If Evolution Is Real, Why Are Monkeys Still Alive?

If Humans Evolved From Apes, Why Are There Still Apes?

No Author

     Apparently the question, "If Evolution is real, how come monkeys/apes are still alive", shows that there is a misunderstanding of how we evolved in the first place. Humans did not evolve from apes, but humans, apes and other primates evolved from one common ancestor who is believed to look more similar to apes. Lineages in evolution can branch off therefore, you have two separate beings that evolved from one being. This is what happened with apes and humans. About eight million years ago is when this lineage branch occurred. One branch leading to homonids (Humans) and the other branch leading to apes. The common ancestor humans and apes evolved from would be extinct.

     This article was definitely intended to educate people on evolution. This is a very popular question that I have heard others ask many times and I have even been asked the same question myself. I had absolutely no idea and thought that just disproves evolution, until I did research and found the answer.

Cats Actually Like to Work for Food

"Who Knew? Cats Like To Work For Their Food"

By: Laura Geggel

     Apparently, cats can get bored if their food comes too easily without any challenge. You can buy food puzzles or putting dry food in an empty water bottle and cutting a hole in the side so the cat has to push it around and play with it for food to come out. Cats who eat with puzzles are said to be healthier and happier than cats who eat out of regular bowls. Cats that eat with puzzles are usually more physically fit, have fewer behavior problems and fewer over-grooming problems. They provide cats with exercise and mental stimulation. Cats are hunters by nature and would otherwise be hunting for their food all day if it wasn't for the food bowl. An obese, eight year old cat lost 20 percent of its body weight after a year of eating out of food puzzles. When I first read the article name, I though about how lazy my two cats are and how fat one of them is. As I began reading they addressed this common thought by saying there are no boundaries for cats. Lazy cats are just bored cats.

     This article was intended to educate and enlighten people about cats. I learned that cats like to work for things due to their natural instincts. I was enlightened because this article has made me realize that just because my fat cat sits around all day doesn't mean he's just lazy, he's probably bored and needs more stimulation. This was also for anyone else who just pictured cats as lazy.

Dogs are Basically Humans

"Dogs Are Even More Like Us Than We Though"

By: Maya Wei-Haas

     As most people know, long ago humans domesticated dogs and bred dogs. Therefore, dogs have developed human like traits during their evolution from wolves to domesticated dogs. Maya Wei-Haas writes, "Dogs can read facial expressions, communicate jealousy, display empathy, and even watch TV, studies have shown." People watching is an activity most humans participate in so we can get a feel for their personality and basically decide if we want to interact with them or not, A study summarized in this article suggests that dogs ignore or don't trust people that they see being mean to their owners. You may think, "Of course a dog won't trust someone if they're yelling or hurting someone," but this study involved someone struggling to get tape out of a container. The dogs viewed people who helped and people who didn't help. The helpers and non helpers then tried to give the dogs a treat, and they would only accept it from the human who helped the other human with the tape.

     The purpose of this article was to educate people on how intelligent dogs really are. Also to evoke emotion in pet owners because it is so sweet to think that your dog will ignore someone who was the slightest bit disrespectful to you. I do believe the main purpose was to educate and I hope everyone gets to read this because I hear the words, "Oh it's just a dog," all too much. Dogs can feel like we do and people need to realize that.

Run to Heal a Broken Heart

Yes, Running Can Help You Get Over a Broken Heart. Here's How

By: Leigh Weingus

     Most people can say they have gone through a rough break up or the death of someone they know and have been left with a broken heart as a result. Going through grief is not easy and often times you don't know what you can do to help yourself or others. Fitness Instructor, Shauna Harrison, believes running is a great way to handle loss or a broken heart. A 2010 study revealed our brain's response to heart ache is similar to that of cocaine withdrawal. This is because your mind and body crave "feel-good" chemicals. Psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora, and psychologist Dr. Alice Domar, both recommend exercise during heart aches as it helps to reduce stress and release endorphins, some of the "feel-good" chemicals. Any exercise is great but running is unique. Alice says, "Running tends to occupy your mind more thoroughly than other less intense forms of exercise." There is no certain amount of running that ultimately "cures" a broken heart, as long as you listen to your body it will be effective. For those who are not strong runners, yoga is another alternative. Yoga is also a form of exercise that focuses more on the breath which aids in meditation and calming your mind and stress levels as well.

     I believe the author's purpose of writing this was to enlighten others. The author cares about exercise and what it can do for your body so I assume that she put this out on the internet to help others as well as teach them there's more to exercise than just losing weight. Evoking emotion was a secondary goal of Leigh. In the very first paragraph she describes what heart break feels like and being that I just lost a family member, I definitely felt emotional while reading this.

Fossilized Feces

Animal Makes a $10,000 Dollar Deposit, but not at the Bank

By: Robert Krulwich

     My last blog was about poop, this one's about poop. Sorry to anyone who is offended by poop. Fossilized fecal matter is called Coprolite. A man actually collects coprolites and is looking to sell them at an auction! People actually want to buy this stuff and it goes for thousands of dollars. At the very beginning of this article there is a picture of a 40 inch long coprolite, which the man is asking $8,000 to $10,000 for. That is just over 3 feet long! The winning bid for this guy was $8,500.

     I felt entertained at the beginning of reading this article because poop from dinosaurs is interesting. I am a little creeped out upon finishing this article because who would want to buy it? Studying it maybe to see how they ate or study other things about it not to buy it and decorate your house with.

Pooping in Outer Space is Hard

Pooping in a Spacesuit is as Complicated as it Sounds

by: Ian O'Neill, Seeker

     There is an actual transcript of the 1969 NASA crew discussing whose poop was floating right in front of them. One man grabs a napkin to get in and throw it away, while the other men laugh and discuss how the turd is definitely not theirs. While traveling in outer space, using the restroom is very challenging. With no restrooms on space shuttles, astronauts have to wait sometimes up to six days to reach an International Space Station to use the restroom. Usually, the astronauts can't remove their space suit during this time. This has become a sanitary issue which is why NASA is offering a 30,000 dollar reward for anyone who creates "an in-suit waste management system" NASA writes. This also includes a system for menstrual waste. Anyone who wants extra cash, invent a special diaper for these astronauts.

     I felt very entertained while reading this article. Pooping usually seems to be a taboo subject and it's nice to see that NASA and these astronauts have a sense of humor about it. While it is funny, it is also hazardous due to bacteria and NASA recognizes that and wants to do something about it.

Never go to Bed Angry

"'Never go to bed Angry': Sleep Makes it Harder to Forget Bad Thoughts

by: Agata Blaszczak-Boxe

     Each night when someone goes to sleep, their mind processes and stores the happenings of that day into their memory. If something bad happens, such as a fight with your significant other, and you go to bed angry it will be difficult for you to forget those bad thoughts and memories later down the road. In a study conducted by Yunzhe Liu, a PhD student in neuroscience at University College London. Basically, the researchers showed participants images of dead bodies, injured people and some pictures that were not bad along with a facial expression to associate those images with. The participants were then suppose to try and forget the images when they were shown the facial expressions. They were nine percent less likely to recall the terrible images compared to the other images that were not so bad. When the participants were asked to sleep on it and come back, and when shown the pictures it was even more challenging for them to forget the negative images. In extreme cases, this could lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

     I feel enlightened after reading this article. I have heard the saying, "never go to bed angry," but I never thought it could actually become a problem. I am also educated on the role sleep has with our memory, though I knew it was involved, I didn't realize it could make such an impact.

Changing Colors in Saturn's North

By: Tony Greicius

Changing Colors in Saturn's North Article

     

     Between 2012 and 2016 Colors in Saturn's north-polar region has went from blue to a golden color. Scientists are investigating potential causes for this change, and believe one of them may be due to Saturn's seasons. As the north pole approaches summer solstice, there is an increased production of photochemical hazes which may be the cause of the color change from blue to gold. Researchers think the north-polar hexagon acts as a barrier from haze particles produced outside it from entering. Because of this, the hexagon can become clear of aerosols produced by photochemical reactions involving sunlight and the atmosphere. Since 2009, Saturn's north region has continuous sunlight making it possible to produce aerosols inside the hexagon, giving it the hazy appearance.

     

     I definitely felt educated after reading this article and I believe that was the sole purpose of why this article was written. I had no that Saturn had a north polar hexagon or the ability to change color, which scientists are very close to finding the exact reason why. This was also entertaining as this is the first I have heard of a planet ever changing color.

Vegan Mom Charged With Child Endangerment After Underfeeding Her Baby

By KC Baker

http://people.com/crime/vegan-mom-charged-with-child-endangerment-after-allegedly-feeding-baby-only-nuts-and-berries/

     Elizabeth Hawk had become obsessed with with veganism and felt she should carry that lifestyle onto her child. Her 11 month old son was only fed a small amount of nuts and berries, The child was so malnourished, he developed a terrible rash from head to toe. He began to scratch his own skin off and was in so much pain, he became developmentally delayed and couldn't crawl from the pain of the rash. Hawk was given topical cream for the rash, but refused to put it on her son. Hawk's estranged husband, Jerry, took their 11 month old son to children and youth services to report the neglect. The child is improving now that he is with his father.

     The purpose of this article was to educate the readers on Hawk's crime. Reading about such a terrible event left me feeling sad even though that was not the intended purpose. At least the child is young and will not remember this happening to him. 

3D Printed Fish Fossil Offers Clues to the Origins of Human Teeth

Origins of Human Teeth Article

By Brooks Hays

     On September 30, 2016, Australian researchers excavated a fossil of a Placoderm, an extinct armored fish. Upon excavation, scientists couldn't tell whether this 400 million year old fish had a jaw or teeth. After taking a CT scan of the fossil they were able to create a 3D printed model and discover it had both a jaw and teeth. How and when teeth first appeared in evolution remains a mystery, but scientists believe studying the internal tissue structure of the teeth will take us one step closer. It was previously thought that Placoderms had "true teeth" or evolved teeth. More recent findings suggest that they possess a more primitive form of teeth. The research of the internal tissue structure of their teeth will determine if they represent a transitional stage in the evolution of teeth.

     When I think of teeth, evolution doesn't cross my mind. This article does pose an interesting question of when did our teeth start to evolve or even show up in the evolutionary timeline. It is very interesting to know that we can gain information from a 400 million year old fossil may help us determine when teeth started to evolve to suit humans.

August Landmesser, The Man Behind The Crossed Arms

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/august-landmesser

by Savannah Cox

     There is a picture at the beginning of this article of a group of Nazis saluting Adolf Hitler except for one man. This man was named August Landmesser whose life came to a devastating end. Although, most men in the crowd saluted out of fear, Landmesser could not bring himself to do it. He was deeply in love with a Jewish woman named Irma Eckler. Their engagement caused Landmesser to be expelled from the party and they had their first daughter the same year.  At the time, their marriage was not recognized because their application was denied due to the newly enacted Nuremberg Laws. The couple tried to flee to Denmark where they were stopped at the border and Landmesser was imprisoned for "dishonoring the race." Shortly after being released from prison, Landmesser was arrested again, and sent to work in a concentration camp for 30 months. He would never see his wife again. Irma would soon be captured by the Gestapos and sent to various prisons and concentration camps where she would give birth to their second child, Irene. Both children were sent to orphanages. Irma died in a gas chamber at Bernburg in 1942. Landmesser was released in 1941 and soon drafted into a penal infantry to Croatia where he went missing and presumed dead. In 1951, the Senate of Hamburg recognized the marriage of August Landmesser and Irma Eckler.

     This article has informed me about a few laws enacted at that time that I was not aware of. It also informed me of how corrupt their society was, although, the holocaust was a big indicator of that. Reading a personal story about a Jewish family during this time makes me feel more sympathy for the peoples lives that were ruined. Millions of families were ripped apart and brutally treated just like this one/

"North Korea Bans Sarcasm"

By John Kuroski

North Korea bans sarcasm article

     Last month, citizens of North Korea were warned by government officials not to make any sarcastic comments or indirect criticisms about the country's leadership. North Korea tends to blame other countries for their internal problems, which created the phrase, "This is all America's fault" that is commonly and sarcastically used by citizens. More specifically, North Korean citizens were warned not to join in on mockery directed at their leader, Kim Jong-un. At the end of the article, Kuroski adds something about The Wedding Ban. I clicked on that to read about the Wedding Ban and in addition to weddings, funerals and any freedom of movement in and out of the capitol are also prohibited.

     This article is informative as well as hilarious. Even though North Korea is ruled by a delusional dictator, the ridiculous events going on are hard to grasp. After getting over the comical side of what's happening in North Korea, I feel heartbroken for what their citizens have to go through. I hope they get out from Kim Jong-un's rule and will no longer live miserable lives.

The Wedding Photoshoot

http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/why-single-twin-sisters-took-wedding-photos/vi-AAiIfuC?ocid=spartandhp

     This short article tells a story about single twin sisters who set up a wedding photoshoot with their father. He has Alzheimer's disease and there is an unfortunate chance that he will not be able to attend either of his daughters' weddings. With donated wedding dresses, the twins and their father took pictures in a neighbors front yard to create those special memories he may not be a part of.

     This story is depressing because the sisters have to accept that they will lose their dad very soon. The fact that they are making the most out of the time they have left with him is kind hearted and thoughtful.