Incendiary Reflections

Slate: http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/08/07/incendiary_reflection_mirrors_make_you_look_happier_than_you_are_so_you.html

Mirror (noun): Something that gives a true representation. That is the definition if the word mirror, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It does not say a mirror is something that "tweaks...expressions...". The complete idea of a mirror that changes your face to look like your smiling seems like a complete scam. The main purpose of mirrors is to see how you look, not how a camera thinks you look in order for you to spend more money. Consequently, the name fits; the liar mirror is a liar.

I do not think these mirrors should be used in stores; however, I find it ideal for those suffering in pain or loss. Just as laughing is contagious, smiling is equally capable of spreading. Japanese researcher Shigeo Toshida shows how during her experiment, those who faced a glad reflection felt better while those who encountered the frowning angle felt sadder. Her research explains how bipolar our mood can be when we are confronted with a person with a specific mood or feeling. A person who smiles is seen as more amiable than who a person who just has a straight face or a frown. 

These mirrors should not be used in stores due to its deceitful purposes. They should instead be installed in hospitals and maternity wards. In a place where depression may be visible, a smile has the potential to lift up the spirits of those that are victims to depression. Perhaps, if placed in hospitals, the liar mirror could have its name changed to The Mirror of Happiness.

Moon Versus Sleep

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/08/economist-explains-0

"The moon controls us!!". This is the common message in the article. Don't get too excited you science fiction lovers, the moon controls us partially. The moon controls how we sleep (and yes in one way the moon controls our minds).

Scientists have proved how on full moons, people sleep less; they take more time to go to sleep and their sleep level lowers. It has also been shown that those volunteers suffered from a loss of Melatonin, which is a sleep related hormone. It is believed that in prehistoric times, humans would use moonlight in order to defend against predators.

Our prehistoric ancestors gave us the trait to be restless on the night of a full moon. I can see how the moon comes in play in this situation. Similarly to the Pancreas and Tonsil, humans still contain identical body parts and minds of those thousands of years ago. Under the same moon, we both are controlled by the same instincts and the same body parts.

This theory does not have an answer yet. Scientists are still studying why humans are so connected to the face of the moon. I have to agree that human sleep pattern's connecting to a full moon may have been derived from ancestral instincts; there are many examples that substantiates this theory. Many species of animals use the moon as an indicator of time. However, these same species' internal clock would be disruptive if their usual setting were disruptive. If a crab that glows only at night is put in a box with no light that crab will start to glow, despite being it day. Some may say this action derives from a natural instinct to survive however; the crab glowing does not make it inconspicuous and does not increase the crab's survival chances.

Washington Deficit Obsession Versus Student Victims

The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/07/the-victims-of-washingtons-deficit-obsession.html 

"Sharing is caring and it is lots of fun..." is a phrase from one of the many songs I learned in the early years at my elementary school. The teachers shared this song in order to teach us the importance and the benefits of sharing. However, the government does not regularly practice this act of sharing, especially with student loans. The government does not act like a good role model sometimes.

In our government, the effort to make college affordable is one of the few rare issues on which the differences between Democrats and Republicans seem not that wide. Both parties agree that affordable colleges can create more productive workers, thus creating a better economy. However, the government has the tendency to lead to a market-based system, which the rate on student loans would be tied to the interest rate on ten-year Treasury bonds. This simply means that the Congress had the power to choose the interest rates. With our current economy, a market-based system would reflect how the government is trying to make it harder for Americans to spend and invest money,

The market-based system is sensible for connecting to student loans in the long run; however, it is ineffective in the shore run. In the end, a student would have paid an equal amount to the market, however; Congress already has too much control of the interest rates. With the continual cycle of losing money, interest rates will continue to increase, making it harder for students to be fiscally capable and thus surely affecting the graduation rate.

The Economist: Illegal Child adoption

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2013/07/illegal-adoptions-poland 

Imagine a world where babies are being sold online. Too late, you are already living in one. In Poland, it is currently legal to post advertisements looking for welfare and support and in return, the biological mother's baby. This action of illegal adoption is three times higher than the action of legal adoption. Some people believe that legal adoption is too painstakingly long and is too high of an expectation for most couples. To many couples, illegal adoption is a quick and easy way to get a child.

Many people will say that this practice is wrong, however, it might be necessary. If a baby is to be born from a consensual sexual action, the parent must give birth to the child. Abortion is illegal in Poland, except for three circumstances, and if the mother cannot financially support the child, what would she be able to do? She won't be able to help the child grow properly and might have to commit more radical actions. From the mother's point of view, this illegal adoption process might be a way for her to let the baby live a more comfortable life. Since the mom can choose the couple, she will know for sure that her child is safe.

I do not approve of these actions but I see the necessity of them. For a woman, there are little to no legal ways for a mother to prevent the birth of her child. As a sort of compensation, the biological mother is allowed to give the baby as barter to another couple who are more able to support the baby.

History of Surgical Cleansing

The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/07/29/130729fa_fact_gawande

The early 1800's must have sucked. Sure many positives changes happened in that era but just the idea of having no anesthetics or antiseptics for surgery is too daunting. I remember how I had surgery when I was around six years old and I know for sure I would have been bawling if it wasn't for anesthetics. I also owe the success of the surgery to the practice of antiseptics.

In a sense, William Morton is my hero. He has saved me from pain, in many instances, through his invention. His creation of anesthetics have helped many people deviate from pain and be able to take a nice nap while being operated on. Without anesthetics, one could see how doctors would have to have an even more stressful job than doctors now. Today's doctors could work steadily and surely while the old doctors would have to work quickly and effectively. The pressure on the latter outweighs the pressure on the former.

Joseph Lister would also be considered my hero. His technique of using clean, new surgical tools saves many more people than of when surgeons used old surgical tools. In the 1800's, one of the leading causes of the death of women was caused by childbirth. After giving birth to a child, the mother would usually die because of the unsanitary tools were used for birth. This is one example of how antiseptics changed the surgical process better. Another example is since new, clean tools cannot transmit diseases. When doctors would reuse a surgical tool, there was the huge possibility that the blood would stick to the tool and soon become transferred to a person. this transferring of a blood could be lethal and possibility the difference between the patient's death or survival.

Where have our burglars gone?

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21582041-rich-world-seeing-less-and-less-crime-even-face-high-unemployment-and-economic

"Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone? Oh where, oh where can he be?" This little song has been share in many families as a cute, catchy tune concerning a fictional, missing dog. However, change the word "dog" into the word "burglar", this catchy tune now reflects current world problems.

In this article, many ideas are presented that may have led to the decrease of criminal activities. It is believed that the absence of a baby-boom, the increase of prisoners, the improvement of police forces, the increase of well-behaved children, and the enlargement of business's security may have led to the decreasing of crime rates. These ideas individually have flaws but some of them may have been correct. Bill Bratton, the reformer of police tactics, has done much to make ghetto, dangerous cities safe. He, arguably, could be the one man who changed the LAPD from the racist, corrupted, scandal-ridden force in the 1990s. His actions of improving the police force are justified as one of the reasons crime rate is dropping. Another point given by the article that has decreased crime rates is the increase in well-behaved children. Children growing up in "together" families and experiencing a wonderful education are less likely to turn to crime as a means of survival later on in his or her life. Instead, these children are more likely to become excellent grown-ups and lead the society as role-models for the children in their generation.

Decreasing of crimes undoubtedly has beneficial short and long term effects. In the short term, the decrease of crime is superb. However, in some aspects, one can see the negative long term side of a gradual decrease in crime rate. First of all, the decrease in crime rates leads to the possibility of the government not needing a police force, or at least not a sufficient police force. This way of perceiving the police force may lead to an inadequate amount of money to go to the police force, forcing some police officers to be laid off. The more secure a government is about protection, the less there will be the necessity of a police officer. This misconception will lead to a gradual decline of police officer and when a time arises of many officers, the government will not be ready. Secondly, one could argue how in the long term, the decrease in crime rate can lead to more stress for children. In order for one's child to live a crime-free life, the child might face oppression from his or her parent. Constant oppression will lead a child to either rebellion, or resentment to the parents. Either way, there will not be any positive aftermaths.

The Iceman Cometh

The Economist:  http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21581699-if-climate-change-takes-your-local-glacier-away-why-not-build-another-iceman

"I'm melting!! I'm melting!!!" This famous quote (or paraphrase of it) is well known from the movie "The Wizard of Oz". This quote is pretty much what the glaciers in our world are saying. Despite their demise, the water from the ice is used to actually help the world; they are used for farming. Farmers who work in valleys such as Leh and Spiti rely on melted water from nearby glaciers.  However, most of the glaciers that create the farmer's water supply have disappeared and the melted water (from higher up the peak) does not appear until at least two months later than it is needed. Chewang Norphel comes to the rescue and creates artificial glaciers. These glaciers take up the responsibilities and do the same amount of work as the old glaciers.

By creating artificial glaciers, Norphel has helped thousand of valley farmers keep their jobs. Artificial glaciers do not have any negative side effects and are very useful as an irrigation technique. Some people might claim that artificial glaciers are not healthy for the environment since it disrupts the natural course of nature. This would not be true since we only change what we have changed from before. Artificial Glaciers are simply replacements for natural glaciers since we disrupted nature with excess greenhouse gasses. Artificial glaciers are essential for many valley farmers since these farmers have no easy way to get water otherwise. The problem of the disappearance of low glaciers is no longer in effect; we have artificial glaciers.