Biology 202 Web Paper 1

It all started during one of my father’s parties for the teachers at his psychiatric institute and their recently graduated students. As usual I was bored out of my mind and had fled to hide in my room listening to music in my ball gown. I had to run downstairs for a few minutes every hour or so or else my mother would realize I was gone, but before I even hit the bottom of the stairs I realized something was very very wrong. All the guests were lying on the ground of the dinning room, completely still.  My sister, Jessa, was sobbing in the corner repeating of and over again “I didn’t mean to do it”,while my mother pulled the bodies out to t

A web search of the words “reptile behavior” will likely show you a number of less-than-stimulating explanations. For example, Encarta Encyclopedia’s section on reptile behavior exclusively discusses the reptilian inability to thermoregulate (1). A search for “reptile brain” may bring up a common view that mammalian brains contain “layers of more sophisticated reasoning” over a reptilian foundation (2). Essentially, our lack of understanding has caused us to pigeonhole these creatures to a simplistic and inferior place in relation to mammals, but how valid and conclusive are our assumptions? What is our evidence?

Studies have shown a link between commonly prescribed beta-blockers and the storage of strong, emotionally charged memories.  Taking beta blockers may allow one to dull the emotional trauma of an event by creating a less emotional memory experience.  This could create new treatments for disorders such as PTSD, however whether this is a good way in which to deal with traumatic events remains controversial (1).

Personal identification and the self have long been considered points of debate relevant in philosophy and religious thought. Considered the central text of Hindu philosophy, the Bhagavad-Gita is a prime example of literature which concerns itself with the multitude of layers surrounding the study of the ego and an everlasting consciousness. The Gita states, “[a]s a man discards worn-out clothes to put on new and different ones, so the embodied Self discards its worn-out bodies to take

The body is a well-oiled machine, generally not faltering in its steps. The ability to always breathe on time, and make the heart beat at the right moment, is due largely to the nervous system and the brain. The nervous system is comprised of neurons that send and receive signals, resulting in an output, or some sort of response to the stimuli. What happens if the stimulus being sent is interrupted or altered, due to an exterior influence? The use of drugs such as LSD is an example of such a case, in which the body responds to an altered stimulus, resulting in an altered perception. These altered perceptions are better referred to as hallucinations.  

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: More than Psychological

The genius of the scientific method is that it accepts no permanent solution. Skepticism is its solvent, for every theory is imperfect. Scientific facts are meaningful because they are ephemeral, because a new observation, a more honest observation, can always alter them.

-Jonah Lehrer