Random Thoughts.

In recent weeks, I have been reflecting on several topics that have been on my mind daily. In the following paragraphs, I will summarize my thoughts. 

Quantum physics is concerned with the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic levels. Many scientists continue to be fascinated and awestruck by this field of study that has been around for more than a century. By taking into account the postulates of quantum physics, we can be able to explain the behavior of matter and energy in the quantum world. 

This section is devoted to explaining the seven postulates that form the foundation of quantum physics. In the first postulate of quantum physics, it is stated that every particle in the universe possesses inherent angular momentum, which is known as spin. Angular momentum can be defined as a quantity associated with a particle's mass that does not depend on the particle's motion. In other words, due to its quantization, angular momentum only has discrete values. As a result of this postulate, particles behave differently depending on the environment in which they are situated. 

Quantum physics' second postulate states that the wave function of a particle describes the probability that it will be found at any given location. The Schrödinger equation describes this wave function, which is a mathematical equation that describes the behavior of a quantum system. In other words, the wave function is a function of the particle's position and momentum. This method can be used to determine the likelihood of a particle being found at a particular location. 

According to the third postulate of quantum physics, an observer cannot observe a quantum system until it is observed by another observer that is not an observer; therefore, a quantum system can exist in a superposition of multiple states at the same time that is not observed before an observer first observes it. The 'uncertainty principle' was introduced by Werner Heisenberg in the 1920s and has become a standard notion within the scientific community ever since. In accordance with this postulate, a quantum system's "observable" properties, such as its position and momentum, can only be determined after an observation has been made. It is important to note that before an observation can be made, the system is in a superposition of multiple states and thus is indeterminate until it is observed. The concept of wave-particle duality is at the core of quantum physics. Physicists believe that particles are capable of acting as waves, while waves can also act as particles. In other words, it is impossible to predict what state a particle will be in prior to being observed. The famous double-slit experiment illustrates this concept, in which a particle passes through two slits and creates a wave-like pattern on the other side. It is clear from this that particles behave in a wave-like manner and that uncertainty exists. The third postulate of quantum physics has profound implications for our understanding of the universe. 

The fourth postulate of quantum physics states that the probability of an event occurring is equal to the square of the absolute value of the wave function of that event. This means that a particle's wave function is a mathematical representation of the probability of the particle being observed at a particular point in space and time. This postulate is one of the most fundamental laws of quantum mechanics, and it provides the basis for understanding the behavior of particles on the subatomic level. The fourth postulate of quantum mechanics can be used to explain a variety of phenomena, including the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the wave-particle duality. It is also vital for understanding the behavior of electrons in their shells around atoms, as well as the behavior of photons in light. In addition to its fundamental implications, the fourth postulate of quantum mechanics has been used to develop various theories and models. For example, it is the basis of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, which states that an observer's knowledge of a system affects the system itself. This interpretation also led to the development of the field of quantum computing, which uses the fourth postulate to make calculations faster and more efficient. 

The fifth postulate of quantum physics states that the probabilities of observing the different possible outcomes of a measurement are determined by the quantum state of the system being measured. This means that the quantum state of a system completely determines the probabilities of observing different outcomes of a measurement. The fifth postulate is also known as the "collapse of the wave-function" or the "Copenhagen interpretation" of quantum physics. It states that when a measurement is made on a quantum system, its wave function collapses to a single discrete value, with the probability of each possible outcome being determined by the quantum state of the system. This postulate implies that the results of all measurements on quantum systems are fundamentally unpredictable. Because of this, quantum mechanics is sometimes referred to as a "theory of probability", since the outcomes of measurements can only be determined by a probability distribution over the different possible outcomes. This postulate has been experimentally verified and is the basis for our understanding of the quantum world.

The sixth postulate of quantum physics is known as the Born Rule. This postulate states that the probability of a system being in a certain state is proportional to the square of the absolute value of the wave-function of that state. In other words, the probability of a particle being in a certain state is proportional to the square of its wave-function. This postulate is based on the work of Max Born, who proposed that the probability of a particle being in a certain state is directly related to the magnitude of the wave-function of that state. The Born Rule has been an essential part of the development of quantum mechanics, as it is used to calculate the probabilities of different states for a particle. It is also crucial for understanding quantum phenomena such as tunneling and entanglement. The Born Rule has been used to explain the behavior of particles in experiments such as the double-slit experiment and to calculate the effects of quantum mechanical interactions. Despite its importance, the Born Rule still needs to be fully understood. It is one of the most mysterious postulates of quantum physics and has been the subject of much debate and discussion over the years. It is still the subject of much research, and its implications are still being explored. 

    The seventh postulate of quantum physics states that a quantum state is completely determined by its expectation values of observables. Any given quantum system can be described in terms of its average behavior. This postulate is closely related to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which states that it is impossible to measure both the position and momentum of a particle at the same time with absolute precision. The seventh postulate states that any observable quantity can be expressed as the expectation value of a quantum state, allowing for the calculation of average values for the system. This enables us to make predictions about the behavior of a quantum system. For example, if we know the expected value of a particle's momentum, we can predict its average behavior. This postulate is also closely related to the Schrödinger equation, which describes the evolution of a quantum system in time. The Schrödinger equation relies on the seventh postulate to determine the evolution of the system, as it uses the expectation values of the observables to update the system's state. The seventh postulate of quantum physics is a fundamental principle that underlies all of quantum mechanics. It is used to make predictions about the behavior of quantum systems. 

To conclude, perhaps, you are a Quantum system, have a wave function, and obey the Schrödinger equation. Or, you do not. 

 Hernández, Timothy Alexander, Left Turn, Tuesday, January 11th, 2023, Strings, Uptown

Two Psychological Theories.

    The Behavioral theory considers that personality results from an individual's interaction with their environment. Psychologists can identify and connect incidents and behavior to predict how a person's personality is shaped. These interactions might include lessons learned from parents or teachers, movies or other media forms, and traumatic life experiences. The relationships one has and all the things that someone has observed are excellent examples of ways that may contribute to how one behaves. According to behaviorism, these types of conditioning shape all of our later decisions and, eventually, our personalities. 

    Psychologists have categorized behaviorism into two different processes, classical conditioning and operant conditioning (Braat and others, 2020). Classical conditioning involves learning an association between two stimulus events that you can't control, whereas operant conditioning involves learning an association between your voluntary behavior and consequences. 

An example of classical conditioning would be a kid fearing the doctor's office because the child received a shot the last time they were at the doctor. Understanding this learning process in my personal development has led to a better knowledge of how specific fears and anxieties can be acknowledged and put at ease. 

    There are four ways to discourage or encourage any behavior in operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. A type of positive reinforcement would be receiving a raise for performing well after the spring quarter. Negative reinforcement would be a significant other repeatedly asking to clean out the fridge. Eventually, they will stop asking to clean out the refrigerator once the task is complete. To prevent a behavior, someone can add positive or negative punishment. An example of positive punishment would be receiving a speeding ticket in a school zone. You add the fine to decrease the behavior of speeding. Negative punishment is whenever you remove something to decrease the behavior. An example would be to take away someone's driving license for a year when they get a DWI or DUI. You decrease the behavior of driving while intoxicated by removing the license.

    After studying Behavioral theory, it seems we can change our personalities and improve our behaviors. It becomes effortless to observe daily habits there rewards or punishments. When studying the daily rewards and punishments, one can find details about why they do something or why they do not do something. In this way, observable behavior can be scientifically measured.

    The Humanistic Theory is an optimistic approach to human development and nature. For a person to grow, they need an environment that provides them with acceptance and empathy. Carl Rodgers proposed a concept called Self-Concept, a set of perceptions and beliefs about themselves (Rodgers, 1957). Self-concept is influenced by our childhood and the way society perceives us. It is our analysis of what we think we consist of, and it is broken down into three components, Self-worth, Self-image, and Ideal-self. Self-worth is what we are worthy of as people and what we deserve in life, and it is a factor in the treatment one receives as a child from their parents. Self-image is how we look at ourselves as human beings as a part of society. Carl Rogers emphasizes self-concept, psychological growth, free will, and inherent goodness. 

    Abraham Maslow defined behavior as motivated by a hierarchy of needs and striving for self-actualization (Maslow, 1943). He developed the hierarchy of needs which can be illustrated as a pyramid form. All of our needs are built on each other. At the base of the pyramid is our physiological needs which we must fulfill first. Once met, our need for safety is next, then love, self-esteem, and self-actualization, the top of the pyramid, can be achieved. Self-actualization is extremely rare. Maslow considered only one percent of the entire population will ever reach self-actualization.

    After studying these concepts, one can understand that being genuine in relationships (being true to who we are) with others and acceptance from others allow us to be our authentic self instead of an ideal self that people rarely become. Our environment shapes much of our personality and who we are. We have a will, but it has to operate within the limitations of our environmental influences. To create a lasting change, we must start from the outside.

  Hernández, Timothy Alexander, 1242, Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, Strings, Apartment

References

Braat, M., Engelen, J., van Gemert, T., & Verhaegh, S. (2020). The rise and fall of behaviorism: The narrative and the numbers. History of Psychology, 23(3), 252–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/hop0000146

Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045357

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96.

The Science of Vaccines.

    "they are bound to believe in some ruler or rulers of the universe endowed with human freedom, who have arranged and adapted everything for human use." (Spinoza Appendix to Part 1)

    Vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary for the progression of our species. Because we have not killed a single virus, we have not terminated a single virus, but instead, we have evolved against viruses with the help of vaccines. 

     Immunization is one of the adequate methods of containing various diseases, such as chickenpox, mumps, whooping cough, and measles. The World Health Organization evaluates that vaccinations have prevented 10 million deaths across the globe just from 2010 to 2015. (WHO 1). Vaccines have been able to eradicate smallpox, an incurable and highly contagious disease. Vaccines have restricted polio, a condition that can cause disfigurement and paralysis, to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The explanations for why these two countries still have polio outbreaks come from various reports. 

    From Afghanistan, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta provides information on how polio has been able to thrive in Afghanistan, "As the Taliban gained more control across the country, they banned door-to-door visits by polio workers. Cases in Afghanistan tripled between 2018 and 2020. Approximately three million children, a third of those eligible, were thus left out of vaccination campaigns. At least eight vaccinators and polio workers were killed by unidentified gunmen in several attacks this year." (2021). A population against being vaccinated allows massive outbreaks to ensue. 

    From Pakistan, Rana Jawad Asghar proclaims the solution is to admit there is a problem, "What we need in Pakistan is to accept that polio eradication is not solely the domain of international agencies, the government of Pakistan should also take ownership. Real ownership comes with local funding, local strategy development, and political leadership at the forefront." (2020). Vaccines can contain terrible viruses, but only when an entire population, or most, gets immunized.

    An example of the dramatic effect immunization has on a population is the containment of Measles, a highly contagious disease that spreads through respiratory droplets in the air, used to infect roughly 3–4 million people a year in the United States mid-20th century. Today it infects, on average, less than 1,000 per year. 

    Vaccines are not only safe, but they are vital for humans to exist on this planet. Only when the majority is immunized can viruses become contained. Because viruses are not alive, they can not die, but exclusively they evolve, and so, with the science of vaccines, we evolve against them. Or, by choice, we do not. 

   Hernández, Timothy Alexander, AStrangeVanGogh, Thursday, March 17th, 2022, Strings, McNay

References 

Asghar, R. J. (2020). Why is polio still here? A perspective from Pakistan. In The Lancet Global Health (Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. e177–e178). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(19)30524-8

Bhutta, Z. A. (2021). The incoming Afghan government must allow immunizations. In Nature (Vol. 597, Issue 7878, pp. 595–595). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02557-9

https://www.who.int/publications/10-year-review/chapter-vaccines.pdf

Spinoza, Benedictus , E M. Curley, and Stuart Hampshire. Ethics. , 1996. Print.

A Genetically Modified Fuel.

Humans have utilized living cells and biological processes in biotechnology to improve humanity by using genetically modified organisms. Ashish Swarup Verma wrote that some of the earliest examples of biotechnology occurred "After the end of the second world war some, very crucial discoveries were reported," (1) selective breeding of plants and animals to produce organisms with more desirable traits, often by trial and error throughout generations. These efforts yielded better and healthier crops for human consumption and preferred breeds of horses, sheep, and other animals. 

Genetically modified crops are the logical next step in agriculture. It is time to progress in search of a perfect product to fuel humanity. Hyper focusing on a genetically modified fuel source would create products that allow for a precise renewable commodity. Whichever country does this will thrive beyond anything ever witnessed in the history of our species. Understand, the fossil fuels we use today are indeed products of the sun. 

        Genetically modified plants and animals are safe and could assist in ending world hunger, and researchers will eventually be able to cure various diseases and disabilities through gene therapy. 

And last, Safety must come first, from the chemicals used to their byproducts. A meticulous study must be performed to achieve no harm is done to anything. 

   Hernández, Timothy Alexander, Bolt, Sunday, March 7th, 2022, Strings, S WW White Rd. 

Reference

Verma, Ashish Swarup et al. "Biotechnology in the realm of history." Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences vol. 3,3 (2011): 321-3. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.84430

The Agenda of Fake News.

    "Indeed, one can be deceived in many ways; one can be deceived in believing what is untrue, but on the other hand, one is also deceived in not believing what is true." (Kierkegaard, Soren 13)

    More people have gotten their news from sites like Facebook and Twitter in recent years. The essence of information presented on these platforms is growing more influential. The predominance of disinformation, extremism, and hate speech poses a vital difficulty for contemporary dialogue. Disinformation and extremism online have corrupted the democratic process and led to real-world catastrophe. Fake news deceives the people and worsens partisan anxieties, misinforming the constituency and adding to political extremism and the polarization of the people. 

    

    Fake news is a skeptical and damaging phenom that threatens democracy; social media platforms must clearly label fraudulent communication because misinformation has led to numerous recent threats to democracy. 

    

    In early September of 2020, the companies Facebook and Twitter declared that the Internet Research Agency, an organization supported by Russian military intelligence, was attempting to spread fake news articles on their platforms designed to aid the re-election of President Donald Trump. NPR's Shannon Bond reported, "A second smaller network was also connected to Russian intelligence." (9). The Internet Research Agency produced fraudulent accounts to create a fictitious public for a fraudulent left-wing news website intended to reduce support for Democratic presidential nominee Joseph Biden. 

    The attack mimicked and proved enhanced attempts by Russian military offices to aid Trump's election in 2016. U.S. intelligence agencies predicted for months that Russia would be attempting related tactics before the 2020 election. Facebook eliminated the accounts and pages affiliated with the news site from its platform and cooperated with Twitter to identify other Russian-connected activities. 

    

    Since 2016, several events have occurred that can be traced back to an ancient guidance method. Aristotle described rhetoric as “an ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion” (37). However, this, it seems, only applies to those who are not educated regarding rhetoric. An uneducated mind can be educated of anything, including violet rhetoric. On December 4, 2016, an armed assailant of North Carolina walked into a pizzeria in Washington, D.C., and opened fire. Luckily, employees and customers were capable of escaping uninjured. 

    The assailant surrendered to police and stated he wanted to "self-investigate" fabrications seen online claiming that the Democratic Party was operating a child-trafficking racket out of the establishment—a conspiracy theory referred to as "Pizzagate." Believers in the conspiracy argued that the assailant was part of an intricate scheme to discredit the theory following the gunman's arrest. 

    The accusations of Pizzagate were entirely false, and the event granted a glimpse at the potential consequences of the spread of fake news narratives online. David Graham proclaims, "After weeks of debate about the theoretical and abstract dangers of fake news, there’s finally a concrete incident to discuss." (1). History now has evidence of the fraudulent power of this situation. 

    After the Pizzagate incident, the media wanted to bring more attention to the issue of fraudulent news. Media divided, with more independent media sources supporters instead of a more prominent corporation-fueled news media from these reports. Two days after the Pizzagate situation, the website Counterpunch posted an article by Anthony DiMaggio titled Post-Fact Politics: Reviewing the History of Fake News and Propaganda. The post develops a red herring argument that diverts attention from the Pizzagate situation to the political dilemma regarding propaganda. 

    

    Anthony DiMaggio is an author and assistant professor of political science at Lehigh University, and wrote on the website Counterpunch, "I've devoted my academic career to spotlighting propaganda, writing numerous books on the subject. So it's more than a little disturbing when I see references to "propaganda" in the corporate press that completely obscure the broader role that manipulation plays in reinforcing domestic political-economic elites' agendas and in padding the pocketbooks of corporate media conglomerates." (4). He explains that mass media has angered the public, "attempts to recognize propaganda as solely the work of 'others' are desperately out of touch with growing publics anger at the officially-allied media propaganda we euphemistically call 'news.'" (21). Anthony discusses that false narratives are nothing new. He challenges the claim that fraudulent news poses a vital threat by alleging a public exists that grows angry by the allied media that work in unison to produce "news." This type of diversion was one of many attempts to take the attention away from the genuine problem of fake news by creating a what-about-ism. Why was the problem ignored? Why was the light taken away from a hostage situation towards a more historical view? It seems that any media that would try to expose the problem of fake news was quickly given the label in return.

    Two months after Pizzagate on February 17, 2017, President Trump, who frequently blamed the media for exaggerating his setbacks, posted a tweet, "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!". (LAVALLÉE 1) In his time in office, he has criticized journalists for neglecting to present adequate admiration for his achievements, and at the time of this tweet, he was only in office for a month. President Trump used this type of rhetoric throughout his one-term presidency; he fueled a narrative where Americans could not trust the media by publicizing the media as Fake News.  

    Fake News was now the label given to anyone who would present facts against the president and his following. From February 2017 to September 28, 2021, fake news became a term misused by the president and his followers. Everything became fake news, except the underground sources from legions of misinformed followers. This rhetoric is still found throughout the internet today, and it only has one agenda, to create a false reality that praises Trump and his accomplishments. 

    On March 9, 2018, researchers from MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy Research released a study that examines the spread of false news online. By acknowledging how no studies explain, in detail, why incorrect information may spread differently from the truth. The researchers evaluated differences in the expanse of truth and falsity across issues and examined real and false news on Twitter; to understand the spread of incorrect information. They encourage the spread of false information using Artificial intelligence-powered accounts. 

    

    The study concluded that an individual role contributes more to the differential spread of falsity and truth than programmed A.I. does. The researchers proved that a misinformation containment policy should emphasize behavioral interferences, such as labeling and incentives, rather than decreasing the A.I. that researchers used for the study.

    

    So, even with artificial intelligence, humans spread fake news faster than anything. Nevertheless, the power of rhetoric in the narratives of fake news that ignore facts and create false realities, even with the advancement of A.I., is still no match for the power of the people to spread such false realities. Moreover, proof of this will be seen starting in December 2019 after a virus develops in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

    On March 9, 2020, President Trump released a tweet, “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”.(@realdonaldtrump). The tweet has been taken down, but a follower can be seen commenting back to Donald Trump, saying, "The fake news media is attempting to put people in a state of panic just so they can hurt the economy and get at Trump. It truly is very sad." (@ real_defender) as several citizens downplayed the virus in the united states fueled by the rhetoric of Donald Trump, the rest of the world prepared to combat the spreading virus. 

    On March 9, 2020, Italy initiated a nationwide travel lockdown to stop a new coronavirus from spreading. This infectious and sometimes fatal pathogen has spread to more than 140 countries since December 2019. The plan, which affected more than 60 million people in the country, ordered citizens to seek formal approval for any travel not for essential health, work, or family emergency purposes and banned large public functions like weddings and sporting events.

    The next day New York governor Andrew Cuomo (D) announced the creation of a one-mile radius containment area in New Rochelle, a small suburb of New York City that had experienced one of the highest concentrations of coronavirus cases in the United States. "New Rochelle at this point is probably the largest cluster in the United States of these cases, and it is a significant issue." (Cuomo 5)People would still be free to move in and out of the area, but large gathering spaces, houses of worship, and schools would be closed. Cuomo also deployed the National Guard to deliver food to homes in the area and disinfect public spaces. 

    On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced the global outbreak a pandemic. Stating, " We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic." (WHO 7). Nevertheless, how do two sides both stating completely different themes exist? How can anyone be diverted from the truth to lies? Can people that follow trump obey every word out of his mouth as truth while accepting all media not endorsed by Trump to be liars?

    On April 23rd, 2020, President Trump, at a press hearing, said, "And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning," (qtd. in Farly &Kiely) In April, which includes an eight-day period from the 23rd to the 30th, following Trump’s comments, poisonings increased 121% compared to April of 2019. Things settled down some in the first ten days of May, with poisonings up 69% over the same 10-day period in 2019. (CDC) Citizens had tried injecting and ingesting bleach. It seems Donald Trump had developed an audience that would take his word to heart, following every narrative that he established as the absolute truth, no matter how absurd or injurious the outcome might be. President Trump now had an utterly devoted following that started in 2017, and that following would eventually try to dismantle our democracy.

    QAnon springs from a series of cryptic clues that started to be posted online in October 2017. Starting on 4Chan before migrating to the even more fringe 8Chan, the anonymous person behind the clues goes by “Q," referring to a high-level government security clearance. The “Anon” in “QAnon” refers to both Q himself and Q’s nameless supporters, the “anons.” (qtd. in Sommer 3), So it is constructed like a conspiracy theory with some high-profile supporters. Q further includes various celebrities as supporters and followers. 

    Roseanne Barr has frequently tweeted about QAnon and has expressed a desire to meet Q. In July 2018, the sitcom star took to Twitter to share a phrase common among QAn01on supporters "wwg1wga," (@therealroseanne), short for where we go one, we go all. The QAnon tweet was after her tweet in May 2018, which led to ABC canceling her television show. The Twitter quote was, "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj" (ABC cancels Roseanne 11). The VJ referred to Valerie Jarrett, a White House adviser under President Barack Obama. 

    Was this the agenda all along to gather a mass of racist individuals, both citizens, and celebrities? Was this the same conspiracy theory that guided Pizzagate? From December 5th, 2016, to January 6th, 2020, Q used social media to expand and build a devoted following of delusional citizens and celebrities with the same intentions. 

    The conflict covering voting rights in the United States came while confidence in the U.S. electoral system among conservative voters was at a deep, possibly historic, low. On November 3, 2020, President Donald Trump had lost his re-election bid to former vice president Joe Biden. The election took place amid a deadly coronavirus pandemic, and many states had expanded the use of mail-in ballots to limit contagion at polling sites.

    President Trump had spent months claiming, without evidence, that voting by mail would precipitate widespread voter fraud. After losing, he refused to concede. Instead, the former president presented baseless allegations and conspiracy theories in which he contended that Democrats had stolen the election through fraudulent ballots and rigged vote counts. 

His claims culminated in violence on January 6, 2021, when supporters of the president attending a "Stop the Steal" (Kruzel 1) rally in Washington, D.C., violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, where members of Congress were certifying the results of the election. Five people died from injuries sustained amid the unrest. Stop the steal was a slogan used in November 2016. John Kruzel reported, "For weeks, the group stop the steal has used incendiary rhetoric to motivate members to turn up at contested areas tomorrow to participate in a survey of voters leaving polling places." (2)

    Since 2016 this type of rhetoric has been used on various social media to mentally fuel like-minded citizens into a hive. Supporters of President Donald Trump display a U.S. flag with the QAnon conspiracy theory symbol outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 (Montanaro 1). It should have been monitored and controlled since Pizzagate, and a deeper investigation would have made it easier to connect the dots. 

    Karen Douglas, Ph.D., researched the beliefs in conspiracy theories and their consequences. She is a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. On January 13, 2021, a week after the deadly insurrection, she appeared on the podcast Speaking of Psychology. "People are drawn to conspiracy theories in order to satisfy or in an attempt to satisfy three important psychological motives. epistemic motives, existential motives, and social motives." (Douglas 21-23). She describes the three motives in detail, with the first one being Epistemic motive is the requirement for knowledge, a desire to have information on a significant issue. "people with lower levels of education tend to be drawn to conspiracy theories." (Douglas 23). However, not because people lack intelligence, they lack knowledge. The second motive is Existential motives which are people's requirements to feel safe and secure in their environment."So again, when something happens, people don't like to feel powerless. They don't like to feel out of control." (Douglas 23). When a situation is out of our control, a conspiracy theory can explain why we do not have control of the situation. The last motive Dr. Karen discusses is Social motives. "people's desire to feel good about themselves as individuals and also feel good about themselves in terms of the groups that they belong to...Potentially one way of doing that is to feel that you have access to information that other people don't necessarily have." (Douglas 25). We need to stand out among the crowd, uniqueness at the group level when sharing information among like-minded individuals, and uniqueness when possessing information others do not have. Conspiracy theories create a sense of superiority above others. Dr. Karen presents a clearer picture of how anyone can use conspiracy theories against vulnerable citizens of a society. It becomes evident that false information must be given a label.  

    Now that the United States is under a new administration, it is time to require all public social media domains to require fact-checking and labeling of false information. Social media platforms should require an acknowledgment for all re-posts of false news, leaving the individual a choice to participate in the spread of false news or not do so. It is not suppression. Instead, it is acknowledgment. 

    Fake news will always exist; therefore, a permanent digital label warning of misinformation should always exist. Doing this might have stopped the progression from Pizzagate to the insurrection. Doing this could have saved lives instead of protecting lies.

   Hernández, Timothy Alexander, Energy, Saturday, January 15, 2022, Strings, Mall. 

Refences 

"ABC cancels 'Roseanne' after comedian's racist comment." PBS, 29 May 2018, www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/abc-cancels-roseanne-after-comedians-racist-comment Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.

Aristotle. On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civil Discourse. Translated by George A. Kennedy, Oxford UP, 2007.

Barr, Roseanne. "WWG1WGA." Twitter, 2 July 2018,

twitter.com/therealroseanne/status/1013822886618861568?lang=en.

Accessed 28 Sept. 2021.

Bond, Shannon. "Facebook, Twitter Remove More Russian-Backed Fake Accounts Ahead Of Election." NPR, 24 Sept. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/09/24/916636508/facebook-twitter-remove-more-russian-backed-fake-accounts-ahead-of-election.

Accessed 22 Sept. 2021.

Carter, Brandon. "What Is QAnon? The Conspiracy Theory Tiptoeing Into Trump World." NPR, 2 Aug. 2018, www.npr.org/2018/08/02/634749387/what-is-qanon-the-conspiracy-theory-tiptoeing-into-trump-world. Accessed 28 Sept. 2021.

Cleaning and Disinfectant Chemical Exposures and Temporal Associations with COVID-19 National Poison Data System, United States, January 1, 2020–March 31, 2020. CDC, 20 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6916e1.htm?s_cid=mm6916e1_e&deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM26275. Accessed 28 Sept. 2021.

DiMaggio, Anthony. "Post-Fact Politics: Reviewing the History of Fake News and Propaganda." Counterpunch, 6 Dec. 2016, www.counterpunch.org/2016/12/06/post-fact-politics-reviewing-the-history-of-fake-news-and-propaganda/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2021.  

Fact Check. 24 Apr. 2020, www.factcheck.org/2020/04/the-white-house-spins-trumps-disinfectant-remarks/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2021.

Governor Cuomo Accepts Recommendation of State Health Commissioner for New Emergency Measures to Contain Novel Coronavirus Cluster in New Rochelle. Governor.ny.gov, 10 Mar. 2020, www.governor.ny.gov/news/video-audio-photos-rush-transcript-governor-cuomo-accepts-recommendation-state-health. Accessed 28 Sept. 2021.

Graham, David A. "The 'Comet Pizza' Gunman Provides a Glimpse of a Frightening Future." The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/the-inevitability-of-more-comet-pizza-incidents/509567/. Accessed 22 Sept. 2021.

Kierkegaard, Søren, Howard V. Hong, and Edna H. Hong. Works of Love: Some Christian Reflections in the Form of Discourses. New York: Harper, 1962. Print.

Kruzel, John. "Controversial Pro-Trump Group Warns Members to Avoid Election Day Meddling." ABC News, 7 Nov. 2016, abcnews.go.com/Politics/controversial-pro-trump-group-warns-members-avoid-election/story?id=43372037. Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.

LAVALLÉE, GUILLAUME. "Trump calls media 'enemy of the American people.'" rappler, 18 Feb. 2017, www.rappler.com/world/us-canada/trump-calls-media-enemy-american-people. Accessed 14 Sept. 2021.  

Mills, Kim I., host. "Why people believe in conspiracy theories, with Karen Douglas, PhD." Speaking of Psychology, narrated by Karen Douglas, episode 124, Jan. 2021. APA, www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/conspiracy-theories. Accessed 15 Sept. 2021. Transcript.  

Montanaro, Domenico. "Q&A: Documentary Unravels Twisted Knots Of QAnon Movement." NPR, 22 Apr. 2021,

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Sommer, Will. "What Is QAnon? The Craziest Theory of the Trump Era, Explained." The Daily Beast, 6 July 2018, www.thedailybeast.com/what-is-qanon-the-craziest-theory-of-the-trump-era-explained. Accessed 28 Sept. 2021.

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Autogenic Relaxation

Challenge Experience Report: Autogenic Relaxation

    In a current environment, one is exposed to diverse stressful situations. It seems like every day, that tension is built up. Tension can lead to shifts in the serum level of numerous hormones, including glucocorticoids, catecholamines, growth hormones, and prolactin. (Spona, J., Ulm, R., Bieglmayer, C., & Husslein, P. 1979). Some of these shifts are required for the fight or flight reaction to safeguard oneself. In this way, it can be a challenge turning such a primal instinct off. It is vital to release this built-up stress because stress responses can lead to endocrine disturbances like Graves’ disease and obesity. (Weaver J. U. 2008).

    The Autogenic Relaxation video allows one to move into a state of being where fight or flight can be ignored for the time being. As the blood flows through the body, it creates work that produces heat. A thermal equilibrium can be achieved as blood flows from the heart to the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks, eyes, and brain-a full circle. The body rarely has a moment alone, so it is difficult to adjust. The mind will always protect the body. In this way, the mind will always be safe. 

    The body slowly warms, releasing the heat, which converts into entropy. This entire process takes practice but is not impossible. The key is to practice in small increments, a lifestyle change, to access such a rare state of being. Understand what stress is, how it can harm, and what to do about it. Stress can correspondingly convert the clinical status of many preexisting endocrine disorders, such as precipitation of adrenal crisis and thyroid storm. (Gilliland P. F. 1983). 

    A simple form of meditation is ideal for a healthy life because we are organic robots, organisms with a strong will to live. Such practices depend solely on the integrity of the individual, just like rules and laws. Create a rule to be better, to recognize the importance of being still, the absolute power within oneself. The release of destructive built-up tension can be achieved, but it requires a rare moment that very few choose to provide.

                  Hernández, Timothy Alexander, Rollinstop, Sunday, January 9,2022, Strings, Downtown.          

Gilliland P. F. (1983). Endocrine emergencies. Adrenal crisis, myxedema coma, and thyroid storm. Postgraduate medicine, 74(5), 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.1983.11698506

Weaver J. U. (2008). Classical endocrine diseases causing obesity. Frontiers of hormone research, 36, 212–228. https://doi.org/10.1159/000115367

Spona, J., Ulm, R., Bieglmayer, C., & Husslein, P. (1979). Hormone serum levels and hormone receptor contents of endometria in women with normal menstrual cycles and patients bearing endometrial carcinoma. Gynecologic and obstetric investigation, 10(2-3), 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1159/000299920

An Opinion

Opinion essay

I chose the painting from chapter six, Willem de Kooning, Woman and Bicycle, 1952-53. Oil, enamel, and charcoal on linen. It is essential to truly admire this painting to understand the brain's frontal lobe, which deals with many qualities that make us most human: abstract thinking, planning, executive control, and judgment. Throughout all brain structures, association areas make the brain most powerful. These areas can link concepts together to form new ideas, to represent the outside world with such richness on the inside. 

For many, to think abstract is challenging, especially for a person that respects the structure of logic. Still, this painting is a good representation of abstract thought that can be captured and preserved, with care, that will outlast the mind that helped produce it. The picture seems it is attempting to maintain this image in the brain but could only make it so far. The pieces will always be missing. 

When blood flow to the brain is blocked, or when a blood vessel ruptures, brain cells die due to lack of oxygen. The functions controlled by that brain area, such as visual perception, are impaired or lost. This painting could be similar to the visual perceptions after suffering a stroke. Or it isn't. 

The entire concept remains abstract until the artist reveals the concept as a whole. Until the viewer understands the genuine concept, only the artist can articulate the painting. It seems such art can be anything if not given true meaning.

An example would be the human race, our pursuit of finding purpose in life. It seems the origin of the human race can be anything. Indeed, it is still an abstract concept. It seems the fossil fuels we use outdates every sacred text known. Such thoughts rely on the abstract. 

The least favorite painting was Julian Onderdonk (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.), Bluebonnet Field, Early Morning, San Antonio Texas, c. 1914, oil on canvas. I wouldn't say I like this painting from chapter one because my great grandfather was born in Cheapside, Texas, in 1912. He would've been two years old that early morning. He was a farmer and lived to be 89 years old, but suffered from Alzheimer's in his last years. All because of the disorder of the Neurotransmitter, Acetylcholine was steadily getting worse. I think of him often, but I was reminded of how much he suffered before death after seeing this painting.  

Growing up watching bob ross re-runs at a bowling alley daycare led me to admire landscape paintings. Still, I cannot see anything else while looking at this painting. If you keep silent, it seems art can indeed be anything, such as all religions are the same. If they stay quiet, they are all the same. 

The abstract invites the viewer to participate, and one can not exist without the other. You live, I exist, The paintings exist, and the painters existed—an abstract thought.