Friday, December 17, 2010

Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
This book was on the New York Times Bestseller list and has had quite an impact on the fast food industry.  I found this book fascinating from the beginning with the history of the first fast food restaurants in California.  One of the pioneers stated that finally a ‘family could dine out’ when referring to a McDonald’s!
The author goes on to talk about the meat packing industry and the problems with E. Coli 0157:H6. You may remember some of the Carl’s Jr. hamburger places along the west coast having customers who became extremely ill and some who died as a result of the contaminated meat.
Ever nibbled some raw cookie dough?
There is a movie “Fast Food Nation”
The author is one of the writers for the movie. It has an ‘R’ rating so maybe you can find an edited version. But the story is based on the ideas from the book.
After the scary information about slaughterhouse conditions and possible contamination many have decided to become vegetarians.  Do you know there are multiple types of vegetarians? Some eat NO meat or animal products (no milk, no eggs), and some just don’t eat red meat.  There are religions which encourage the followers to follow specific diets for health reasons and some even document reduced rates of some cancers!
One concern of the medical profession about the vegetarian diet is insufficient protein. If you think you want to quit eating meat be sure to research how you can get enough protein into your diet.  But, some of you may be thinking…eating animals is inhumane.  What about plants? They are living beings too!!! Do some research and investigate how you can eat a healthy diet.
Food preparation is vital for a healthy diet. The Fast Food Nation addresses some of the concerns for people eating food that may have to be recalled.  School lunchrooms buy food in bulk and can have a huge impact if they are sold contaminated meat or produce.
What do you think the economic impact might be when food is contaminated? Who pays for the hamburger that gets recalled? How can we prevent contamination and keep our nation healthy?  Would our food supply be a good way to control our country?
Although, I didn’t read every word of this book…it is easy to get started and it has lots of chapters so even if you skip around you get lots out of it. I would love to hear your comments.

Genetics Reading!

GENETICS
Cheng & Eng by Dann Strauss
Tells about Cheng & Eng Bunker, conjoined twins or sometimes called ‘Siamese Twins’.
I bet you didn’t know they each married and fathered children!!! (It gets a little racy.)
This book is fiction but based on the true story of Cheng & Eng.  They were real men with real issues.  They were identical twins so they were formed from one egg and one sperm.  After the sex cells combined they began to divide and then at some point, rather than separate completely they stayed attached by a small bit of tissue.
FYI:  Alex Sink, candidate for Florida Governor is related to Cheng & Eng!!!
Types of Twins
There are IDENTICAL twins and FRATERNAL twins.  In identical twins, like Cheng and Eng Butler, the same egg/sperm separate (usually completely).  In fraternal twins, you have multiple eggs being fertilized by different sperm.  This is the same process in many mammals.  The kittens and puppies are formed by multiple eggs being released at the same time and each one being fertilized and implanted into the uterus.  Each offspring will likely have their own placenta and umbilical cord to obtain nutrients while they are developing.
The problem with conjoined twins is the amount of joined tissues.  Sometimes the babies share vital organs and separation results in the death of one child.  Imagine being the doctor or the parent when this happens!!!
These girls are 16 and their parents chose to keep Abby and Brittany together.
Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf- separated in a 14 hour operation! April 2010
A TWIN website:
My sister has twin boys and she joined a club called Mothers of Twins!!!
They often shared ideas and tips on keeping track of which one is which.  My nephews had to be color coded when they were little.  I knew Carsten wore BLUE and Tomas wore GREEN!!! Otherwise, it was impossible to tell them apart!
READING IS EXCITING!!!
This book is an interesting story about two men with a unique problem.  You have a chance to look into their world and imagine what it would be like to have your brother or sister with you wherever you go!!!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Dr.Dunn

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Welcome to Science Stuff Blog

Hi!

Have you ever wondered about viruses?  I mean, we all get colds and flu but have you ever thought about serious viruses?  Things that are deadly?

One of the scariest viruses is Ebola.  Did you know that there was an Ebola scare in Reston, VA?  Within a short drive of the White House is a research facility where monkeys were housed.  Something happened and a monkey with Ebola escaped from his cage and there was a potential for this hemorrhagic fever to infect people in our country!!!

I read the book  The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. 
You might enjoy it too.  It is a fictional book based on the events in Reston.  I'm including some links that may help you understand more about how viruses are spread.

My goal is to share some of the very cool books that relate to science topics and maybe inspire some of you to read more and find out what I did....books can be exciting!!!!
I hope you will share some titles you have enjoyed with me.
Dr. LuAnne Dunn