Lots of questions to get through before tomorrow. I’ll probably queue up a few batches, along with some last posts.
1. Thank you! In case you didn’t know, Discovery News is on tumblr, if you want to surf through the real thing.
2. There are certainly strong positive arguments for GMO’s, but there are legitimate concerns put forward by experts we should take seriously. There is definitely some some hot air in the debate, but you can read a quick background on the legitimate issues here.
3. I did a quick Wikipedia search on Hashimoto’s. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s own immune system attacks itself, in this case the thyroid. For some reason, the body produces antibodies which attack proteins found in the thyroid, leading to the degradation of the thyroid over time.
4. My advice for you would be to follow your passion and enroll in science classes, even chemistry if you have to, when you enter college. You might struggle, and you might find another passion, but your grades when you first enter college don’t matter all that much in the long run, and you don’t want to regret not pursuing science later in life. If you’re struggling in your classes, or even if you’re not, I suggest taking advantage of every resource your school offers. Study with friends, visit with tutors, talk to your professor, read the lecture notes, etc. The main difference between high school and college is that, even though your professors (hopefully) care about you, they won’t hold your hand as much as in grade school. You’ll have to learn to be self sufficient. Best of luck!
5. I don’t know much specifically about H5N1, but I do know that human defenses against fast-evolving bacteria and viruses are perilously slim, and that’s why I refuse to watch movies like Contagion.
