the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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The Science of Super-Soldiers

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For this week, blogger Erik decided to write about superpowers and what it would look like if countries had the opportunity to genetically modify their military forces. Erik goes in depth about the pros, and mostly the cons, of global militaries being able to create “super soldiers.”– Editor-in-Chief Roman Rickwood

By Erik Bearman, Science Editor

Surprisingly, not every superpower is ludicrous. The idea of a Captain-America-type-serum-injected man turned into a weapon is actually one of the most accurate superhero-origin stories out there. The technology to achieve this exists today. In the near future, world superpowers such as China and the U.S. may have their own superpowered soldiers.

Steve Rogers Wasn't a Hero for Becoming Captain America – He Was Selfish | HE'SHero.com
A scene from Captain America: The First Avenger

Belgian Blue bull

Myostatin is a biochemical in our DNA that inhibits muscle growth. So, it stands to reason that inhibiting this inhibitor would cause us to bulk up rapidly. We’ve already seen it with the Belgian Blue cattle. Belgian farmers have selectively bred a breed of cow with a depletion of myostatin, causing them to be born with muscles that are nearly twice as developed then normal. 

Occasionally, this also happens in children. Liam Hoekstra, a child from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was born with a mutation to the myostatin gene and “could do a pull-up… [by] 8 months old”(ABC News). I can’t even do eight pull-ups at 18 years of age. If scientists altered the human genome in order to cease myostatin production, we could have our very own army of Belgian Blue Hoekstras.

Speaking of armies, approximately five months ago, NBC News reported that China has used CRISPR to conduct biological experiments in order to engineer their own super soldiers (msnbc.com). If China makes a move towards dominating the world technologically, economically, and now, militarily, who is to say that other countries won’t fight back using their own enhanced armies?

What do you think? If you were offered a super serum, would you take it to impress your friends and partners, or to defend your country?

Third Editor-in-Chief: Roman Rickwood

Sources:

Super Strong Kids May Hold Genetic Secrets – ABC News

DIY: How to Grow Your Own Human

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For this week’s dose of science news, Blogger Erik decided to discuss artificial wombs and what that may mean for the future. 

By Erik Bearman, Science Editor

In a galaxy far, far away, on the ocean world of Kamino, the Kaminoan scientists grew clones using artificial wombs in their laboratories. This may seem like a crazy sci-fi trope, but artificial wombs actually aren’t so crazy. In fact, scientists have already had success in the past.

In 1990, Japanese scientists removed a lamb fetus from its mother and grew it inside a container filled with amniotic fluid for 17 days until it was successfully delivered.

Later, in 2017, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia placed another lamb fetus inside an experimental artificial womb and allowed it to develop until it opened its eyes! Researchers now claim that “Human trials may be possible in a few years” (bbc.com).

Earlier this year, Israeli scientists successfully grew mouse embryos in a mechanical womb (www.technologyreview.com). One day, in the near future, humans could be grown in similar wombs.

mouse embryo ex utero

What Artificial Wombs May Look Like . . . 

Imagine a machine consisting of three parts:

  1. The growth chamber, which replicates the optimal conditions inside a mother’s womb.
  2. The blood container, which supplies the fetus with oxygen-rich blood.
  3. The sensors, which uses an A.I. to scan and monitor the fetus’s health.

This version of the artificial womb is one of the most practical designs as it is simple yet effective. It can also display updates on the fetus’s health in real-time.

Another version of the artificial womb is a giant, red ball that also simulates the natural environment of the organic womb. Tubes are connected to the ball that deliver blood, oxygen, and necessary medication. The womb is not see-through, as the lack of stimulation in darkness is more beneficial to the fetus.

The world's first artificial womb for humans - BBC News

Why Artificial Wombs Can Be Beneficial

According to bbc.com, “Premature birth, before 37 weeks, is globally the biggest cause of death among newborns.” Incubators can help some newborns develop, but they don’t work for all cases. An artificial womb, however, would work in most. Doctors could place the baby in an environment that allows it to continue developing until it is ready for a safe, healthy birth.

Another way artificial wombs can benefit us is by allowing humans to explore the cosmos more effectively. In Interstellar, the scientists in the movie were planning on sending fertilized eggs to a viable planet in order to grow and continue the human race. While it’s certainly a great back-up plan if humans and this planet go extinct, it is also a great way to spread to other planets and start colonizing early, setting up bases where the next generation could develop and build a society for themselves.

Who knows? Perhaps my children will be grown in one of these chambers? Perhaps yours will, too?

Second Editor-in-Chief: Sara Habibipour

Sources:

New Technologies from the COVID Era

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There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world forever. Now that we are finally making progress in curbing the severity of the pandemic, let us take a look at possible technological advancements made while responding to COVID-19.

By Erik Bearman, Science Editor

COVID-A.I.

On New Years Eve, 2019, towards the start of the pandemic, BlueDot, a small company that analyzes and predicts outbreaks of disease, detected early signs of a potential pandemic “using data from ‘medical bulletins, even livestock reports, to predict where the virus would go next…And with that data it identified 12 of the 20 cities that would suffer first ‘” (cbsnews.com). Later on, California was able to predict which hospitals would be hit the hardest using BlueDot. 

Outbreak Science: Using artificial intelligence to track the coronavirus pandemic - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Using A.I. to map where infectious diseases may spread has long been a part of outbreak science. As COVID-19 ebbs, artificial intelligences like the ones used at BlueDot will become more widely used and may even help prevent the next pandemic from ruining the senior years of future generations.

COVID-Filter

Coronavirus blood filtration system gets FDA nod for emergency use - SlashGear

In April of 2020, ExThera Medical received Emergency Use Authorization for a Seraph 100 Blood filter. ExThera was given EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) because the filter “showed encouraging preliminary results in critically ill COVID-19 patients at a military hospital in the U.S. and 14 other hospitals in Europe” (mddionline.com). The filter works in a two-step process:

  1. Blood flows from the patient and circulates through the filter. As it does, the blood passes over receptors that imitate the receptors that pathogens target when they enter us.
  2. The infectious material is absorbed by the beads which the receptors are attached to, allowing the filter to remove them from the patient’s bloodstream without adding anything to their blood which is returned to the patient with blood cells and proteins intact. (mddionline.com)

One day, these filters may be an everyday part of hospital equipment and could provide doctors the necessary time to treat patients. With future funding and development, they may be able to filter out harmful materials other than COVID-19.

COVID-Bees

Dutch researchers train honeybees to detect COVID-19 | CBC.ca

Researchers in the Netherlands have trained bees to detect cases of COVID-19. This might seem crazy, but bees actually “have an unusually keen sense of smell” (www.reuters.com). The process used to train the bees was relatively simple: the researchers gave the bees sugar water as a reward after the bees found a sample infected with COVID-19. But, if the bees could not detect a sample of COVID-19, the researchers did not give them a reward.

Now, the bees are used to detect COVID-19 in humans and can “cut waiting times for test results to just seconds” (www.reuters.com). An unBEElievable idea can make way for faster testing in the future for other diseases. Meaning less funding will have to be put into developing testing technologies and more communities will be able to get rapid, accurate results. From bees to filters to A.I., science never lets a catastrophe go to waste.

First Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Shay

Sources

Let the Gays Get Married!

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The LGBTQ+ community has been an integral part in our society since society began. Unfortunately, community members have also been marginalized through harsh and restrictive laws. Erik explains how important same-sex marriage legalization is on a global scale.

By Erik Bearman

Same-sex marriage, or any form of queer-marriage, has been scrutinized for centuries. Queer-marriage may be legal in the U.S., but it’s not in some other countries. It’s high time that queer-marriage be decriminalized everywhere on Earth. 

History of Queer People in Different Cultures

It may surprise you to know that homophobia is a recent development in human history. Many ancient cultures were totally accepting of queer people. For example, “the Toltec civilization condoned homosexuality” and even had two gods that embodied male and female homosexuality (Chronology of Mexican gay history). In Ancient Greece, the Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite military division of 150 pairs of male lovers. The Band was crucial in overthrowing Spartan rule in Thebes during the Battle of Leuctra (www.britannica.com). 

As you can see, queer people have long existed and have had a strong influence on society. So, why are they so marginalized today?

Why Queer-Marriage Was Hated

According to Professor of Sociology at the University of Winchester Eric Anderson, “Intolerance toward homosexual behaviour grew particularly in the Middle Ages, especially among the adherents of Christianity and Islam” (www.britanica.com). You’ve probably heard of Leviticus 18:22. The infamous line reads, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (King James Bible). Many religious people who oppose the queer community often cite this line as evidence that being gay is sinful. However, several scholars argue that this line is a mistranslation and that Leviticus was actually condemning sexual abuse. The words for “boy” and “man” were similar. The translation should read, according to argument, as an edict against pedophilia. 

As colonialism spread in more recent centuries, so did the homophobic views of leading religions. Many countries who once accepted queer people began to reject the community and even persecute them.

Decriminalizing Queer-Marriage

I want the record to state that I don’t want to decriminalize queer-marriage across the world because I am the son of two lesbians. I want to decriminalize queer-marriage because it’s the right thing to do and there is no science to support queer-marriage criminalization. As long as it’s consensual, and all parties are 18 or older, there should be no problem with people marrying whomever they want. Children are not hurt by the union. According to a study that tracked children born in the Netherlands after 1994, “children from same-sex couples outperform children from different-sex couples on standardized test scores at the end of primary education by 0.18 standard deviations” (washingtonpost.com).

Decriminalizing queer-marriage isn’t only a right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do!

Decriminalize/Criminalize Laws Editor: Evan Spry

Sources:

Sleeping Beauty

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There are many World Records. One that all of us would probably want to attempt, but that is deceptively hard, is the longest time spent asleep. In this brief article, Erik Bearman lays out how he plans to do so.–World Records Editor Jake Sonderman

By Erik Bearman

I think I speak for all Palm Valley seniors when I say: “We need more sleep.” Health class has taught us that the average person needs 8-9 hours of sleep per night in order to stay healthy. However, I’m willing to bet that a lot of us get somewhere between 5-7 hours of sleep at most. 

I think if anyone has gotten enough rest, it’s hypnotist and British personality Peter Powers. Actually, I think he takes the cake. Because Peter Powers once stayed asleep for eight days straight! 

Peter Powers live
Peter Powers

As of now, Peter Powers’s record has yet to be broken. But, that doesn’t mean it never will be. I am willing to step up and attempt to break this record.

First, I will pay a doctor to attach an IV to my arm. The IV will allow necessary nutrients to enter my body without the need to wake up. Next, I will confine myself to a room constructed of solid, soundproof walls so no sounds can wake me. I would also lower the temperature and wrap myself in warm bedding.

My biggest concern is finding the energy (or lack thereof) to stay asleep. My solution? I would actually have to stay awake as long as possible and physically exhaust my body until I have no choice but to fall asleep. Only then do I have a shot at beating the world record for longest time spent sleeping!

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to break a world record. I don’t think I can eat over a dozen hotdogs in a minute or run a cross country marathon. But, the prospect of breaking a record while simultaneously getting some much needed sleep gives me hope that one day, maybe, I will break a world record.

World Records Editor: Jake Sonderman

Sources

Alternate Versions of Superman

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Superman! Blogger Erik describes the lives of four superbeings which all have strikingly similar characteristics to Superman. Are they good; are they evil? Read more to find out.–Alternate Realities Editor Hannah Hall

By Erik Bearman

*Warning: spoilers for Megamind, Brightburn, and Amazon Prime’s The Boys below.

Even if you’re not a comic-book fan, you’ve probably heard of Superman. He’s a modern-day paragon of truth, justice, and heroism and is inspiring to people inside his universe and in the real world. So, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that many artists have been inspired by the iconic superhero. Some spin-offs and allegories are just as heroic as the original. Others are flawed characters. And, some are straight up evil! When Hannah gave us the theme of “Alternate Realities,” I chose to write about these alternate supermen because it’s interesting how different characters, many flawed, use the same set of superpowers.

Sentry

sentry marvel - Google Search | Marvel sentry, Marvel comic character, Marvel facts

First appearing in The Sentry #1 published July 19th, 2000, Sentry has become one of Marvel’s most powerful characters and has fought against and alongside heroes such as the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.

Scientists working on Project Sentry were attempting to recreate the serum that granted Captain America his super strength. Many decades of failure were about to bring an end to the project. Until Robert “Bob” Reynolds broke into the laboratory and drank the serum. The serum granted him “the power of a million exploding suns” which included abilities such as flight, superhuman strength, and teleportation (marvel.fandom.com).

Over the past several years, Sentry has only grown more popular with the fanbase and even more powerful in the comics. His greatest threat is arguably the Void; an evil alternate personality implanted in Sentry’s brain by the villain Mastermind.

Metro Man | Megamind Wiki | Fandom

Metro Man

Megamind introduced us to the Metro Man; the beloved hero of Metro-City and certified baby kisser. Much like his rival Megamind, Metro Man’s planet was in danger of being swallowed by a black hole. So, Metro Man’s parents sent him offworld. Metro Man landed in an upper-class neighborhood and was adopted by a very wealthy family. Even as a child, Metro Man was adored by his community and was always the popular kid in school.

During his adulthood, Metro Man dueled with Megamind countless times and always won. But, one day, Metro Man got tired of being the hero. He realized he never had a choice to explore his dreams. In order to free himself, Metro Man faked his death during a fight with Megamind. While Megamind was busy wreaking havoc across the city, Metro Man was expanding his career as a musician. Megamind and Roxanne (Megamind’s version of Lois Lane) asked for Metro Man’s help in fighting Metro-City’s latest threat: Tighten. But Metro Man declined and continued his doomed career as a musician.

Brightburn

Brightburn review: super-antihero fails to take flight | Film | The Guardian

In the 2019 horror film Brightburn, Kyle and Tori Breyer wanted to have a child but were unsuccessful. One night, while attempting to overcome this problem, the Breyers heard a thunderous noise outside their farm. The couple investigates and finds an alien pod containing something that resembles a human baby. Finally happy that they’ll be able to raise a child, the Breyers hide the pod beneath their barn and raise the baby, which they name Brandon, as their own. The name “Brandon” is a possible reference to Brandon Routh, the actor who played Superman in Superman Returns.

For the most part, Brandon seems like a normal kid. He’s socially awkward, occasionally mouths off to his parents, and hides diagrams of human body parts under his bed. His parents pass these incidents off as typical teenage hormones. But, these are actually indicators of Brandon’s aggressive and cunning nature. 

Things truly take a turn for the worse when Brandon wakes up in the middle of the night and hears mysterious voices commanding him to “Take the world.” After discovering and mastering his powers of super strength, laser vision, and invulnerability, Brandon begins a brutal killing streak across his hometown of Brightburn, Kansas. He eviscerates his family’s chickens, the mother of his childhood crush/best friend, several police officers, his own relatives, and finally, a passenger plane. In the end credits of the film, Brandon is revealed to be continuing his rampage across the U.S. with seemingly no way to stop him.

Another major hint of Brandon’s true nature comes earlier in the film in Brandon’s science class. Brandon describes how a species of parasitic wasp lays their eggs in other nests. The students respond by teasing Brandon for being a nerd, but this moment is further alluding to Brandon being sent to Earth for the purpose of taking over the planet.

The Boys Homelander PNG by Metropolis-Hero1125 on DeviantArt

Homelander

First appearing in The Boys comic book series written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson, and later played by Anthony Starr in the Amazon Prime original series of the same name, Homelander is the paragon of heroism. He is the crown jewel of Vought International and dedicated to fighting for the peace, security, and freedom of the United States of America. There’s just one problem…

It’s all a lie.

These stories of a Clark Kent-like upbringing are fed to the public by Vought’s expert PR team. The sad reality is that, as a human infant, Homelander was subjected to experiments involving Compound-V: the volatile, superpower-gifting serum created by Vought scientists. With the goal of creating the world’s greatest superhero, Vought bred Homelander to be the ultimate weapon. But, they neglected to teach him lessons in empathy, humility, and modesty. Which has resulted in the arrogant, narcissistic, man-child that is Homelander.

Among the most heinous crimes (that we know of) Homelander has commited are the attack of Rebecca Butcher (wife of Homelander’s arch-nemisis Billy Butcher), intentionally letting a plane full of innocent people crash just so he could convinvce the government to allow “supes” in the military, and teaming up with the superpowered-nazi Stormfront.

As despicable a creature Homelander is, he was not born evil. Remember, Homelander was never raised with loving parents, nor was he ever surrounded by friends. In the lab, he was constantly forced to impress his superiors, which is why Homelander is always seeking admiration from the public and why he goes berserk when he doesn’t receive it. When you boil it down, Homelander is the result of decades of loveless scientists and barbaric experiments.

***

I’m pretty sure that we’ve all imagined what it would be like to have superpowers. I know I have. It’s pretty jarring to see how different people have used Superman’s powers, whether it’s for lawful good or chaotic evil. I think it’s interesting to learn about how different artists have twisted our understanding of a heroic paragon.

Alternate Realities Editor: Hannah Hall

Sources:

The Truth Behind the Washington Monument

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In further pursuits of architectural achievements, Erik writes about his time in Washington, D.C. Back when he was in 8th grade, Erik was amazed at the creation and construction of the Washington Monument. He’s still amazed today.

By Erik Bearman

A few years ago, I went on a trip with my 8th-grade classmates to Washington, D.C., America’s capital. I spent a few days there, and we had a great time. While we were walking around the city, we passed the Washington Monument. Let me tell you about it.

History of the Washington Monument

The Washington Monument was intended originally to be a memorial statue of George Washington, but Washington got rid of those plans when he was elected President. It wasn’t until 1833 that a group of citizens (later known as the Washington National Monument Society) decided to raise funds for a monument to be built. The leader of the WNMS, Chief Justice John Marshall, held a competition to determine who would get to design the monument.

The winner of the competition was an architect by the name of Robert Mills. Mills envisioned a “pantheon (a temple-like building) featuring 30 stone columns and statues of Declaration of Independence signers and Revolutionary War heroes. A statue of Washington driving a horse-drawn chariot would reside above the main entrance and a 600-foot-tall Egyptian obelisk would rise from the pantheon’s center” (history.com). Obviously, this idea in its entirety didn’t come to fruition. The reason being a combination of low funds and the fact that it took too long to build. Not to mention, the quarry stone that had been initially used ran out. So workers had to use an alternative plan which resulted in “the monument [having] two different shades; lighter at the bottom and darker at the top” (www.history.com). 

Construction was finally completed in 1884 (even though the monument didn’t open to the public until 1888)–leaving the U.S. with the monolith you see today. 

Traveling to and through D.C. is arguably one of the best life experiences I’ve had that predates high school. I’ve always wanted to learn more about this (honestly) generic-looking monument.

Fun Fact: The Washington Monument held the world record for tallest man-made structure for less than a year when it was beaten by the Eiffel Tower!

washingtonpost.com

Architectural Achievements Editor: Roman Rickwood

Sources:

The Creation of the Beautiful Mexica World and its People

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When Elizabeth asked the Blog Class to write about “Mythology,” Blogger Erik chose to explore his Mexica ancestry and write about the creation myth of the Mexica people.

By Erik Bearman

Context 

The Mexica people are known as “the Aztecs” by the general public and were given that name by the Spanish. However, this is not what the Nahuatl-speaking peoples of that region called themselves at the time; nor is it what they call themselves today. Because of this, I will be referring to the Mexica by our indigenious name.

Pre-Creation

Ōmeteōtl - Wikipedia

Ometeotl, the Dual God, is the bigender creator god of the Mexica and Lord of Duality. They created the world with the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. Ometeotl’s first four sons each ruled a direction. 

Tezcatlipoca: a tricky and complicated Aztec god!

Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror, rules the North and is the embodiment of the night sky and winds, hurricanes, discord, earth, sorcery, temptation, obsidian, rulership, and jaguars.

Quetzalcoatl - Wikipedia

Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, rules the West and is the embodiment of wind, wisdom, art, the day, rain, and the cycle of death and resurrection. He is also mankind’s creator. You may be familiar with the Feathered Serpent because he appears across Mesoamerican artwork and in pop culture.

Xipe Totec: This Gory God Shows the Unique Way Aztecs Viewed Fertility and Renewal | Ancient Origins

Our Lord the Flayed One, Xipe Totec, rules the East and is the embodiment of agriculture, sacrifice, vegetation, the seasons, maize, and rebirth. 

Huitzilopochtli - Ancient History Encyclopedia

Huitzilopochtli, the Blue Hummingbird of the South, rules the South. Huitzilopochtli is patron of the Mexica people and is the embodiment of war, fire, and the current sun.

Cipactli - Wikipedia

The gods set out to create more gods and the rest of the world, but first they had to defeat the earth monster, Cipactli. Cipactli was a giant crocodilian/fish/turtle who lived in the primordial sea of creation. Anything the gods tried to create Cipactli ate. The gods battled with Cipactli. Tezcatlipoca lost his left leg in the process. After the battle, the gods repurposed Cipactli’s body and scattered it into the sky, land, caves, valleys, and grass. The Mexica use Cipactli as an explanation for sinkholes. A commonly held belief is that Cipactli will drag people underground unless she is fed the blood of regular sacrificial victims. 

The gods were nearly finished with creating the world, but they still needed a sun. The gods gathered their power into a ball of light, which existed among them. Tezcatlipoca, who was proud but petty, stole the ball, tied it to his back, and rose into the sky with the sun. 

The First Sun and the First People

The First Sun was ruled by Tezcatlipoca and lasted 676 years. The first people Quetzalcoatl created were a race of nut-eating giants. For the most part, the world was in order. But, there was a problem with the Sun. Because he had lost his leg, Tezcatlipoca could only manage half a sun. Yet, he refused to step down. So Quetzalcoatl, the wisest of the gods, came up with the best solution. He took a macuahuitl (a wooden club used by Mexica warriors) and whacked Tezcatlipoca out of the sky! In a vengeful response, Tezcatlipoca created jaguars to devour the people Quetzalcoatl had created. And, the people disappeared.

The Second Sun and the Second People

Quetzalcoatl took over as the Second Sun and ruled for another 676 years. Quetzalcoatl created a new race of people who were much smaller than the giants. However, Tezcatlipoca was still angry at his brother for hitting him out of the sky centuries earlier. So, Tezcatlipoca used his dark magic to transform into a giant jaguar, leaped into the sky, and struck down his brother. Quetzalcoatl retaliated with a massive windstorm that ended up blowing humanity away. The survivors turned into monkeys. Quetzalcoatl was quite bummed about his precious creations being turned into monkeys. So he left and ended the age of the Second Sun. To recap, Quetzalcoatl has gone; there are no humans–only monkeys.

The Third Sun and the Third People

Tlāloc - Wikipedia
Image result for xochiquetzal

The Third Sun was not ruled by one of the cardinal gods but by a rain god named Tlaloc. Tlaloc embodies rain, storms, thunder, lightning, moisture, and plant growth after rainstorms. His name means “he who makes things sprout.” Tlaloc ruled for 676 more years until Tezcatlipoca interfered. Tlaloc’s wife at the time was Xochiquetzal, the Precious Feathered Flower, who embodies female sexual power, prostitution, erotic love, beauty, and pregnancy. Xochiquetzal was seduced by Tezcatlipoca and left her husband. Tlaloc entered a state of depression and neglected his duties as a rain god. The people kept praying and attempting to appease him. Tlaloc eventually caved and gave the humans rain. Only he made it rain fire instead of water. The surviving humans transformed into birds.

Note: In some stories, Xochiquetzal was abducted by Tezcatlipoca and forced to marry him. After leaving Tezcatlipoca, Xochiquetzal was transformed into a patron and guardian of female homosexuality.

The Fourth Sun and the Fourth People

chalchiuhtlicue, aztec river goddess | Aztec artwork, Aztec art, Aztec symbols

Tlaloc eventually remarried. This time to the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue. Chalchiuhtlicue embodies rivers, streams, storms, seas, and all things water related. Her name means “She of the Jade Skirt.” Chalchiuhtlicue became the Fourth Sun and was broadly loved by the new people Quetzalcoatl created. But, 624 years later, Tezcatlipoca accused Chalchiutlicue of faking her kindness and of only acting the way she did because she wanted mankind’s praise. Chalchiutlicue became so sad that she started crying blood. She cried for 52 two years and drowned the people in her misery. The survivors transformed into fish.

The Fifth Sun and the Fifth People

Note: The Mexica believe that we currently live in the Fifth Sun and that a special sacrificial ceremony called the New Fire Ceremony must be performed every 52 years in order to prevent the next cataclysm. 

Mictlantecuhtli | Aztec deity | Britannica
Mictecacihuatl

The warrior god, Huitzilopochtli, became the Fifth Sun. At this point, Quetzalcoatl was sick and tired of having to recreate humanity. So, he journeyed to the Mictlan, the lowest point in the Mexica underworld, and met with Mictlantecuhtli, the Lord of the Land of the Dead, and Mictlantecuhtli’s wife, Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Land of the Dead and the Keeper of Bones. Quetzalcoatl asked the two if he could have the bones of previous humans in order to create more humans. Mictlantecuhtli said that he would allow Quetzalcoatl to take the bones if Quetzalcoatl traveled around Mictlan blowing into a shell. But Mictlantecuhtli attempted to trick Quetzalcoatl by handing him a shell with no holes to blow. Quetzalcoatl was smart and summoned worms to drill holes into the shell and summoned bees to buzz inside the holes. The horn worked. Mictlantecuhtli was furious but let Quetzalcoatl take the bones.

Cihuacōātl - Wikipedia

Quetzalcoatl was heading towards the mortal realm when he fell into a pit. Mictlantecuhtli had played another trick! He had commanded his underworld servants to dig the pit. When Quetzalcoatl awoke, he realized he had broken the bones! Thankfully, the Snake Woman, Cihuacoatl, saved the day. She ground the bones into a bowl and used Quetzalcoatl’s blood to bring the humans to life. They were healthy, but because the bones had been broken, they now had different heights.

There are different predictions for how the Fifth Sun will end, but a common version is that it will once again be the fault of Tezcatlipoca, who will destroy humanity with earthquakes.

****************

This creation myth is important to me because I can imagine the stories of my ancestors. It provides context and connection. There are many creation myths. This one doesn’t get told enough. It reveals much about my Mexica people, why, and how they lived.

Sources:

Mythology Editor: Elizabeth Shay

ODIN: a DIY Genetic-Engineering Business

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Erik has long been interested in genetic engineering. When asked about new businesses, Erik wrote about a company making genetic engineering available to the consumer market. And, he’s pretty excited about it. He’s actually a consumer of the product. Don’t ask what’s going on in his kitchen.

By Erik Bearman

How to get started Biohacking

The ODIN was founded by Dr. Josiah Zayner, who got his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics at the University of Chicago. Dr. Zayner believes “the future is going to be dominated by genetic engineering and consumer genetic design will be a big part of that. We are making that happen by creating kits and tools that allow anyone to make unique and usable organisms at home or in a lab or anywhere” (https://www.the-odin.com/about-us/ ). 

The ODIN website allows you to purchase DIY genetic engineering kits and ship them to your residence. Examples of kits you can order are DIY Bacterial Gene Engineering CRISPR Kit ($169.00), Genetic Design Starter Kit ($49.99), Glowing Jellyfish Bacteria ($29.99), and Frog Genetic Engineering Kit ($1,999.00). The kits come with all the equipment and supplies you need to perform your own at-home experiments. The ODIN even offers online classes to perform these experiments at your own pace. Among the online teachers is the esteemed Dr. George Church, Harvard Medical School’s Professor of Genetics.

The purpose of these experiments is to teach upcoming geneticists how to do basic modification that will be essential in their fields. It also gives average people (even those without a college education) a chance to do great work. For example, David Ishee, a Mississippi dog breeder, wants to use the ODIN’s kits to help him breed dogs quickly while also getting rid of genetic problems that are common in pure breeds. 

Although this company is revolutionary, it is not the first time genetic engineering has been introduced into the business world. Look at your supermarket’s produce section for GMOs. And, in the timber industry, geneticists have created trees that produce premium wood at a faster rate: “the timber industry does not have to chop down so many virgin forests…[and] it has more top-quality wood” (https://marketbusinessnews.com/genetic-engineering-definition-meaning/).

The ODIN makes a substantial amount of money, but not many people outside the genetics or biohacking communities have heard of it. However, as genetic engineering slowly approaches the center of our future livelihoods, more people seeking to learn about biology might hear about these accessible DIY experiments. While controversies may abound regarding this work, Zayner’s work gives access of genetic engineering to the people while not limiting the power to big businesses.

Up-and-Coming Business Editor: Jake Sonderman

https://www.the-odin.com/about-us/

https://marketbusinessnews.com/genetic-engineering-definition-meaning/

My Love for the Adventure of Comic-Con

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When Hannah asked the Blog staffers what Festivities they would like to attend after quarantine, Erik talked about how he and a close friend plan (again) to go to Comic-Con.

Comic Con Palm Springs Coming Back Even Stronger On Its 2nd Year

In a post-COVID-19 world, one place I would LOVE to attend is Comic-Con, which is usually held locally at the Convention Center here in Palm Springs. If you don’t know what Comic-Con is or are unfamiliar with what transpires at Comic-Con, let me explain its history.

Comic-Con’s origins began over 50 years ago in San Diego. A group of mostly teenage comic-book fans wanted to connect with other fans but had no efficient way of doing so (it is important to remember that being a comic book geek wasn’t cool like it is today). 

Shel Dorf was one of the only grown-ups in this group, along with Jacob Kurtzberg (aka Jack Kirby)–the co-creator of popular Marvel characters such as Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and the X-Men. Together they and the fan group formed the first national Comic-Con in San Diego. The convention would go on to grow and spread across the country–even all the way to Palm Springs!

I’ve gone to Palm Springs’s Comic-Con in the past but only with one of my moms. And, with all due respect, I’d really like to go with a close friend at least once. “Which friend?” you ask? Well, they’ve asked me to keep them anonymous, and I will respect their wishes.

We are both serious fans of pop-culture, so attending a convention where we can potentially meet our favorite writers, artists, and actors sounds like a promising experience. We’ve even discussed dressing up as our favorite characters. Though we are still debating which characters we’ll choose. At Comic-Con, you can purchase art and cool merchandise from your favorite shows and movies.  

I Caught a GIANT PIKACHU at Comic-Con 2010 - YouTube
“Pika pika.”–Pikachu 2018

One of my favorite things about Comic-Con, apart from the friendly and encouraging community, is Pikachu. For those of you who don’t know the culture of Comic-Con, there’s this person dressed as a giant Pikachu who wanders around the convention taking pictures with Pokémon fans. I’ve taken pictures with Pikachu before, but I always want to add one more to my collection.

My friend and I had originally planned to attend Comic-Con last summer, back when we thought quarantine would only last a few months. But we now realize that we probably won’t get to attend Comic-Con together before we go our separate ways for college. Maybe . . . there’ll be a Zoom Comic-Con . . . .

Festivities (in a post-Coronavirus time) Editor: Hannah Hall