Farming's Future

When we buy our fruits and veggies, we rarely think of how many resources were poured into our purchased product. So it may come as a surprise to learn that it takes ~17.5 gallons of water per apple and an astonishing ~15,000 gallons for a 2.2lb slab of meat. To top it off, it is estimated that 50% of all food is wasted. With over 1 billion hungry, we clearly need to change something.

Demographics of Undernourished. Image Credit: Oxfam.org

To solve this pleading question, many point out that we need to change government structure, alter food distribution, or donate more to charities. While these may be valid approaches, there is one more strategy that may be more promising: Vertical Farming.

Concept Drawing of Vertical Farm. Image Credit: HowStuffWorks.com 

Vertical Farming is the method of growing food products within a building. As crazy as this may sound, there are many advantages with this technology that may replace the horizontal farms we see lining our highways today.

1. Food Efficiency -- With a vertical farm, you don't grow the whole plant. Instead of the traditional tomato plant, you grow just the tomato. Not only does this save a tremendous amount of space, but also the resources used to grow the fruit.

2. Water Efficiency -- Instead of relying on rain, all foods are fed via aeroponics. This mist generating water feeding reduces water usage by a jaw-dropping 98% compared to normal farming methods.

3. Controlled Environment -- With everything being indoors, there is no need for pesticides to ward off insects. Furthermore, we can enhance the fruits with additional nutritional factors. In fact, the vertical farm built in Singapore is about 5 to 10 times more efficient than regular farms.

4. Right Next Door -- Because the products are grown in a skyscraper that can be placed in the middle of a city, there are virtually no transportation costs, eliminating 3.4% of costs.

5. The Auto Farm -- The indoors create an ideal environment for robot hands. This back-breaking work can be replaced by more efficient, and significantly cheaper automation tools. As a result, costs are driven down.

Vertical farming has the potential to solve the starving billion because it makes food very efficiently. With efficiency comes substantial price drops. Imagine lowering food costs by a factor of 10 or even 100. What if your weekly grocery bill was $10? How about $1? In the coming years, vertical farming has more than just the potential to grow. It will flourish.

© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Please note that the material included this was not written by a licensed medical professional. Therefore, please consult your physician before trying anything suggested in this article. Please note that there was an image used from Oxfam.org. This blog does not claim ownership of that image. Furthermore, there was a second image from Howstuffworks.com. Note that this blog does not claim ownership of that image.  Nicholas Shah does not claim ownership to the ideas put forth here. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You. 

Bring Back the Mind

*Please note that this is not written by a qualified physician. Please see your doctor before trying anything suggested here.*

We are plagued by mental disorders. Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. More than one million Americans suffer from Parkinson's. All in all, about 26.2% of adults in America have a mental disorder of some sort. But what if we could cure them and reverse them using stem cells?

List of Mental Diseases. The more people it affects, the larger the text. Image Credit: alzcare.org

There are some promising studies for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other disorders. However, we need to dig into some philosophical issues first to see if this is even possible.

Imagine that you have a ship (we'll call this ship #1), and that you are asked to build the same ship. You measure all the dimensions and using new planks, build an exact replica (ship #2). The question: Is ship #2 a different thing than ship #1? We'd probably say yes.

Now imagine that you have ship #1, and rip out a few old planks and replace them with new ones. You rip some more out, and replace. You continue to do this until you have replaced all the planks with new ones. The question: Is the ship the same thing as it was before?

This is called the Ship of Theseus Paradox and has been debated for years. How does this relate to mental disorders? Imagine each plank represents a neuron. With age and diseases, you may need to "rip out" some of these malfunctioning neurons and replace them with new ones (stem cells).

The point is that it is not the physical matter that makes us special. It is the way it is organized. The design of our brain is what is important, not the actual atoms that make it up. Atoms can always be replaced: design can't be.

This clarifies what stem cells could do. When you have a neurodegenerative disorder, your neurons die, and are gone. The saddest part though is that the design is lost with them.

But there is hope. When we learned to walk, we had to organize our neurons so that we could walk. When dogs (who have lost the ability to walk) are implanted with stem cells, they too again have to learn have to walk. Stem cells are the physical matter, and with training, we can organize them properly. We can restore the design by learning.

This means that your grandpa and grandma may have lost their smarts. However, with stem cells, they can re-learn them. In fact, not only could they re-learn them, but they could also get better because they have fresh neurons to tackle the problem.

© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Please note that the material included this was not written by a licensed medical professional. Therefore, please consult your physician before trying anything suggested in this article. Please note that there was an image used from alzcare.org. This blog does not claim ownership of that image. Nicholas Shah does not claim ownership to the ideas put forth here. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You. 

DNA + Gene Therapy = Coming Gattaca

*Please note that this is not written by a qualified physician. Please see your doctor before trying anything suggested here.*

Back to high school bio: What is DNA? And why is it so important now for your future health?

To understand DNA, let's first consider an analogy. Think of your body as a computer. Software is composed of 1's and 0's that tells the computer what to do (such as open an awesome blog). The computer reads the software and the hardware executes the encoded actions.

Similarly, DNA is composed of four letters (A, T, C, G) that tells your cells what to do. DNA is the software for building and maintaining your brain and body. Your cells are mini computer chips that carry out the DNA's instructions.

Certain DNA instructions are grouped together. These groups are called genes, and they are responsible for certain traits. These genes have largely influenced your height, eye color, skin complexion, and even attractiveness level.

Now imagine you could change or rewrite your DNA or genes. Yes, you could cure diseases like diabetes, but you could also create designer babies or the smartest race on Earth.

When it comes to DNA, there are two main steps. First, you need to read or sequence the letters. Next, you need to write, or synthesize the new DNA that you want to insert.

Image Credit: Singularity Hub

You can see from this graph that both of these costs are exponentially falling. Right now, we are racing towards the $1000 genome. In other words: paying $1000 to read all of your genes.

Why is this such a big deal? First, you could figure out all the "health genes" by sequencing 100 of the oldest, healthiest people on the planet.

But reading is just the beginning. We are working on gene therapy which promises the ability to change our genes. Doctors could replace our genes with these "health genes" to provide a longer, healthier life. Furthermore, gene therapy could be used to treat a range of diseases such as AIDS, obesity, Alzheimer's, and cancer.

Gene therapy also poses many ethical questions. What if we went beyond disease? We could change our skin color, athletic ability, attractiveness, and even our own intelligence. We may not do this ourselves, but our neighbors are bound to do it to their children to get the competitive advantage.

Here are some of my thoughts on how gene therapy could affect different careers:

1. Politician -- Social Intelligence genes
2. Pro Pianist -- Perfect Pitch genes, fine-muscle coordination genes. 
3. Pro Football -- Eyesight enhancing genes, muscle enhancer genes. 
4. NSA & CIA -- Intelligence genes
5. Translators -- Language (Broca's Area) genes

© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Please note that the material included this was not written by a licensed medical professional. Therefore, please consult your physician before trying anything suggested in this article. Please note that there was an image used from Singularity Hub. This blog does not claim ownership of that image. Nicholas Shah does not claim ownership to the ideas put forth in this article. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You. 

How the One Track Mind Defeats Worry

*Please note that the ideas in this article come from Dale Carnegie's How to Stop Worry and Start Living.*

I want you to take a moment and try to think about two things at the same time: Your prom and your birthday gift for mom this year. Seriously, try it for 5 seconds.

You probably found that you could switch back and forth rapidly between the prom and gift. However, you could never actually concentrate on both at the same time. If you could think both simultaneously, you need to go see a doctor and become the next medical marvel.

Why is this a big deal? Here's an example why:

Imagine you have the big exam tomorrow. You have studied weeks for this, and right now you are worried, wondering if there was a topic that you didn't fully cover. You really can't relax, much less get any more studying done. At this point, you would give anything for tomorrow to be over.

However, when you sit for the exam, you're alive with energy. The exam flies by, and its over. You get a good score and walk off smiling.

Here's the thing: During the exam, you did not worry. You were working hard trying to kick out those questions. It is almost as if you were too busy to worry. You did not worry because you didn't want to worry, it was because you couldn't worry.

The bottom line is that you can occupy your thoughts with another task so that you never are able to worry. Before the exam, don't pace back and forth in your room. Instead, get out and get involved in something that requires your full attention. Finishing the overdue report for the boss would be a good start.

This idea of using business to combat worry is called occupational therapy, and has been used to treat soldiers with PSTD, ulcer-prone patients, and day-traders on the verge of heart attacks.

Everything I have explained here comes from Dale Carnegie's How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. If you want further worry techniques, I would highly recommend this book as it has significantly helped me.

After reading this, you may start to realize that your worry normally starts when you are not fully engaged in something. Folding laundry, cleaning the room, or driving to work are prime times for worry because your mind is free to wander and think. You have the brain capacity for worry during these times.

Now, you have a tool to fight these situations. Put on a podcast while you're doing your cleaning. Talk to your loved one over the phone while you're folding laundry. You'll get things done and help maintain a stress-free living.

© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Please note that the material included this was not written by a licensed medical professional. Therefore, please consult your physician before trying anything suggested in this article. Please also note that the majority of the ideas written in this article should be attributed to Dale Carnegie and his book How to Stop Worry and Start Living. Nicholas Shah does not claim ownership to the ideas put forth here. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You. 

The Omega-3 Complexity

*Please note that this is not written by a qualified physician. Please see your doctor before trying anything suggested here.*

Why does every health freak freak out about this? In short: Omega-3's are Omega. They help keep your heart beating, arteries clear, eyes seeing, and.....makes you happier?

In long: There's some science. Omega-3's refer to Omega-3 fatty acids which are a class of molecules that help orchestrate the necessary chemical actions in your body. In English, that means Omega-3's are tools your body uses to get certain tasks done. They are the shovel for digging, the keyboard for typing, and the deodorant for dating. 

There are many types of molecules that are classified as Omega-3's and each has their own benefits. The two main Omega-3 molecules humans need are: DHA and EPA (I'll spare you the actual long names). 

You can get both DHA and EPA from natural foods such as salmon, herring, and others. However, many H freaks take fish oil supplements for Omega-3's because fish gets old (or rotten?) after a while. When it comes to dosage,  you can get benefits from 500mg/day supplement. A salmon for dinner usually has about 1000mg/day. For more information about specific dosages, WebMD and the NIH are good sources.

The main reason why fish oil is such a big deal in the US is because of our diet. The western diet is filled with Omega-6's, but has barely any Omega-3's. The research shows that when you have one type of omega fatty acid in much higher concentration than the other, several problems can occur. In some western diets, there is almost 16 times more Omega-6's than Omega-3's. That's like calling 16 bowls of cereal and one apple "all part of a balanced breakfast." When you balance your Omega's out, you get less inflammation, decreased cancer risk, and more smiles. 

There are some downsides to fish oil that we all should be aware of. WebMD writes how fish oil can thin your blood, which can be serious if you do not clot very well. There are a range of other effects caused by fish oil such as drug interactions, nausea, heartburn, and more that you should check first with your doctor. 

© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Please note that the material included this was not written by a licensed medical professional. Therefore, please consult your physician before trying anything suggested in this article. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You. 

The Problem Isn't the Solution

Let's be real, we've all gotten hooked to something in our lives. It can be a TV series, videogame, social media, or for the unluckies, all three. As a result, we're pulling all nighters to get papers and projects out. And after we have stressed and barely got by, we say to ourselves: "I'm never doing this to myself again."

Yet again and again, we end up procrastinating despite how many promises we make to ourselves. Another paper comes up, and even though every line of logic tells us to get the paper done, we end up staring at another episode of Friends instead.

Why do we do this? Mark Driscoll made the answer obvious to me. The problem appears to be the solution. In other words, when we have a paper due, we have a huge dread that we don't want to face. A temporary fix or "solution" is to watch an Ross and Rachel get into a fight. That episode temporarily takes our mind off that dreadful essay, and for 30 minutes, we are problem free. The problem has become the "solution."

Driscoll gives another example with alcoholism.It is pretty Christian heavy, but he gives an excellent example:

Watch from 28:13 to 30:20 

The bottom line is that we are endlessly clicking on episodes because we do not want to face reality of the situation. By realizing this concept, I have found that I have been able to stay on track.

When I'm tempted to log onto facebook, I just simply say to myself: Look Nick, the only reason why you're doing this is to escape the problem. Close out of facebook, face the problem, and solve it!


© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Please note that material was put in here from Mark Driscoll and his associated church, Mars Hill and that this information belongs to them. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You.