Holocaust

In the article, it stated that there was an armed Jewish resistance. This resistance helped get Jews out of concentration camps, and provided for the Jews outside of the camps, as well. The French branch of the resistance, for example, smuggled 500 Jews and non-Jews into Spain during the war. The article noted that while Jewish resistance did help, it actually did little to actually stop the Nazis. Most Jewish resistance focused on rescue, escape, aiding those in hiding, and spiritual resistance.

"Armed Jewish Resistance: Partisans". Holocaust Encyclopedia. Holocaust Museum, 10 June               2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.<http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005441>

Laser Testing for Diseases

This article is about a new laser that a research team in Australia has developed. This laser is very special; it can produce twenty-five times as much light as other lasers at its wavelength. The research team created this laser in the hope of being able to detect diseases using a breath test. This is a practice in use with some diseases, but the technique can not be done on a lot of illnesses because the lasers can not detect the small traces of gases. Other uses have already been thought of to use this laser for, as well. One of which being the detection of some greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

I think this most connects to my Health class. In this class we have just learned about some breathing disorders and diseases. Not that the laser only detects those, but it is what comes to mind when someone says breathing test. Another thing it connects to in health class is disease detection. If these lasers could become inexpensive, then people could carry them around in first aid kits and be able to see what diseases the person in need of first aid could possibly have.

I think this is an outstanding invention. It can effect me in so many ways. Maybe, one day, I will have some type of disease, and when I go to the hospital, they will just have me breath on a laser to see what I have. It may become a cheap and effective method of disease testing. It also may be able to help forensic scientists discover trace gasses in dead bodies. That alone could be a huge impact.

The question I decided to answer was: what is the central idea of the passage and how is it developed and refined throughout the selection?
The central idea was that a new laser was developed to help doctors be able to detect diseases in early stages.  The idea is first developed by introducing the topic. Lavars introduces the topic with this sentence,"a research team from Australia's University of Adelaide has developed a new kind of laser with the ability to detect low concentrations of gases, opening up even more possibilities for disease diagnosis". With this sentence, Lavars tells you what the new invention is and what it does. He then refines that idea with extra facts on why the laser can be useful. For example, the sentence, "Detecting certain particles and gases through breath-testing has proven valuable in the diagnosing of particular illnesses". In that sentence, Lavars is refining the central idea by telling his audience that this tool will be useful because lower grade versions of this laser are already useful.


Citations
Lavars, Nick. "New laser shines a light on breath testing for disease". gizmag. Gizmag. 17 Feb.             2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. \
          <http://www.gizmag.com/laser-breath-test-disease-adelaide/30872/>.

Theony, Peter. "The show must go on". Photograph. flickr. Yahoo, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

eukaryotic cell made from plastic

This article was about researchers in Radboud University who found a way to create a working eukaryotic cell. This cell has organelles that are also functioning and can undertake chemical reactions. They were able to view these reactions by marking the chemicals with a florescent  In order to create this cell the team started with a water droplet and went on to add polymers to it and create the cell. The team hopes to use these cells to try and better understand how real cells work.

This article reminded me a lot of my film class. In this class we just finished watching the 1930's version of Frankenstein. The whole movie is about a man who tries and bring life to a dead person. Now while in this case it is making something from scratch, it still is a similarity to me. Actually, one of the comments on the article was, " Its alive!! Igor, its alive!!!!!"

I honestly really liked this article. Actually, while looking at the comments, people tried to say that the researchers were trying to "play god" and a lot of other religious stuff. I completely disagree with them though. I think that they were just trying to make medical advances. In all honesty this could be where things like human-like robots will come from. This could possibly effect me in so many ways that it isn't funny. I could have part of me replaced with these cells one day. This could also eventually be where we may find immortality.

The question I decided to answer was:What is the impact of using quotations in the article?

The impact of quotes in the article was to give a direction on where the research was headed. For example, when Grant said, "'We are also working on ways of controlling the movement of chemicals within the cell, towards organelles'". In this quote it tells where they are going to do with the cells. Another example would be when Grant stated, "'Another step would be to make cells that produce their own energy supply.'" In this statement it is also saying what the researchers are planning to do with the new cells.

Banks, Grant. "World-first working eukaryotic cell made from plastic". gizmag. Gizmag, 15 Jan. 2014.

         Web. 2 Feb. 2014.

uccsbiology."Human Cell". Flickr. Yahoo, 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.