Identical Twins grow up to be similar even in different environments

Many of you might only know identical twins that grow up together, but have you ever heard about twins that were separated at birth for various reason, and how when they meet they have similar and different qualities due to the environment they grew up in

 

10 Facts about Nature vs. Nurture research done by Avi G.Haimowitz, professor at Rochester Institute of Technology  

 1. Even though our genes make up the person we are today, the environment we grow up in has an even bigger role in our lives. To learn how the environment changes us, psychologists have been doing research on separated identical twins for over a few decades. 

2. "Fraternal twins, or dizygotic twins, share exactly half their genes with each other. They are not as optimal as identical twins for deciphering the degrees of genetic influence, but they are a very good basis for comparison for identical twins. Fraternal twins are similar to first-degree relatives, except they are sure to share the exact same age, as do identical twins." These twin studies usually rely on samples of identical and fraternal twins; if biology has a greater hand than environment, then identical twins should behave or possess psychopathology similar to each other more so than fraternal twins, and that is what psychologist try to figure out through this research. To know can the environment you grow up in change you in a negative way or positive way.

3.  "One particular study sought to determine the heritability of attitudes among twins, as well as the genetic variables, such as intelligence, that could affect attitudes among pairs of twins. A questionnaire was provided to the participants, in which they were asked to rate their personality traits, physical abilities, and physical attractiveness. They were also asked to note their academic achievements." The results of the study showed that differences between attitudes of the participants had partially correlated to genetic factors. It also showed that attitudes related to self-reported perspectives or to activities were often correlated. The survey asked their subjects to rate themselves on the trait of sociability. This shows that intelligence of the individual also plays a significant role in the person they turn out to be. 

4.The mental state of a person is made up by the persons beliefs, intents, and desires. Many children acquire their mental state when they understand that objects and people can be wrongly interpreted and represented through their own mental state. For an exact age as to when a child acquires their mental state is at the age of four.

5. Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The person finds it difficult to tell the difference between real and imagined experiences, to think logically, to express feelings, or to behave appropriately. "The first adoption study performed on schizophrenia showed that family environment contributes little to a child's risk for a disorder such as schizophrenia. Several of the adopted away children of schizophrenic mothers suffered from schizophrenia themselves, while the adopters whose parents didn't have schizophrenia also did not have schizophrenia themselves" Therefore we can conclude that the people who raise us and who we surround ourselves with have a big role in our lives. In this case it becomes a negative role.

6. Since America's divorce rates have been over the roof for the past couple of years, lets take a look on how divorce can effect a child in the mental aspect of their life.  Through research we learn that that adopted kids adjustment to divorce in terms of social ability, self-concept, and academic accomplishments were at least partially genetically influenced, but that their psychopathology could be attributed to environmental factor. 

7. "It was also found that adoptees experienced an even higher risk for antisocial personality disorder if both their biological parents and their adoptive parents came from criminal backgrounds. However, methodological problems exist with these kinds of studies because there are so many factors to consider. For example, it has yet to be clarified whether this disorder is more likely to be carried through the biological mother, or the biological father." This really interested me because most children grow up to seeing their parents doing good things, and they learn to acquire those same skills, but what if your parents were criminals, what do you do then? Do you trust in your instincts and do what is right to society or what your morals think is right? 

8. I just feel like kids in my generation automatically turn to suicide when they are faced with a problem they don't know how to handle. Instead of asking for help and reaching out to someone they find the easy way out of the situation. "Suicidal behavior is increased among relatives of suicide victims, but the singular cause of this is unclear. A study was conducted to figure out if the cause for this increased risky behavior was due to family heritability. It compared relatives of suicide victims with relatives of demographically similar adolescents." You can't really blame these kids because they aren't educated enough about all the people that can help them, and they turn to this because all they see are people committing suicide because they couldn't handle pressure or other reasons. 

9.Attitudes, beliefs, and norms are constructed during the adolescent age and made more concrete over time . This process of socialization most notably occurs through the contact that adolescents have with their peer groups. The theory of group socialization posits that the peer group and other outside-the-home socialization are responsible for shaping the personality of adolescents and teenagers
10. Adopted children are more likely to suffer from psychological mental issues rather than those children who are raised by their own parents.  Personality is a good example of a trait that has been studied in twins. Identical twins reared apart are far more similar in personality than fraternal twins. These observations suggest that personality is heritable. However, the environment must also be looked at. There are two kinds of environmental effects: shared experiences and not hared experiences. Although identical twins are genetically identical and share the same family environment, identical twins raised together do not have identical personalities. These differences must then be explained entirely by not shared environmental effects.

The Bad

  What Negative Effects do Video Games have on Personalities?

In an article I read from PROCON titled; "Do Violent Video Games Contribute Youth Violence?", psychologists discuss the relationship between video games and violence. 

Source

"Video games often reward players for simulating violence, and thus enhance the learning of violent behaviors. Studies suggest that when violence is rewarded in video games, players exhibit increased aggressive behavior compared to players of video games where violence is punished. " This is very evident. Most video games do promote violence as a mean to solve problems in them. Players who play video games show increased aggressiveness. For example my brother when we got our first fighting game, he started to punch my sister. It makes sense that my brother started to show aggressive behavior after playing a fighting video game.  "Violent video games teach youth that violence is an acceptable conflict-solving strategy and an appropriate way to achieve one's goals. A 2009 study found that youth who play violent video games have lower belief in the use of nonviolent strategies and are less forgiving than players of nonviolent video games." Kids nowadays find violence to be an acceptable solution to solving real world problems. They find  more violent methods to get stuff done. Also they do not pick non-violent solutions. They are also unforgiving than people who play non-violent games.  "Violent video games require active participation, repetition, and identification with the violent character. With new game controllers allowing more physical interaction, the immersive and interactive characteristics of video games can increase the likelihood of youth violence." As I commented on in my previous blogs, video games can effect personality. When you have to pretend that you are a specific character and you are required to behave a certain way, it changes the way you think. That is why kids who play violent games can develop violent tendencies. "Violent video games can train youth to be killers. The US Marine Corps licensed Doom II in 1996 to create Marine Doom in order to train soldiers. In 2002, the US Army released first-person shooter America's Army to recruit soldiers and prepare recruits for the battlefield." As shown above, if video games can be used as a method to find people to recruit into the army and prepare them for the battlefield. It becomes obvious that video games can promote violent behaviors in people.

Discussion Question: What is the future of video games?

Mi País Is Your Country

time.com

Open your passports America, it is now possible to travel to Cuba - ¡andale, andale!  

For those seeking to tan on the white sandy beaches of Cayo Coco or those who want to salsa in the streets of Havana...unfortunately there are still restrictions for the types of travel allowed. Only 12 types of travel will now be permitted to Cuba including: family visits, government meetings, and competitions to name a few.

For authorized travelers, this means that they will no longer need a specialized government license: a benefit that still leaves the average leisure-tourist to question why traveling to Cuba is significant? Luckily, economics and immigration reporter Roberto A. Ferdman address this concern in article for the Washington Post which highlights what the  “New Cuban Travel Rules Mean To Americans.”  

As a result of the puppet wars fought during the Cold War, the economic embargo placed on Cuba has ruined it's economy and hopes for modernization. Fifty years since, the Obama administration has made significant headway towards “normal[izing] diplomatic relations” with Cuba. Achieving this goal takes time. Clearly the Obama administration understands the time needed considering that in 2009, the newly elected “president made it easier to Cuban American to visit family” and in 2011, “the administration made it easier for Americans to travel...for educational, religious, and cultural purposes.” Although there are still limitations on who can visit Cuba, the mere fact that more people can travel to Cuba shows sign of increased diplomacy.

Making it easier to travel to Cuba will not only establish more diplomatic relations, but Cuba’s economy will be given a chance to improve. Just like outsourcing jobs has proved advantageous for developing countries like India - cheap labor for business and more jobs for Indians - the same can happen in Cuba. 

As more people travel to the island, it is inevitable that even more people will want to go. Author on Cuba, Julia Sweig notes “without the bureaucratic hassle…[more Americans traveling to Cuba is] going to create a real impetus for officially lifting the travel ban once and for all.”  Regardless, tourism - of any type - contributes greatly to the economy. At its peak, Cuba was a hot destination for famed American writers and socialites. With the new travel regulations, economic globalization can spread to Cuba which will boost the country's popularity once more.

As more democratic societies travel to Cuba’s communist country, it likely Cuba’s communist government will be in question. Nonetheless, while it is uncertain if the new travel restrictions will bring about positive legislature, it is clear that the modernization of Cuba is in the developing stages - a step in the right direction for anyone with a passport book.

* * * * *

Now, at the end of my blog posts, I have explored the cost of traveling - and yes, there are many!  But before I depart, I would like to conclude that as more people, countries, and ideas become connected through travel, it becomes clear that the intangible value of traveling far exceeds the monetary price.

How Can Satellites Improve Earth’s Environment?

Image Source: infowars.com

Satellite technology is arguably the most important technology to contribute to the modern world. We already know satellites give us well known things like GPS, cell phones, and satellite television, but there is actually a lot more they do for our planet. Improving satellite technology may be the best step to take to combat things like climate change and deforestation. An article from NASA gives a few reasons how satellites can help do this.

1. Satellites, such as as the two GOES satellites that orbit near both costs of the United States, study weather patterns. Except they study much more extreme patterns such as hurricanes and tropical storms. They are responsible for tracking these disasters and deliver warnings so that we can evacuate the areas before the disasters happen.

2. Similar satellites like the  TOPEX satellites focus on the oceans. The oceans contain a lot of energy because of all the heat they absorb from the sun, so they have a large impact on weather. This specific satellite has tracked El Nino and it’s strange weather effects. Hopefully we will be able to understand this phenomena using this technology.

3. There are parts of the planet that are mostly unobservable without the use of satellite technology. Places such as the Rain Forests are able to be measured and recorded by satellites that are able to detect the amount of healthy vegetation left in the areas.

4. Similarly we are able to observe how agriculture is growing, or not growing, in certain farmland areas across the country, or world. This could be a very important factor in the upcoming drought that is planned to hit California this year.

5. Another area we can’t see is the polar ice caps. WIth all the issues going on with the melting it is important that we be able to regularly see what is going on in those areas. More advanced satellites give us that kind of insight to see that.

6. Besides just seeing visible light through pictures of our planet, we are also able to gain insight on climate change using satellites. Satellites are able to pick up changes in the ozone layer by detecting levels of ultraviolet and infrared light in certain areas of the world. Large amounts of these kinds of light show holes in the ozone layer.

Satellites can do a lot more for our planet than just provide its inhabitants with convenient forms of entertainment, communication, and location. They have a big impact on gathering data from our planet through eyes that we can’t normally see through. This is one of the many examples of how space technology is a very important thing to research and develop. Instead of using space to find an escape from our planet, we may be able to use it to save our planet.

Future Research: Is finding a new planet to live on the smartest option?

Starting to think for yourself

If you hide a ball from a baby he or she might think it's gone forever---why? 

Image

Here are 10 Interesting Facts from an article by Kendra Cherry, a psychology expert:

1. Jean Piaget was the scientist that  discovered that there were four stages of mental development. He wrote about his first scientific paper when he was ten. He was highly successful throughout his high school career and even was offered a job as a curator at a museum, but turned it down because he still had two more years of high school. “While he developed an interest early on in how people come to know the world around them, he didn't receive any formal training in psychology until after he had completed his doctoral degree at the University of Neuchatel. After receiving his Ph.D. degree at age 22 in natural history.”
2. Piaget’s theory describes how children develop cognitively. His interest started when he was watching his thirteen month old nephew playing with a red ball.  “By chance, Piaget observed the toddler playing with a ball. When the ball rolled under a table where the boy could still see it, Gerard simply retrieved the ball and continued playing. But when it rolled under a sofa out of his sight, the child began looking for the ball where he had last seen it, a reaction that struck Piaget as irrational. Based on this observation, Piaget came to believe that children lack what he referred to as the object concept - the knowledge that objects are separate and distinct from both the individual and the individual's perception of that object.”
3. When Piaget was studying his daughter Jacqueline, he realized that she believed that objects cease to exist once they were out of her sight. Piaget realized this when his daughter was a few months old, but when she turned one she started to search for the object rather than just believing that it stopped existing.  By 21 months, Jacqueline had become skilled at finding hidden objects and understood that objects had an existence separate from her perception of them.
4. The first stage of Piaget’s cognitive development is the Sensorimotor stage: This is the stage where infants and toddlers acquire knowledge through their senses. “At this point in development, a child's intelligence consists of their basic motor and sensory explorations of the world. Piaget believed that developing is known as object constancy, the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, was an important element at this point of development. By learning that objects are separate and distinct entities and that they have an existence of their own outside of individual perception, children are then able to begin to attach names and words to objects.”
5. The second stage is known as the Preoperational stage: This is the stage where the children learn from playing pretend. During this stage they often get confused with what’s alive and real, “They also often struggle with understanding the ideal of constancy. For example, a researcher might take a lump of clay, divide it into two equal pieces, and then give a child the option of choosing two pieces of clay to play with. One piece of clay is rolled into a compact ball while the other is smashed into a flat pancake-shape. Since the flat shape looks larger, the preoperational child will likely choose that piece even though the two pieces are exactly the same size.”
6. The third stage is known as the Concrete Operational stage: During this stage of a child’s life they learn to think logically. They tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical concepts. At this point, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else necessarily shares their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
7. The fourth stage is known as the Formal Operational stage: In this stage children learn how to base their actions off of deductive reasoning. “At this point, people become capable of seeing multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically about the world around them.It is important to note that Piaget did not view children's intellectual development at a quantitative process; that is, kids do not just add more information and knowledge to their existing knowledge as they get older.”
8. Schema : “A schema describes both the mental and physical actions involved in understanding and knowing. Schemas are categories of knowledge that help us to interpret and understand the world. In Piaget's view, a schema includes both a category of knowledge and the process of obtaining that knowledge. As experiences happen, this new information is used to modify, add to, or change previously existing schemas.” A schema is basically like a mini computer file in your brain where it sorts out important details.
9. Assimilation : “The process of taking in new information into our previously existing schemas is known as assimilation. The process is somewhat subjective, because we tend to modify experiences and information somewhat to fit in with our preexisting beliefs. In the example above, seeing a dog and labeling it "dog" is an example of assimilating the animal into the child's dog schema.” Another example of this is when you learn a topic in math and every year you basically add to that knowledge you already have.
10. Accommodation: “Another part of adaptation involves changing or altering our existing schemas in light of new information, a process known as accommodation. Accommodation involves altering existing schemas, or ideas, as a result of new information or new experiences. New schemas may also be developed during this process.” Another example of this is when you learn something completely different every year in History.

Future Question: How do injuries to the brain affect what people can/can't do? How do people's personalities develop? How different or similar are identical twins if they grow up in similar or different environments? 

Sea World's Dark Secret's

SeaWorld is probably the most well known amusement park when you want to go see different creatures of the sea. But they are far from being capable enough to house these beasts.

First off Sea World is a multi billion dollar business that has been around since 1964, originally meant to be an underwater restaurant and marine life show, it has since evolved from these ideas into the giant it is today.

It's biggest selling points are it's rides and primarily, shows which range from Sea Lions Live to the very popular Shamu Show which was renamed to Once Ocean. Many different mammals are used at these parks, you have sea lions, dolphins, turtles, penguins, polar bears, and killer whales.

All of these different animals and fun shows sound like fun right? What could Sea World do wrong? Practically nothing except for the dirty housings that their animals are kept in, the drugs they administer to their animals and their constant denying of such things.

Reports have shown that SeaWorld's orca's have suffered damage from overexposure to sun, chewing on metal grates, and interactions with aggressive whales. They are also administered the drug Valium to temper this drug, even reportedly giving to a nursing female which is advised against. Many ex employees have come out to say there's a sort of cult like atmosphere at the parks and that they felt obligated to stay there in order to ensure safety for the animals.

This is really horrible that these reports have come out and understandingly people are mad at SeaWorld for this, they are business and I understand that they haven't made the best decisions but they have announced plans to expand the areas for these animals to swim around and not be confined to like they are now. I feel that the only way that they can really recover from this isn't just to build bigger areas but they should have regular inspections to make sure they aren't neglecting them and should let some animals which have already been injured be taken from the parks so they can be properly cared for.

For my next blog post I will be looking into what we can do to ensure protection for different aquatic animals.

Guidelines for Living a Better Life:

Everyone has those days, sometimes weeks, where they feel like they haven't done anything right, like they haven't made a contribution to society. Little do they realize, it doesn't have to be something as big as saving someone's life, donating a generous amount to a good cause, ect. Taking time out of your day to be kind to those around you can go a long way. These are simple guidelines to help to make you a happier, more achieved, altruistic person. 

Image Source

Source 1: A Basic Buddhism Guide
Source 2: Random Acts of Kindness Guidelines for Living a Better Life:

1. The main goal is to lead a moral life, to be aware of our thoughts and actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding.
2. Buddhism is becoming more popular because it shows ways of avoiding materialism in our society today, where materialism is everything.
3. “Wealth does not guarantee happiness and also wealth is impermanent.” (reason as to why most Buddhist countries are poor)
4. Buddhism is a belief system that is tolerant of all beliefs or religions. Buddhists agree with many teachings found in other religions but also aim to apply it to their lives and improve themselves.
5. (First Noble Truth) Life is suffering. The state is not looked at in a pessimistic way, but rather a realistic way. By accepting the fact that there is going to be pain, old age, sickness, and ultimately death, we are able to lead happier lifestyles by avoiding this suffering rather than being ignorant.
6. (Second Noble Truth) Suffering is caused by craving, desire, and ignorance. Getting what you want does not necessarily lead to happiness.Wanting deprives us of happiness and contentment.
7. (Third Noble Truth) Suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained. It’s important to not dwell in the past or constantly worry about the future. (Nirvana)
8. (Fourth Noble Truth) Lead a moral life. (Eightfold Path)
9. There is a moral code of Buddhism which has 5 precepts:

1. do not take the life of anything living
2. do not take anything not freely given
3. abstain from sexual indulgence or misconduct
4. refrain from untrue speech
5. avoid intoxication in order to not lose mindfulness

10. “Karma is the law that every cause has an effect.” Karma helps to explain why certain bad things happen to people such as why some people only live a short life. This idea motivates people to be more cautious with their actions. They will be held responsible for their past and present actions. When thinking of what to do in a situation, it’s important to ask 3 things:

1. What is your intention behind the action?
2. How will this affect you?
3. How will this affect those in your life?

Analysis: (ways to apply these 10 rules to daily life)

Ways people can relate this to their own lives

1. Think before you speak. It’s important to be aware of how our words and actions can affect those around us.

2. Try to focus less on materialism. Rather than spend the weekend trying to buy new clothes at your favorite store, spend more time just hanging out with friends and taking time to appreciate their company.

3. Realize that money is not everything. Although it’s important to find a job in order to make your own income, it should not be your biggest priority.Don’t always do favors just for money, sometimes just do it to be kind.

4. Although you may not agree with another person’s religion/beliefs, try to be open-minded to what they have to say. You don’t need to agree with it, just be respectful of it.

5. Don’t focus on the negative. When something bad happens, try to think of three good things that are in your life or what good could come out of the situation.  

6. Take time in your day to appreciate all that you have.

7. Meditating for even five minutes a day helps your mind to focus on being in the moment rather than worrying about the past or future. (calm.com)

8. Lead a moral life- do small acts of kindness, try to be friendly to everyone even if you’re having a bad day.

9. Try your best to only speak the truth.

10. I know it’s a lesson we have been learning since kindergarten but keep in mind the golden rule, “treat others the way you would want to be treated”.

Small Acts of Kindness:

• be kind to someone you dislike
• help someone whose car has broken down
• send flowers to someone
• renew an old friendship
• start a piggy bank for a cause
• offer someone a piece of gum
• arrive on time
• bring in your neighbor's trash
• write a thank-you note
• donate used clothing

Oppression Leads to the American Spirit

Betsy Ross' original American flag is an original symbol of American pride. SOURCE: www.nationalfcf.com

Throughout the late 1760s and early 1770s, the British strengthened their position against the Colonists and through this, the well-known (and sometimes overzealous) American spirit and morale was born.

After the unfair acts put on the Colonists by the British, the separation between the the groups grew to a point of no return.. The Boston Massacre, which led to many Colonists being killed by British soldiers, was a turning point where the Colonists’ anger became larger than their allegiance to their former King. This event signaled that a war between these two rivals was coming. Colonists began blatantly ignoring the laws and orders of the British. The Gaspee Affair, where the Sons of Liberty attacked and captured all aboard the British trade ship,without even trying to hide who they were. The Boston Tea Party, a well-known event in America’s history was a reaction to the Tea Acts, which put a tax on tea and other items used on a daily basis. The British reacted to this with a series of unfair laws on Bostonians, including the Quartering Acts, and Intolerable Acts.

Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech summed up what the American spirit was becoming. Through the hardship that the colonists dealt with and the unfair actions put against them, an American spirit based on strength, resiliency, and fairness was cultivated. The oppression of the British not only led to the breaking up of one of the greatest empires in history, it led to the creation of the attitude for Americans that anything can be achieved and reached if an individual or group fights smart and hard enough. The British imposing taxes, punishments, and pushing Colonists to act in secrecy had a large part in making America one of the most important and strongest countries in the world. Had the British not made the Colonists unhappy and uncomfortable, the American spirit would not be what it is today and freedom would not be the greatest right that Americans value and have. The oppression that Colonists faced led the Framers to emphasize freedom and the freedoms that citizens of the United States had. America is one of the most powerful countries because it is the “Leader of the Free World,” all thanks to Great Britain’s strict rule against these colonies.  

FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

1. What are the results of Great Britain's oppression that we see today?
2. How did the losing of the Thirteen Colonies lead to Great Britain's demise as the most powerful country in the world?
3. What are components of Britain that we see in economics and the U.S. government today?

Ancient Athletes Changing the Way Sports Work

It is the new “Moneyball” calculus in sports: Who will defy time? And for how long?

http://www.bostonglobe.com/

In the article Older athletes playing longer, pushing boundaries, Shira Springer, a sports writer on the staff for the Boston Globe, writes about how the sports world is changing due to the ability of some athletes to last in their respective sports much longer than in the past.

"It is also about teams recognizing the value of aging star athletes — as both on-the-field and off-the-field marketing assets — and giving more of them the chance to play deep into their 30s and beyond."

It seems that the game is making a steady shift to putting money and time into making the big stars of your team last as long as possible rather than trying to find the newest, youngest, potential future star. This completely changes the dynamic of the innerworkings of these major team sports. Trading now becomes based around getting one or two big stars who you feel like will last a long time and consistently perform well. It is even more of a gamble because with a young star you don't have to pay them an insane amount of money right away and if they don't work out it is just unfortunate and you move on. However, if you are getting a big time veteran it is going to cost big money and if they end up getting hurt or perform poorly it can end up being a huge setback to the organization.

"Teams know that predicting well and spending wisely on veterans gives them a competitive advantage. They also appreciate that better training, ever-improving sports medicine, league expansion, and multimillion-dollar paydays give older athletes more means and extra incentive to play on. And more than ever, older athletes not only play on, they play integral roles."

The huge technological advances made in recent years in sports has made a huge difference in the career length of athletes. These pros are getting the best care possible and the most efficient training possible to ensure that there is as little chance of serious long term injuries as possible. Of course, there is no way to get rid of this completely, but the increased prevention that has been able to develop is greatly impacting the number of years players can endure. Another big key point mentioned is the money. If a big time star is deciding between retiring or playing another couple seasons and making millions more dollars,  it is going to be pretty hard to turn that down. It seems like every year there is some new record breaking contract signed. The amount of money in pro sports is going up and with that it is just going to increase the length on the careers of the biggest stars.

“If the Ferrari isn’t working quite right, it’s going to slow down. But it’s still going to beat the Honda over time. It’s just how rusty does the Ferrari have to get to no longer work?”

This is the hardest part about this new shift in sports. How can anybody possibly know when a player gets too old to be worth all of the trouble? Each individual is so different from the next and on the court or field anything can happen. A star could be having the game of his life and then the next play a freak accident happens and he is done for good. There is no way of knowing what is going to happen down the line. Every move a GM or team makes with a veteran athlete is a risk and as the athlete gets older and older the bigger the risk gets. However, the reward when it works out are so big that it is hard to argue that the risk wouldn't be worth it.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is there a sort of system or someway to analysis athletes and decide if they are worth investing on or is it just pure chance?

2. What are some of the biggest payoffs and biggest busts in investing in careers of pro athletes?

Now the U.S. is Trying to Take Over the World?

Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin (source: www.reuters.com)

“Considering themselves the winners of the Cold War, the United States decided to reshape the world to fit its needs.” According to the article, “U.S. Expansionism to Blame for Ukraine Crisis, Russian Defense Minister Says” from The Moscow Times published on April 16, 2015, these are the words that came from Russian Armed Forces’s chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov.

 Right away, this contradicts the general perspective on the Ukrainian-Russian conflict in the U.S. Typically, Russia is portrayed as a power-hungry monster that is ruthless and wants to spread its influence in Eastern Europe. This article states the blunt opposite. In fact, the Russian perspective from this article clearly puts the blame on the U.S., as “top Russian officials accused the United States... of seeking political and military dominance in the world.”  

            It is very interesting to compare the two perspectives; however, there is no logic in Russia’s argument. They were the ones that for a certain time period denied that there were any Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine and that Russia was not providing any supplies to the pro-Russian rebels. In addition, Russia claims that they were only reacting to “a drive by the United States and its allies to bring Kiev closer to the West.” Russia’s denial and the statement above already contradict themselves. 

On one hand, Russia denied any involvement in Eastern Ukraine, while on the other, explains why it took the actions it did. Although living in the United States makes my opinion biased, I disagree with Russia’s accusations, and I believe that much of the world does too, as sanctions against Russia were put in place by the United States AND several other countries, such as those in the European Union.

FUTURE RESEARCH: I will interview someone from the Ukraine in order to see how their perspective is similar or different compared to the United States and Russia. 

Concert Attendance

What if there's really no "decline" in Classical Music Audiences?


I'll never forget the time my sisters declined my offer to take them to the symphony as: "oh, it would be cool for like... a half hour, but then we would just get bored." I had extra tickets to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of the worlds top three symphony orchestras, downtown in the city. My sisters had never attended a classical concert with me, so how would they know they would get bored? This shows part of the lack of interest society is getting from ideas about classical music. Take a closer look on why this might happen.

Source 

QUESTION: Is there really a decline in classical music audiences? If so, what can we do about it?

Why is it important to maintain?

SUMMARY:

This article shows that classical concert attendance often fluctuates with the city's population and demographics. Most of classical music listeners are whites. The issue is that the "median age of the U.S. is younger than the median age of the white population, and the proportion of the white population is shrinking in comparison to the proportion of ethnic and racial minorities." With this information, it is not surprising that audience memebers are shrinking with the overall population. 

The article gives the example that the "Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the LA Philharmonic benefit from having a larger absolute population pool with the right preferences (i.e. whites) to help keep these organizations doing relatively well in comparison to Detroit and Philadelphia." Ensembles are often influenced by European orchestra, which is the root of all classical music, but it doe not appeal to the changing ethnic and racial demographic of the US.

ANALYSIS:

I think it is best to get all demographics involved in classical music. It is a shame when Hollywood glamorizes orchestra and opera scenes in the movies as extremly wealthy, middle aged families in fur coats and pearls. The reality: attending the symphony is quite ordinary. You will find many attendees with grey hair, but you will also find students, families and kids.  

It is best for people to get educated about classical music, so they are not ignorant to this art form. Unfortunatly, it is not necessiarly easy to teach everyone about fine arts in music. I remember in elementary school, we had music class, but were never taught about the great composers. As I have come to learn about it now, I wonder why such a thing wasn't taught in school considering we had the class and oppertunity to do so. 

FURTHER RESEARCH: Expanding accesiblity to classical music and education.