The Missing Gator of Gumbo Limbo

Hello,

I read the book The Missing Gator of Gumbo Limbo by Jean Craighead George.
The short story about a girl living in a forest in southern Florida gave lots of things to think about.

She lives there because her family home has been lost. That sure is common these days.  She and her mom meet some interesting characters while living in the woods.

The stories of the characters gives insight about lots of people in society.  The study of society is called 'sociology' and the link below may be interesting if you like analyzing why folks act the way they do:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology

During their time in the forest there are lots of descriptions of the plants and animals found there. Another term for plants- 'flora' and animals 'fauna' can be explored in a link from the state showing native plants. That means they are found here naturally, not imported from some other state or country.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/guide/natplant.html

There is discussion about preserving the wetlands and you may find an interesting area of study and possible career ideas by looking at a program called Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  It is a field of study very relevant to golf courses, organic farmers, and environmentalists.  The success of stores like WHOLE FOODS show there is a big push to buy 'organic' products.

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/ipm.htmpesticides

Although the book is short and easy to read, it packs a lot of variety of subjects and information of interest to Floridians and those concerned about the environment.

Ms. George also wrote some other exciting books:

http://www.jeancraigheadgeorge.com/works.html

Note: other interesting websites

http://www.conservancy.org/page.aspx?pid=579

Nature Conservancy (endangered animals)

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/landscaping/non_native.php

non native animals & plants

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZnnQY46bqA

Ever nibbled some raw cookie dough?

http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/nestle-cookie-dough-recall-suspected-ecoli-0157h7-outbreak-in-26-states/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol5no5/mead.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2534823&page=1

There is a movie “Fast Food Nation”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation_(film)

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!

 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596

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.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_and_Eng_Bunker

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKWApOAG2g

Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf- separated in a 14 hour operation! April 2010

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-04-08/world/uk.conjoined.twins_1_surgeons-pediatric-twins?_s=PM:WORLD

A TWIN website:

http://www.twinsworld.com/stats.shtml

My sister has twin boys and she joined a club called Mothers of Twins!!!

http://www.nomotc.org/

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

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. 

http://www.richardpreston.net/books/hz.html

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17Yh6xkCNpQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEUPq2EAqmo&feature=related

http://www.arbookfind.com/default.aspx

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cold-flu

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/infectious/virus-human.htm

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