Noise Induced Hearing Loss

            Noise induced hearing loss can occur from a number of sound sources that we come in counter with either in the work place, out in public or in our homes. Noise from engines, gunshots, heavy machinery, power tools, and loud music are all common causes of noise induced hearing loss. Noise induced hearing loss occurs when sounds that are too loud are heard through our bodies natural auditory system. When our bodies experience sounds that are too loud, the cells in our auditory system are often damaged or lost as a result. Currently, noise induced hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.

            I have personally been exposed to many sources of noise induced hearing loss. I frequently experience overly loud music at the bars on court street, use loud power tools in the engineering lab and operate loud outdoor power equipment. In some of these situations it is easier to protect yourself than others. In a bar or nightclub it is unlikely that they will turn the music down if you request that they do so you would probably have to leave the bar if you feel the music is above a safe level. When working with power tool or heavy equipment it is a lot easier to protect yourself. Using ear plug style or over the ear style ear protection are easy ways to protect your ears from loud noise.

            Unfortunately many people find that wearing ear protection is annoying or more of a pain than it is worth. In the lab engineering lab there are power tool running all the time but you always need to be able to communicate with others and for this reason ear protection can be very inconvenient. Many of my coworkers at the golf course refused to wear ear protection when operating the mowers and instead would wear headphones which is probably even more dangerous for your ears.

Blogging

This is the first class in my college career where there were no tests, quizzes, exams, homework or other out of class assignments. I found it very unique the first day of class when we were told that we would be graded only on attendance and weekly blog posts. This made me more excited about the class because I felt the change of pace would be nice and I knew that I would be extremely busy with my senior design class for engineering. 

            After experiencing an entire semester of this class with the blogging format I could not think of a better way to keep the class more interested and involved in the class. With my engineering background I definitely feel that I am a hands on learner and have never been that much of a fan of taking exams and having nightly homework. Through the blog assignments in this class, I feel that I was able to have a more hands on approach as I had to do some of my own research to complete the assignments. I found myself very interested in class discussions and then would further my knowledge on the subjects that we would talk about by doing my own research and writing the blogs.

            Along with me liking the blogging because of how involved it kept me in the class, I feel that I will retain the information better over time than I would have by taking exams and having homework assignments. In my opinion, it is very hard to learn if you do not enjoy the class or the assignments. Through writing the blogs for this class I found that the class was more enjoyable than other non-engineering classes I have taken in the past. This like and interest for the class helped me to get more out of it than I feel I would have if I were stressing over homework and exams on a regular basis.

           

Castoreum

            Castoreum is substance that is commonly extracted from the castor sacs of the North American and European Beaver. The castor sacs are located under the skin of the behind of the beaver between the pelvis and the base of the tail. Castoreum is naturally used along with the beavers urine as a scent for marking the beavers territory. Castoreum’s modern uses include being a scent additive in some perfumes. It naturally carries a scent, which is similar to that of vanilla, and when it is diluted in alcohol the scent becomes even more recognizable. This makes it ideal for use in perfumes and in other scent applications. Another popular use for castoreum has been in traditional medicine. Due to this, the beaver population in Sweden was essentially wiped out in the 19^th century.

            Perhaps the strangest use for castoreum is its use as a common food additive. According to the FDA, castoreum is considered to be “generally recognized as safe.” Due to the difficulty and expense of collecting castoreum from beavers, it is hard to find in common mass marketed foods. What is even more interesting is that you wont find it listed as an ingredient in foods, instead it is listed as “natural flavoring.” For whatever reason the FDA allows food producers to get away with listing the ingredient this way. How many people do you think would buy a tub of vanilla ice cream if the list of ingredients read castoreum or beaver butt?

            I know there are many different things in the foods that I consume every day that are probably unnatural or not things that I would want in my diet. However, I never really put much thought into it when reading the ingredient list on a food label. Maybe now after this I will start to think about it a little more and do my research.

GMO Researchers

            Genetically modified organisms are classified as organism that have been modified using genetic engineering techniques in order to alter their specific qualities. Talk about GMOs has become more common in recent years as they have become the source of genetically modified foods. In agriculture, genetically modified foods include crops such as corn and wheat. When these crops are genetically modified, they are engineered to have traits such as resistance to pests, herbicides and increased yield per acre. These genetically modified crops have been patented by large agricultural seed corporations such as Monsanto because of the high profitability they promise. Along with the companies placing patents on these genetically modified crops to ensure their ownership, these companies also do anything they can to limit the amount of research which is published regarding these crops and the risks associated with their use and consumption.

            Before customers are aloud to purchase and plant genetically modified seeds they must sign agreements that the seeds will not be used for independent research. This insures that the intellectual property of the seed companies is protected. It also limits scientists from figuring out if the crops really perform as advertised or if they have unintended environmental side effects. Many scientists still conduct independent research on genetically modified crops but they are forced to have their findings approved before they are published.

            Some scientists have chosen to speak out against GMOs and the companies that produce them. Many of these researchers have been silenced after being threatened by lawsuits from the major producers of genetically modified crops. One example of this was the firing and threat of lawsuits experienced by biologist Arpad Pusztai when he was given a research grant from the UK government. When Pusztai was interviewed on TV to share his findings he was fired after pressure from pro-GMO staff in the prime ministers office. Pusztai also faced lawsuits from the agribusiness companies that produced the genetically modified seeds and saw his research team dismantled. Until the government does research or allows private research to be done we may never know the whole truth about genetically modified crops.