The Capacity of the Mind

The complexity of the human mind astounds me! The very idea that memories of smells, sounds, sights, and even information can be stored in a living electrical fashion is a mind blowing concept. Not only in the storage astonishing, but the speed at which our brains function is (no pun intended) mind blowing. An uncoated neuron in a human brain can carry signals at speeds of up to seventy five feet per second and a coated neuron running the lengths of the body can carry signals at up to four hundred and fifty feet per second! How amazing is that? It is this speed that allows individuals to react to stimuli in hundredths or even thousandths of a second and also what enables people to be so aware. I sometimes cannot even believe what I am learning in biology because it seems almost impossible in my mind (which coincidentally is what we are talking about). On top of the speed there are over a billion neuron cells densely packed within every human brain!
Straying from the cells of the brain, the specific parts are even more amazing. The hypothalamus and the pituitary glands, although tiny in proportion to the brain, control almost all hormone regulation and sexual urges that take place inside the body. This is why biology interests me. How can something so tiny control something so large? How can the brain control every organ, cause them to function in a perfect symphony, and do so in autonomous function? What I mean to say is I never wake up and tell my stomach to start digesting; my brain does it automatically! To add to this, the longevity of our bodies is a completely new beast to tackle. Functioning flawlessly (most of the time) our body has the capacity to regenerate and continue on for more than seventy years in most cases. The complexity found in us (which is so very prevalent not only in just people but in nature) never ceases to stun me and it continues to drive my ambitions to discover more about biology every single day.

Improper Labeling

-Nutrition labels always have a small disclaimer reading “Percentages based on a 2,000 calorie diet” in reference to the percentages of the daily value their product has in various categories. With this in mind think about which categories have percentages next to them (because it isn’t all). You are probably thinking of saturated fat, sodium, or one of the other common types listed, yet the one I want you to imagine the row for sugar. This row never has one of those percentage values based on a 2,000 calorie diet and do you know why? Because sugar is unnecessary in a daily diet! Companies know if they put the percentage on there and it read 300% next to sugar that no one who could read would buy their product. This irks me so very much because of just how much sugar is put into products today and how people do not even realize that they are gaining weight because they are eating ten times more sugar a day than they need to be.
-On average, it is alright to consume forty grams of sugar per day maximum in a 2,000 calorie diet. One twenty ounce bottle of Mountain Dew contains seventy-seven grams of sugar. So if you were to drink a Mountain Dew in the morning when you woke up, you would have already doubled the maximum healthy amount of sugar that you need for that day. I don’t believe that this type of beverage (although I used to enjoy them) should even be allowed to be sold. I feel it is safe to say that this deceptive labeling and these sugar-laden products are major contributors to the exponential increase in obesity and diabetes in this country. Obviously I’m not trying to say this is the cause yet most people who fit into the category of overweight do not realize how much sugar they are eating (or drinking).
-I will admit that I used to drink soda and eat junk food all the time but that was only until I realized what I was doing to my body and how unhealthy it was for me to be consuming all that sugar. Although it may sound like I hate sugar, please do not misinterpret. I have a larger sweet tooth than most yet I see this improper labeling and can’t help but think that someone up high in the ranks somewhere along the way decided that money comes before the customer’s health and no one (at least to my current knowledge) is trying to change that.

Kush

Everyone has their own favorite domesticated animal, personally I prefer cats and I have a black Bombay who is about one year old. He is a rambunctious and energetic cat who likes to play rough and will not hesitate to use his thin sharp claws on you. Although many people would think that he is a mean cat, I know him better than that and I know that he really is sweet, just moody at times. For example, when he doesn’t have food in his bowl and he’s hungry he will not let you pet him until you fill up his bowl, and if you try he will claw and bite you. Strangely, and I only heard of one other cat like this, he enjoys being pet while eating. Normally a cat or even a dog will hiss or growl at you if you touch them while they are enjoying a meal, but he loves it and will sometimes even come get me from my room just so that I can pet him while he eats. He’s an extremely spoiled cat and always needs attention. This is mainly due to our family never having had a pet in the past. Although growing up me, my brother, and my sister always wanted a cat or a dog, all we ever got were the novelty pets like fish or a gerbil, so now that we have a true pet, we all enjoy spoiling him. His name is Kush and my brother Nick rescued him from the streets. I will always remember when he first brought him home he could fit in my outstretched hand. He was so tiny and so adorable that my mom just couldn’t say no any longer (as she loves cats and had one before she had children) and he quickly became a part of our family. However, his neediness goes two directions. We have all grown very fond of him and love him just as much as we love each other. I myself always enjoy playing with him when I am bored or when he is in one of his energetic moods. I use a string and slide it under doors in our hardwood kitchen and then hide behind them only peeking out to watch on the other side. My cat will focus on the string as I twitch it by twisting it with my hands and then jump out after it and I try and pull it back without him catching it. He really likes this game and I can almost always get him to play which I believe is in part due to the nature of male cats (as he is) and how they are such instinctual hunters and they have a strong desire to keep their reflexes sharp. He brings joy and happiness to our family in a way I never thought possible and so I hope that he lives for a very long time so that we can continue to enjoy his company and companionship.

Moving on

-The word goodbye passes my lips over ten times per day and I never enjoy saying it. I have never liked goodbyes and I wish I would never have to say them. To never part with my fellow friends or family until their dying breath would mean that I would have spent every possible moment I could with them and that I had never missed anything. However, I know this wish to be a foolish one because if I spent every waking moment with someone I would then only wish for a moment alone. Still, goodbyes evoke a small emotion of pain inside me and cause me to wonder, will I ever see this person again? This may sound sad but in fact it reminds me to not hold back and to say and do everything I wish to because it may be the last time I see them. Somewhat like the old adage, Carpe Diem, I seize the moment and make sure that I feel clear of conscience otherwise I may end up remembering them with some lingering regret.
-I have to say though, not all goodbyes are bad. For example, saying goodbye to an old car or home when upgrading to a new one most often times feels great. Upon completing a class and saying goodbye to it I feel accomplished, ecstatic, and relieved. In essence, the feelings that come with the goodbye seem to be circumstantial. I cannot think of a blanket statement for any goodbye scenario yet I can think of situations where moving on would evoke both positive and negative feelings. When transitioning from high school to college is a good example where most people would feel overjoyed to be done with one pillar of life and to be moving on to the next but sad because they most likely would be parting with friends they had spent much time with. The complications could be endless and therefore no blanket statement can be made. Thus, looking back to my original wish, it is silly to think about never having to let go. Every last person on this planet must eventually let go of everything and everyone, including themselves, still, can I not dream?