hastert. Bill Foster is a successful busiessman and eminient physicist and would make an excellent Congressman. The race is very close.

Among Bill Foster's many supporters is Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Obama has taken time out of his presidential campaign to make an ad supporting Foster:

You can make a last minute contribution to elect Bill Foster to Congress through Senator Dick Durbin's Act Blue Site. And if you live in Illinois, you can volunteer on Saturday, March 8, for Bill's campaign: Marianne_at_foster08.com.

I was reminded today by a foolish comment in another diary on Culture Kitchen by a global warming denier that this nation needs more common sense in Congress. The latest global warming denial foolishness is claiming that because it is cold this winter, global warming can't be happening. This is a huge fallacy. Trying to deny a century-long pattern based on a single season is about as wrong as you can get in science. What we need is more scientific input in Congress...and what better way to do that then electing a scientist to Congress. We have that chance March 8th in Illinois.

Corrupt Republican Dennis Hastert was the Congressman in the IL-14 district until he resigned in disgrace. Hastert was one of the leaders of the Republican Party who knew about and ignored, even covered up, the pedophilia of Republican Congressman Mark Foley.

Now Bill Foster, an eminent scientist at Fermilab and successful businessman, is running to take his place. This race pits Foster, who is against the Bush/McCain Iraq quagmire and for affordable healthcare, against pro-Bush, pro-War, right wing extremist Oberweis. The choice is clear. Bill Foster is the man.

Before he became a scientist, starting at age 19 and with $500 from their parents, Bill and his brother built a company that now manufactures over half of the theater lighting equipment in the United States. At Fermilab Bill is a leading scientist in elementary particle physics. He has also managed several multimillion dollar accelerator construction and research projects, and led teams of engineers and physicists to help build the latest round of Fermilab's giant particle accelerators. An impressive career as a businessman, scientist and manager. Experience that would be excellent in Congress.

Race, ethnicity, culture, family...all important to people. But usually we think of these things completely separate from reality.

I have been reading several books that together have put some of this into perspective. Each of us are part of the whole sweep of human evolution, and we are all related in a very real, genetic way.

This man might be your ancestor:

(Ramesses II, king of Egypt, 13th century BC)

Yep, I bet lots of people today could, if only we had all the information, trace their ancestry back to this man. I would guess somewhere in the millions of people today are his descendants.

Go back far enough and we are all related. This is a fact. Or, more precisely, every little piece of our DNA ultimately derives from a common ancestor that can be traced back to some specific time and place.

This has most accurately and famously been done with our mitochondrial DNA. This DNA is something we all get from our mothers, so it is a strictly maternal descent. Men contribute nothing to it. In 1987 an amazing paper in the Journal Nature presented an analysis of modern mitochondrial DNA to show that all human beings can trace their mitochondrial DNA back to a common ancestor living in East Africa some 100-150,000 years ago. At that time some 20,000 anatomically modern humans were around.

Dennis Hastert was the Congressman in the IL-14 district until he resigned in disgrace.

Now Bill Foster, an eminent scientist at Fermilab, is running to take his place. This race pits Foster, who is against the Bush/McCain Iraq quagmire and for affordable healthcare, against pro-Bush, pro-War right wing Republican Oberweis. The choice is clear. Bill Foster is the man.

Today Barack Obama has endorsed Bill Foster for Congress in the special March 8 election in IL-14. Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The campaign of scientist and businessman Bill Foster announced that Democratic presidential candidate and Illinois favorite son Barack Obama has cut a broadcast TV ad stating that Foster can "deliver change" in Congress.

"Barack Obama and I stand together for change. We want our troops home safely and responsibly, not in Iraq for 10 years or 100 years. We want to invest in American jobs, not send American jobs to China. We want health care that costs less, not an end to employers paying for health care for their workers," said Foster, a physicist who worked at Fermilab in Batavia for 20 years after starting a successful theater light company with his brother that has created hundreds of jobs in the Midwest.

The 30-second Obama endorsement spot is a positive ad that clearly establishes Foster as the change candidate in the special election to replace retired Congressman and former House Speaker Denny Hastert in Illinois' 14th Congressional District.

Interested in a discussion online about carbon emissions and real, science-based solutions to global warming? This comes from the Union of Concerned Scientists:

A Target for U.S. Emissions Reduction

Join Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel for free web seminar on the analysis for determining “A Target for U.S. Emissions Reductions.” Following a presentation on the findings, will be a Q&A session.

Date: February 20, 2008
Time: 2:00 pm (EST)
Click here to RSVP. Directions on how to join will be emailed to you.

Substantial scientific evidence indicates that an increase in the global average temperature of more than two degrees Celsius (°C) above pre-industrial average (i.e., prior to 1860) poses severe risks to natural systems and human health and well-being. The European Union as well as climate legislation moving through the U.S. Congress both employ 2°C as a guide for policy goals.

A recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and scientists at Stanford University and Texas Tech University analyzes available options for industrialized and developing nations’ respective share in reducing emissions. The study found that the United States must cut its emissions by at least 80 percent below 2000 levels by 2050, along with a global effort to make deep emission reductions, if the world is to stay below the 2°C policy target. Cutting emissions soon is essential.

Alaska Pre-History from a Darwinian Standpoint.
Start Date and Time: 2008-02-12 19:00
Event Website: http://www.auofak.org

Activities:
The event will be held at the Alaska Museum of Natural History with Museum Director Katch Bacheller presenting information on geological and evolutionary changes occurring in the Great Land. Se will guide a free museun tour for early arrivals. Introductions ny Museum Board member Gordon Harper

Address:
201 N Bragaw Street,
Anchorage, AK UNITED STATES
Sponsor: Americans United of Alaskla
Contact: Al Sundquist, stellar_at_yahoo.com, 907-562-7522

Jacksonville: Tracing Our Ancestors the DNA Way--An Anthropological Adventure
Start Date and Time: 2008-02-06 11:00

Activities:
Dr. Connie J. Mulligan, an internationally-recognized anthropologist and geneticist from the University of Florida, will speak on using molecular technology to trace our human origins in the Americas and Africa.

Address:
Florida Community College at Jacksonville-North Campus, 4501 Capper RD
Jacksonville, FL UNITED STATES
Sponsor: Natural Sciences and Student Engagement
Contact: Paula Thompson, PhD, pthompso@fccj.edu, 904-766-6530