Week 4 Biochemistry - Our Biochemistry and Cognition

The age old dilemma of seeking the "fountain of youth".  I am often intrigued by the amount of money people spend for anti-aging products and surgeries, yet invest so little in their daily health practices that would support happy longevity.  I have a painting of an old Asian lady smoking her opium pipe that a family friend painted over 40 years ago.  When I look at her wrinkled face, I see a life lived well.  Her eyes sparkle and her smile speaks of wisdom.  In her culture, she has earned the right to smoke a little opium to ease the pains of a body that has lived a long time.  Gravity eventually wins and we will all have wrinkles and parts sag just a bit.  I think the point should be enjoying the life we live.

Week 3 Biochemistry - Living Diversity

Warnings of human induced rapid global warming, toxic pollution, over reliance on fossil fuels and over population have been issued for nearly a century and yet our species continues devour and destroy our dwindling ecosystems...the human species is living as if it had more than one planet to occupy!  The Earth has been around for about 4.5 billion years and will eventually cleanse itself of the human waste.  I still hold out hope that there are more of us conscientious humans that want to live in harmony with all of the planets' species and that we are smart enough to find a way to do better - fast.

Our class discussions on genome editing and GMO's are just examples of more ways we work to benefit profit margins at the expense of our natural ecosystems and the diverse species on this planet.  The question really is, how do we globally take action against the wealthy minority who probably already have their end days underground "biodomes" or future terraformed planets ready to go?

Week 3 Biophysics - Bionics and our Biophysical Future

When I think of a bionic "person" I think of an AI and honestly, I don't support this technological advancement simply because it is one more step in the direction of humans disconnecting from the world around us.  I don't "talk" to my phone, my computer, my TV or my house and expect that I never will.  However, I know it is life changing for people who have lost, or never had, the use of arms, legs, eyes or ears to gain the use through bionics and I am grateful that technology gives them that choice.

I believe we have only made advancements of bionics for medical purposes because the military has been doing it for decades.  I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there are already bionic soldiers developed and ready to deploy.

Week 2 - Biophysics - Energy and Energy Fields

I believe acupuncture is a highly effective energy medicine and there are studies to support it.  As TCM become more accepted into western medicine with each passing year, doctors are referring patients for TCM when other options available to them provide only minimal improvements or none at all for their patients.  It is an exciting time to be a TCM practitioner!

Kirlian photography is another form of energy "measurement" that has been around for decades but was dismissed as nonsense.  As we better understand the human body as a bioelectric organism, I think Kirlian photography will have wider applications, especially in the psychology fields.

Human intent has profound effects when directed both internally and externally.  I have seen friends suffer health issues that appeared to me to be partially the result of their own lack of self worth and poor self talk.  I have also felt the positive effects on my clients when I am focused and my good healing intentions are directed toward them.

Week 12 Biology - Antioxidants and Free Radicals

The antioxidant fad has expanded beyond just supplements.  Smoothies, water, juices, and more are also marketed under antioxidant power food campaigns.  I feel that supplements can help when a body has a true deficiency and needs help getting back on track with healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle improvements.  I think it is unrealistic and possibly detrimental to consider supplements a long term solution to something the body has the power to heal itself.  I believe we will have wonderful opportunities as TCM practitioners to support our patients with the improvements they are able to make as well as the changes they struggle make.  It is challenging to counteract a culture that has been conditioned to believe there is a magic pill to fix anything that goes wrong in our bodies.

Can an aspirin a day dramatically cut cancer risk?  The study referenced was a systemic study that compiled the results of other studies and I don't know if that is a good foundation for advising people to take a low dose aspirin a day to reduce the risk of cancer.  Also, we are talking about synthetically made aspirin here and I am a skeptic when it comes to synthetically produced pharmaceuticals in general.  However, aspirin from willow bark has been used for thousands of years to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation.  In its natural form, perhaps it could support someone's immune system in fighting the onset of cancer.

Week 12 - Biophysics - Life and Living Systems

I see myself as a living system because every cell in my body will die off and regenerate over roughly seven years.  This is an ongoing, autopoietic process with some cells having very short cycles and others much longer.  I move, consume nutrients, breath air, produce waste, have reproduced. Consciousness as a requirement of a living system is a bit more tricky but I believe it is part of what makes me a complex living system.

Biophysics is now a consideration in almost every scientific study and practice from medicine to computer science.  It is part of the investigation of how "things" work from the microscopic to the macroscopic and how the individual workings affect other systems.  Western sciences tend to try and separate systems into individual parts and focus on the individual components apart from the systems.  I think the study of TCM will teach me how to identify a component of an individual that is not functioning well and then support the individual as a whole system to bring balance and function back to a healthy state.

Week 12 Biohemistry - Cell Biology and Radioactivity

The term "radiation" has held negative connotations for me but our class discussion informed me that there are some natural and good ways to view radiation.  The sun exposes us to a bit of radiation and we could not thrive without that source.  Medical imaging has come a long way in being able to see pathologies through the use of radiology and have greatly reduced exposure levels.  Nuclear power as a source of energy belongs is not a positive or good use as far as I am concerned.  The dangers of an accident far out weigh its use for energy when there are other, safer sources of energy all around us.

The links on cell biology offered insight on another aspect of the microscopic world - the extraordinary variety and function of cells.  Movement of these tiny cells is incredible to see and there is still so much we don't know.  Scientists have proposed three accepted theories, so far, as to how tiny cells found a suitable environment to thrive and evolve:  the primordial soup; deep in the water near hydrovents; and raining down from space.  Fascinating!