Author Archives: Yousef Hatem Y Alnaimi

Extra post on Plagiarism

Image result for cheating

Plagiarism was always a moral issue with me more than academic. If you cheat your way through anything, then you are not reaping the benefits of learning. and that is serious. I was asked to do this post on plagiarism after I tried to do the test for more than 7 times! I finally got it right and I was late. I thought it was very hectic and at one point I thought I should give up and try to figure out what to do with this test. But I persevered and tried until i got the score I wanted. I believe that plagiarism is rampant because its an escape and easy route to a diploma, but what kind of diploma do you want? one where you know what you were talking about and did the things you were supposed to do? or one skipped and breezed along? its common for people to cheat since each and every professor has his or her own method of teaching that can be overwhelming to some. that why cheating is always easy. but I truly believe, from personal experience and other, that cheating is only a momentary gratification. because in the long run, you not only wasted your money, but your also embracing a culture that does not respect hard work and ethics. two very important factors in succeeding and winning in life. I always think about it this way, if I cheat now? whats next? Am I going to cheat at my job? if claiming one’s work for myself is the beginning, then the end cant be good right?  will I get fired because of that ? There must be a scene of self discipline because if you dont abide by it, you will get caught and disciplined by whoever is inn a position to do something about it. Just depend on yourself, and even if you fail, at least your conscience will be clear and you will learn many lessons that will empower you in ways you wont be able to imagine, dont cheat! its bad for your career! Believe me! (in Trump’s voice)

Catalysis at KAUST

the world’s demand in energy and resources will increase throughout this century. Meeting these needs will require both the development of new energy resources—especially carbon-free ones—and the efficient and environmentally responsible utilization of fossil fuels. In this context, The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology  created the center of catalysis, which is a critical enabling science to provide the energy for our future while preserving our environment. It is the number one technology to transform raw materials into foodstock, whether for the chemical, petroleum or the newly emerging energy industry. Catalysis is also a main tool for the organic synthesis of bio-active molecules, including medicament for pharmaceutical industry. Development of new catalytic processes across the chemical, pharmaceutical, petroleum and new energies industries will increase both availability and efficient utilization of resources and energy, resulting in the reduction of wastes and overall environmental footprints. Catalysis is one of the most promising tools for sustainable development and green chemistry that will benefits the whole world. Along with that then need for another center came to existence which is (the Clean Combustion Research Center) The activities of the Center span a broad spectrum with both fundamental and goal-oriented research in fuel formulation, fuel diversity and the control of emissions – from internal combustion engines to turbines. CCRC utilizes both experimental and computational tools to develop predictive capabilities for the development of more efficient and less polluting fuels. Then another essential and very important center that could bring an precedents reliefs to millions of suffering people in Africa continent and elsewhere. (The Center for Desert Agriculture)  Due, to harvest losses by drought, salt and heat stresses amounting to approximately 60% of the world’s total agricultural productivity, researchers in the (CDA) seeks to find ways to improve the ability of plants to withstand droughts and the hot and salty environment of the desert. CDA researchers use genetic, genomic and epigenetic approaches to engineer stress-tolerant plants and apply their results directly to crop plants in the field. Another great Achievements at the center of Solar Researchers at the KAUST focus on the generation, storage and conversion of solar energy. The Center draws together experts in materials science, chemistry and physics to explore innovative solutions for the harvesting and conversion of solar energy. They study the fundamental processes involved in the conversion of photons into electricity and exploit their findings to design and develop the state-of-the-art materials used at the core of energy harvesting photo voltaic panels. In addition, the Center is involved in research and development studies aimed at minimizing the cost of photo voltaic panels while optimizing their performance in the sun-bathed but hot and dusty climatic conditions of the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Then of course the water as major if not the most major problem that faces earth is the Fresh water supplies that decreasing is across the globe while, at the same time, production of potable water in desert and drought-ridden regions is extremely energy intensive. Researchers in the KAUST Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) focus on the development of new and optimized methods for low-energy water desalination and water reuse. The capabilities of WDRC extend from the laboratory scale to larger pilots with a view to transition the technologies to large-scale water production. While much activity is centered on membrane-based technologies, the goal of WDRC is to extend knowledge to other scalable approaches such as those involving the use of solar or waste heat as an energy source.

Source :

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiU0viB4NXQAhVn9YMKHTzdALMQFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkcc.kaust.edu.sa%2F&usg=AFQjCNH4wSo4Zf4KlAJ1tGP3YmSnYMFihA&sig2=Ad0wJkJ3tehmtayv7rtkCQ

Simple ways you can help Global Warming

Global Warming is no one’s fault, one cannot put blame one country or industry for the rise of global temperatures. It is cause by a wide array of global trading industries across the world. The nations of the world gathered in Paris last December, and agreed to reduce emissions to a record level. While heads of states signed the agreement, it is left to regular people to carry out their own responsibilities toward the planet. I could scare you about the facts that scientists agreed upon, I could tell you that Over 100 million people living in coastal regions will be displaced by just a one-yard rise in sea levels, I could tell you that There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the past 800,000 years, and the U.S. produces 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning, I could tell you that California ran out of water! I could tell you that the world lost about 16 percent of all coral reefs due to unrest in sea temperatures. Global Warming is real, and I also believe we can be a part of its end. As much as it is scary, the measures to counter it are not. For example, If you replace your regular lightbulb with an LED lightbulb, you are helping. If you are recycling in way or form or measure, you are helping, when you leave a room and turn off the lights, you are helping, when you plant a tree, you are helping, when you use less hot water, you are helping, when you buy an energy efficient product, you are helping, when you replace using plastic, you are helping, when you reduce your household garbage by just 10 percent, you save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, and again, that helps.

 

Sources

  1. http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/us/climate-change-us-obama/
  2. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/55460/20150527/21-amazing-facts-global-warming-climate-change.htm#sthash.OUXcGvCX.dpuf

Sedentary Lifestyle 2

In addition to obesity, living a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of other health problems. Worldwide, it is estimated that a sedentary lifestyle is responsible for 6% of coronary heart disease cases, 7% of type 2 diabetes, 10% of breast cancer and 10% of colon cancer cases. In fact, it was recently reported that inactivity is responsible for more annual deaths than smoking. Screen time is the amount of time a person spends watching a screen such as a television, computer monitor, or mobile device. Consequences include developing a sedentary lifestyle, we as a group must calculate our screen time to determine whether we are abusing it or not, the average American child spends between 20 and 30 hours a week engaged in some form of screen time. Children who regularly spend more than 10 hours per week watching TV are more likely to be overweight, aggressive, and slower to learn in school.   We can avoid the Sedentary Lifestyle through simple exercises that could be performed throughout the day, for example, Using active transportation, such as walking or biking, walking more throughout the day, including walking the dog or something of that sort, one can also be more physically active depending on the nature of their lives, there is always a way to reduce inactivity and become more healthy depending on your lifestyle.  Healthy People 2020 is a non-profit awareness campaign, their objective is to reduce the proportion of adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity by 10.0 percent. In addition, HP2020 has a leading health indicator to increase the proportion of adults who meet objectives for aerobic physical activity and for muscle-strengthening activity, you could join the cause or at least benefit from their studies and their experiences, Visit www.healthypeople.gov/2020. (source)

Sedentary Lifestyle

the growing issue of Obesity is happening due to (in one way or another) living the Sedentary lifestyle, we need to be aware of how much screentime we spend, and how to preform simple exercises throughout the day to avoid it. Obesity has become an epidemic in this country, According to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in 2008, the obesity rate among adult Americans was estimated at 32.2% for men and 35.5% for women. A sedentary lifestyle is a mode of living in which a person, an adult or child, does not engage in sufficient physical activity or exercise for what is generally considered healthy living. The term is often used by doctors or professionals within the medical community to describe a lifestyle among many people in highly developed countries that does not afford them opportunities for physical activity. This type of living has been heavily influenced by the propagation of passive forms of entertainment, such as television, video games, and computer use. Along with such inactive types of entertainment, large numbers of adult workers have shifted from physical labor to office jobs, especially in technologically developed nations.   According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60 to 85% of the population worldwide does not engage in enough activity, therefore leading a sedentary lifestyle. Marc Hamilton Ph.D., a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia, has labeled this area of study as “inactivity physiology”. “The existing data, by numerous studies, are starting to show that the rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity are doubled and sometimes tripled in people who sit a lot,” says Hamilton, suggesting that “if you can perform a behavior while sitting or standing I would choose standing”.  Living this type of lifestyle is not necessarily synonymous with laziness, since a person can be very busy with work and family but without inherent opportunities to exercise.

Grind Your Teeth till they rot!

As of lately, I start catching myself grinding my teeth very aggressively, I don’t know why, but I just do it. I didn’t do it before and now I have to be aware of the fact that i am doing it, and stop. we all have that one habit that pops up from no where, like cracking fingers, neck, or back. eating fingers, and other small irritant behaviors that actually happens for a reason. everybody concludes that these little moves are a natural result of stress. I disagree, I don’t think i’m stressed, I just think my brain is playing mind games – no pun intended-.

the medical term for grinding your teeth is called Bruxism. apparently, if you grind your teeth during the day, then you must do it during your sleep. Bruxism happens mostly during sleeping, especially after a day of consuming caffeine or alcohol. the habit is intertwined with other bad habits, such as chewing pencils or biting your nails. as I type this, I am very aware of the strain in my jaw and the fact that my brain orders my mouth to stop doing it every 15 second. it sort of sneaks up and you start doing it without even noticing, its driving me crazy! especially because it leads to migraines.

if you also have that problem, I have a simple solution for you. I was at my old Penn State New Kensington campus and ran into nurse Elaine, one of my favorite people in the world, she taught me a simple trick, which is to position your tongue in the middle of the mouth, enabling your jaws to relax and preventing teeth grinding. its a simple trick that goes a long way, I have  applied it and I cant say you will stop, but atleast you will be more able to control the uncontrollable urge to give yourself a dull headache.

Myron Ebell, Climate Change Denier, for the EPA !

 

Image result for Myron Ebell

if you voted for Donald Trump, thats great. If you voted for Hillary or Joan Stine, I have terrible news for you. the incoming President has chosen a man named Myron Ebell, wanted in Paris for “destroying our future” by a french climate change advocacy group. now, it doesnt matter if you voted republican or democrat of even for Harambe, we all live in this earth and climate change is an issue that concerns literally all of humanity. when your town is flooded or has a hurricane, its not going to care if your a republican. when the wind blows and storms and massive heat or massive cold strikes large parts of this country, its going to be too late to do anything. this is a massive issue for many people who advocate more protection for the planet. and the name Myron Ebell should terrify you more than anything you have read in the past two years. as we all know, the Paris Climate Agreement, an already insufficient accord, was signed by the Obama administration last year. John Kerry, his secretary of state, brought his own granddaughter to the singing of the accord in the United Nations general assembly. the message he tried to convey was that he is doing this to protect  the future generations, including his own family.

as sweet and symbolic that was, the future of the accord  is in serious jeopardy, not because Trump and Ebell can exist the agreement, but because they can remain in it and not abide by it, which would be even more dangerous. I was watching Leonardo DiCaprio’s exquisite documentary on Global Warming, where he shows viewers the effects of this issue that are happening already and will get much worse. so Myron Ebell is sort of the last thing we need, why ? because he is a consistent denier of the whole thing. he persistently attacks scientists and researches and advocates for climate action. like his boss, he even went after the pope for talking about it. his vision for the future is as scary as anything I personally know about the next 4 years.

Historical Persecution Of Scientists

for some weird reason, when you look at the history of scientists, especially revolutionary ones, you will find a bizarre common treat. which is the huge amount of hatred and anger they faced. when one takes a look at the history of other professions, one cant find the same amount of historical persecution that scientists had to face. Today, scientists are admired and respected. they can even turn to famous celebrities, like Bill Nye or Bill De Grass Tyson. but that was not the case hundreds and even tens of years ago. in this post I will give a few brief examples of how scientists were persecuted and try to explain why at the end.

Einstien does not need an introduction, his genius and innovation was rejected in Adolf Hitler’s Germany. being Jewish, Hitler believed him to be of a lesser race than himself. Hitler’s forces siezed his home in Berlin, and publicly torched his books as a symbolic rejection of a Jew scientists findings, no matter how revolutionary they were. We are lucky that Hitler did not embrace Einstein, as maybe if that happened, Hitler would have developed an atomic bomb to his Nazi state.

Galelio, who lived in the 1600’s, said the earth revolves around the sun. a shocking finding at the time, He was mercilessly targeted by the Catholic Church. which designated him an “apostate” or a “heretic” for going against the teachings of the scripture that contradicted his theory.  his scientific research was banned, and he remained in house arrest until he died.

Rhazes lived in the late 800’s. he was a Muslim scientist who specialized in many numerous areas of medicine especially urology, his medical contributions were priceless at the time. until a preacher ordered a hit-man to smack him in the head for “apostasy”. he was blind since then and was not able to further pursue his studies.

All of the examples I gave prove that the persecution of scientists all happened due to religious reasons. most preachers and “snake oil” salesmen despise science and fight it aggressively, is it because science often proved their teachings wrong ? is it because science enjoyed the logic and reason they did not? we will never know, but the fact that scientists were on the run -historically- only makes me trust them more!

Source:

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/533/copernicus-galileo-and-the-church-science-in-a-religious-world

Global Warming, Denied.

I think its amazing that there are people out there that still deny climate change. GOP candidate for president, Donald Trump, has consistently denied global warming, claiming one time that the weather was fine! he also said it was a Chinese hoax! his rallies are packed with people who believe the same thing. denying what 99% of scientists confirm is not a historical precedent. We forget that people denied the earth was round. when someone challenged the concept of flat earth, they were persecuted by the church and by authorities at the time. it is completely normal to deny a phenomenon especially when people cant the effects of it right away.

almost every scientific discovery throughout history was denied, questioned, and scientists often risked their security (sometimes life) for what he or she believed in. Global warming is a inconvenience to say the least to many corporations who like the way it is at the moment.

by corporations I mean gas and oil sector, especially shale, manufacturing industry and coal. in fact, I would go beyond that, Global warming is a threat to the livelihood of these companies. so it is in their interest to promote people who deny it of heavily question it. but like every historical discovery, and especially one with this magnitude, everyone will come around eventually. the steps usually begin from flat out denying to persecution to accusation to partial belief and finally to accept it. notice that climate change deniers are usually over the age of 50 or 60. which is borderline selfish. global warming is an existential threat to the next generation, and older people must understand that if they want their grandchildren to inherit the same earth they did, they need to start making changes, and quickly.

 

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jun/03/hillary-clinton/yes-donald-trump-did-call-climate-change-chinese-h/

http://www.wnd.com/2015/10/how-far-back-did-people-know-earth-was-round/

Make Smoking Great Again!

you smoke cigarettes ? EW! thats gross ! you will get cancer! you will die! stop smoking these cancer sticks! you smell horrible!

My fellow smokers, we all heard these phrases shouted at us, whether it was a parent, a friend, or a foe.  TV ads hurling facts at us, signs and billboards requesting us to quit as if quitting is easy. In this post, i will talk about my failed experience in quitting smoking and why I think smoking (while fully aware of the negative consequences) is a good habit.

Smoking, to me started as a social trick, when I came from Saudi Arabia to a small Penn State campus called Penn State New Kensington, I didn’t know anybody and had a rough time trying to make friends, so as a way to meet people, I figured i would go out with the smokers and light  one up and therefor seizing the opportunity to make friends. after that, my relationship with nicotine started and is still going on despite me trying to break up with it.

Smoking, is a phenomenal process, the minute i twitch the lighter and reach it to the cigarette, from the moments I huff and puff on it, till the moment its done and is discredited. my veins are rejuvenated, my brain focuses more than usual, my life made slightly better. no matter what I was going through, I knew for a fact that a cigarette could make it OK to say the least. nicotine is proven to have (effects) whether good or bad, it is a component that many people risk their lives for its sake. it is such an important part of my life, it is the thing thats always there for me, its the thing i can depend on when the going gets tough, when im stressed, or relaxed, a cigarette is sure to better whatever state of mind i was in. my love affair with nicotine became solid whenever I tried to quit it.

when I tried to quit smoking, the first two days were alright, i didn’t feel anything, on the third day, i started to momentarily phase out, on the fourth day, I was flat out depressed, on the fifth day, i was enraged. my mood became so horrible and my actions interpreted how bad I was feeling. I became rude and disrespectful and got into numerous fights and arguments, I also started eating more than usual. I became so angry and sad that I said, you know what? lung cancer cant be as bad as this, so I ran to the store and with a huge smile on my face, asked the cashier for Marlboro red 100’s and went outside to light up and voila, my brain became happy again. and my lungs got the long awaited choke i was yearning for.

Smoking is horrible, and for all of what I said, you should be discouraged from ever trying to smoke, because your life will never be the same, but for the mean time, Im still huffing and puffing away, enjoying cigarettes while knowing at the same time my lungs are getting blacker by the day, my heart slowly catching up.

 

Legalizing Marijuana

Legalizing Marijuana is a cause that is dear to my heart. for one, Marijuana is a natural plant that I truly believe god created in order for his subjects to lighten up and relax. the classification of Marijuana as a first class drug with heroin and cocaine is absurd. this absurdity has caused so much suffering, as people are being thrown in jail for possessing a simple amount of Marijuana. in this post, I will not talk about the benefits of Marijuana but rather focus on the fact that 40% of prisoners being held across the United States are from possessing Marijuana as if it was this blasphemous drug that is scourging societies across the nation. like heroin, which is a serious problem.

I went to a Bernie Sanders rally here at Penn State, he spoke passionately about the subject of legalizing Marijuana, as well as addressing how states that did in effect legalize it have coped with it. he mentioned something which i will talk about more during the post, which is the fact that although whites and blacks use Marijuana at the same amounts and figures, blacks still are more likely to go to prison because of simple possession. something i truly think is outrageous in every sense of the word. imagine, being arrested and humiliated, incarcerated in the worlds most notorious prisons where your rights are violated and your ambitions destroyed by a record that includes arrest, for what ? for trying to get high !

The legalization of Marijuana will be a stone that hits two birds, one of those birds is a fundamentally flawed and (outrageous) American criminal justice system. it will help communities from the negative consequences of incarceration. it would help the United States with its mass incarceration disaster. did you know that America has more prisoners than the next three countries combined. why? because prison has turned into a cash cow. it is natural to assume that people who run for profit prisons dont want Marijuana off the list of first class drugs. because most of their ‘clientele’ so to speak, will be gone. it is sickening to know that corporate CEO’s are receiving federal subsidies and lining their pockets while regular citizens get thrown in jail and have their lives destroyed for “possessing” small amounts of Marijuana. the good news is that Hillary Clinton (most likely next president according to polls and common sense) has promised to reschedule the status of Marijuana. helping to end the misery caused by profiteering ******** !

 

Hillary Clinton Campaign Says She Would Reschedule Marijuana

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https://www.aclu.org/gallery/marijuana-arrests-numbers

Adderall, A Millennial trick

For 3 dollars a pop, you can take what is called Adderall, a medication given to people with ADHD to help you with studying or doing a blog post. Adderall helps you focus times 10, makes you hyped and concentrated and ready to produce. Millennials, a generation that I hail from, take Adderall like its a piece of gum.

My one friend, takes it almost on a daily basis. she even encouraged me to try it, which I did. I loved it, it absolutely helped me finish a 3500 word paper in less time than expected. however, I didnt realize the consequences of taking it until I saw my friend being 100% dependent on it. no matter what it is, its still a pill with chemicals, which makes me wary. Addy, as my friend nicknames it, is a superb enhancement of the brain, the chemicals in it make your brain fried to the point of trying to accomplish anything at a more than regular pace.

I mentioned above that I was wary of it, and I vowed never to take it again, why ? because I dont want to be dependent on anything to be productive, I am already dependent on other things that help me get through life and relax and kick back, I do not need more. especially not a pill formed drug. I came up with that conclusion after I saw how my friend (who thinks ADHD is spelled 80HD) was extremely dependent on it. she cant go through her classes without it, and most probably, wont ever be able to be productive as much without it. the consequences of taking adderall is still a huge question mark. what will happen to my friend without it? what will her brain look like after years and years of inhaling it? how productive will she be without it? no one knows, which is why i decided I will go through college without it, I believe being lazy should be respected and overcome with personal enthusiasm.

Source:

Millennials took Adderall to get through school. Now they’ve taken their addiction to the workplace

 

Traditional Medicine

I come from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in my country, medicine is split into two categories, modern medicine and traditional one. 80 years ago, people in my country did not have access to quality healthcare options so they resorted to more traditional methods used by their grandfathers and ancestors. the average lifespan of a Saudi citizen in the 30’s and 40’s was 59, now and due to new technology being introduced, its 79. that is a huge leap caused by the introduction of western doctors, and western medical technology that helped enhance the quality of life for Saudis.

My aunt Samia, has always been nicknamed “Shannon” for some reason, when I asked her why people call her that, she said that is the name of the nurse that supervised her birth back in 1950. it was so unusual for people to see a nurse at the time to the extent that she was actually nicknamed after her!

mortality and death at birth rate were much much higher back then. the introduction of western  methods was something great right ? well, yes, for the people. but for those “traditional doctors” whose livelihood depended on curing people? not so much.

that is a normal thing, but what I believe is abnormal, is that traditional medics still thrive on the backs of the ignorant and poor back home! their products often include strange mixes (mostly fluid herbals) and different traditional drinks and foods that are made especially to cure a certain illness. these traditional medics are in a forever cat and mouse chase with the official Saudi Ministry of Health. they still thrive because some people refute anything western. they also have an advantage of widespread and traditionally held beliefs that some people refuse to give up. mostly in rural areas and outskirts of cities, they always have special remedies and cures from cancer to the flu.

that being said, itsrn02_071811_pg15_art easy to understand the value of traditional medicine to some people, especially people who come from different ethnic backgrounds.  but what is unique about the Saudi case, is that, when you buy a bottle of cinnamon-honey-oil-saffron to cure your cold, it will often contain a sticker that says (Read upon) meaning that the seller prayed upon the medication with special Islamic prayers to insure you are remedied from whatever ills you. to put it plain and simple, ignorance and false beliefs are profiting in societies were medical culture has yet to catch up with the times.

 

 

Sources:

1- https://www.chathamhouse.org/event/saudi-arabia-s-regional-foreign-policy-priorities

2- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3439740/