Cold blooded

Cryonics......

Hmmm.  This definitely got you thinking this week.

What is cryonics?
How much does it cost?
Is cryonics just some science-fiction fantasy?
Has any mammal successfully been frozen and brought back to life?
Was Walt Disney really cryogenically preserved?
So I was correct about Ted Williams head being frozen, but I was wrong about the rest of his body?
What other famous people have been frozen?
Will cryonics work?
Are bodies frozen while they are still alive or after they have died?
What is neurocryopreservation?
What does this have to do with the Barefoot Bandit?

http://www.alcor.org/

http://www.cryonics.org/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ted-williams-frozen-in-two-pieces/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34311502

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-barefoot-bandit-mother-20160426-story.html

I gave you lots of resources.  You pick what you want to read or watch.  Write a scholarly paragraph about cryonics.  What do you think?  Explain what it is and what you learned about the process.

Be Uncommon

Can you overcome your genetics?  Can you become an athlete even though you don't have the "sport gene?"  How big of a role do your genetics really play?

This Friday I got an email about a Russian Pianist without hands and missing a leg because of an illness he survived when he was little.  Check this out....

 

https://www.good.is/articles/alexey-has-no-limitations?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood

Read the article above and think about overcoming genetics and biology. What does it take to be uncommon?

The TCU baseball team makes a team video each year with a different theme.  This year the theme is "Uncommon."

As we approach the last few weeks of the school year, I want you to think about what it means to be uncommon.  What does this mean to you?  What if we all looked for the "uncommon" in our everyday lives?  What would it look like?  What if we started a trend on Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter with the hashtag "uncommon?"  Can one small group of honors biology students start a movement?

Send a link of something uncommon, take a picture of something uncommon, make a video of something uncommon or write a paragraph about what it means to you....

I feel the need, the need for speed....

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there was an iconic 1980's film called "Top Gun."  While I understand that this movie was far before your time, some quotes from the movie have stood the test of time.

After reading all of your suggestions for blog posts, I decided that this week we would write about the "Speed Gene."  Is there such a thing as being born athletic?  Do our genes determine determine if we are more likely to be an athlete or an academic?

Pick one of the articles below:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genes-sports-talent/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-elite-athletes-born-or-made/

https://www.23andme.com/gen101/variation/speed/

https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/05/20/sports-genes-what-makes-great-athletes-and-why-it-matters/

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/genetics.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3993978/

OR watch the following TED talk:

In a scholarly paragraph, (at least 5 sentences long with proper punctuation) explain what you learned.  First, state which article you read or if you watched the TED talk.  Summarize what you learned.  Then explain your personal opinion about this subject.  Is athleticism learned or inherited?  Is there really such a thing as a "Sport Gene?"  Finally, summarize how this article will influence you.

Survey says.....

This week I spent a lot of time trying to think of the perfect blog post to start 4th quarter.  Since we are studying genetics, I thought about some common questions that you might have....

Why are there gingers?
What causes eye color?
What determines personality:  nature or nurture?

Let me tell you, the list was long.  However, I couldn't decide on the perfect post.  So I thought I would let you tell me what you would like to write about.  Similar to Family Fued, you will write a list this week of the three things that you would most like to write about between now and the end of the school year.  Of course, the last two units are genetics and evolution so your topics should be related to them please.

Just like Family Fued:)