Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Reflections: The Best American Science and Nature Writing

 
 
[The Best American Science and Nature Writing]

In the past for the Haley Reading groups, we've covered books on business, poetry, social justice, and technology. This semester, we've moved in a different direction by reading articles from The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2015).

For now, we wanted to consider the possibility that we would all take up the practice of writing about science or nature. If you were tasked with the responsibility of using one of the essays you've read as a point of departure or as a kind muse, what would you write about? Keep in mind that you'd be in the role of science or nature writer.

And, which article -- “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness," "No Risky Chances," “The Deepest Dig," “At Risk," or “Desegregating Wilderness," -- would serve as the basis for your article? Why that article?

108 comments:

Derick B. said...

If I was a science and nature writer I would probably write about what it would be like to live without darkness with the article "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as my basis for research. I chose this topic because it was the most interesting to me, learning about the benefits we get from darkness and how harmful artificial light can be.

Anonymous said...

I would definitely use 'No Risky Chances' because it was the most thought provoking for me. I would build off of it and go into greater detail about the reality of death and the experiences one has leading up to it. I, as a child, was very scared of death and dying, but Ii would use the old woman from the article to show that IF you can control aspects of your death, it would be less scary. I would try to explain how this relates to everyday stresses/worries.

SHELBY WASHINGTON

Jasmine Williams said...

I would use "No Risky Chances" as inspiration. This article was the most interesting to me and the woman's situation was engaging to dissect. I would write about other situations that aren't clearly right and wrong or black and white.

Asher said...

I think I would use the article, "At risk." It was the most interesting to me, just because we tend to not realize how much human involvement, has affected our environment, especially our ecosystem. From a scientific point of view, I think I would then talk about the evolution of at risk plants and animals in our world, and how we as human beings can help to prevent more from being at risk.

-Asher Denkyirah

Aleeya Barrolle said...

As a science and nature writer I could inform readers on the effects that light has on human beings and animals. I would use the article “The Health Effects of a World of Darkness” for the support of my topic. This article was the most amusing to me because the long term effects finally had their time in the spotlight.

Kyla T said...

I would use the article "At Risk." Out of the articles listed, this is the most interesting to me as humans interact and change the environment every day, even if it's as small as littering. I would talk about how nature as evolved from many years ago to now and how humans have contributed or harmed it.

Kyla T

Shervonti N. said...

"No Risky Chances" would be the article I use for the basis of my own article because I would see myself being more interested in science. I would also be more interested in learning why people choose the paths they choose when faced with illness. Like discussed earlier, this woman wasn't exactly being selfish with her choices... she was thinking about prior obligations... not potential health risks.

Anonymous said...

I would use "No Risky Chances." There are many things I don't know about. My sense of morality seems to be skewed to most people and disregard for many social norms leaves a bad taste in many people's mouths. Despite all that, the one things I can say about myself is that I strive to be authentic. I'd like to be authentic to the end as well. Hopefully I'll be crushed to death by something. Quickly. She-whose-name-I-forgot displayed an inspirational behavior. It was one that wasn't based on race or gender, but one based on the dying will of a human. Overall I think the human race is pretty idiotic, but the choices we make when facing death are truly enlightened. Being able to actually make those choices is a chance not everyone gets. That is really something to think about.

-Que'rra Mason

Jeremiah T said...

If I was a science and nature writer, I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as a muse. It never occurred to me that light could be harmful but now it seems possible. While reading, I started to think about animals and how the earth was not naturally as bright before the invention of electricity. I began to think that maybe the earth is supposed to have a natural darkness to light balance that is being disrupted which is causing animals to disappear.

Jeremiah B. said...

I would uses "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as a point of departure for an article about the effects of digital screens. This essay was the most interesting to me. Since my major deals with coding, it is helpful to know how artificial light can affect me over time.

Unknown said...

I would use "At Risk" as my article because even myself as I read it, it gave me a new perspective on death. If everyone could see it as the way the character did, I don't think this would be situation we'd be so scared to face. The article presented it in a peaceful and in a non-terrifying way. Yes it is still death and it's going to be hard to lose a close one, but this would help us look at it in a new way and be at peace with it.

A. Robinson said...

If I were a science/nature writer, I would use the title "At risk" and talk about how ALL species in the environment will be effected if we don't become more conscientious of the environment and its needs to stay healthy. I would write about the detrimental effects and how everyone and everything would be "At Risk"

-A. Robinson

Peyton D. said...

If I were a science and nature writer, I would use "No Risky Chances" as my muse. This chapter wrestled with the benefits or consequences of medical procedures and or treatments for patients. Considering I am a nursing student, things like this greatly interest me. I like topics with no concrete answer or that have valid points on both sides of the argument. The most intriguing thing about this topic is as time goes on and technology advances, decisions and support on certain types medical treatment may be reversed as new information is discovered.

Unknown said...

If given the task, I would continue to write about the effects artificial light has on us humans, and the species around us. With this in mind I would use the "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" article, and would search for more facts that artificial light does to the body, the ecosystem, our plants and animals, etc. Just really build more on what the light does to us when we are to be in darkness.

Erica K. said...

Using the "No Risky Chances" chapter, I would write on the topic of medicine, surgery, experiments and the patients natural thoughts and experiences because it ties together the thought of science and nature in a way, plus the chapter already highlights surgery and the natural personality of the patient regardless her situation.

Sandra Yokley said...

As a science and nature writer, if I had to choose one of the papers we've read to write an article on, I would definitely choose "No Risky Chances." The basis of my article would be the idea of intersectionality. The most effective thing I could glean from "No Risky Chances" would be that the woman was more than her illness. She had roles that she played in others lives, and dreams she wanted to accomplish. I would write about the power of our environment on the decisions we make as sections of our lives interact with each other.


Sandra Yokley

Brandy Collier said...

As a science and nature writer I would use the article "The Health Effects of a world Without Darkness" to inform people about the effects that the actions of humans indirectly have on animals. This article was the one that I found most interesting because it told specific examples of how the artificial light sources created by humans effect animals and how they live.

-Brandy Collier

Unknown said...

If I were to talk about the sciences, I would like to talk about things that would connect to the audiences. In doing so, I would like to use "No Risky Chances" as the bases of my topics. The story highlighted the reality of human mortality and the real life struggle of modern medicine. We have all the capabilities to do wondrous things but their are still risk involved in them. I would like to talk about those limitations and the triumphs of the sciences that affect our daily lives.

Victoria Wright said...

If I were to take up the practice of writing about science or nature, and tasked with this responsibility, I would base my article off of the essay "At Risk." I would discuss what it's like to be at risk in today's society, and I would try to use the points of view of people from different ethical backgrounds, whom all face struggles on a daily basis, whether that be discrimination, peer pressure, the struggle of our home lives, or simply the fight with ourselves on a daily basis. I would also discuss how the fact that we are all at risk brings us together. This essay inspires me by showing me how we are all at risk in some way, shape, or form, some of our risks may vary, and some of us may be endangered, but we are all at risk.

Miya Evans said...

I would go with the article "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" if I were to be a writer that focuses on science and nature. I chose this article because it shows the science correlation between humans and the nature around them. I would just elaborate on key points in the article and that would serve as my muse. I believe it gave us and insight that would be a helpful reference if one were a writer of science and nature.

Brianna R. said...

I would use the article "At Risk" as my inspiration or muse, just because that was the most interesting one to me and I had the strongest connection with that particular reading. In my own piece, I think I would just try to continue on the idea of there being a connection between saving our youth and protecting the environment.

I would highlight the fact that both tasks require sacrifice of the community as a whole, even if on an individual level, people feel they have no obligation or responsibility to such a cause, in essence, lack of effort to preserve both nature and our youth would be detrimental to everyone's future.

Sydney O said...

I would use the article "No Risky Chances". That was a very interesting read to me and it points a lot of the struggles today that a lot of people have to face and deal with.

-Sydney Oats

Payton Bridegroom said...

I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" because I found this one to be the most interesting article. It was interesting to me because I never thought of light as being pollution. The many ways that light can harm nature and the creatures living in it would be the basis of my article.

Mikaela S said...

If I was tasked with the responsibility of using one of the essays I've read as a point of departure or as a kind muse, I would write about "No Risky Chances". Not only did it spark my interest because of the love I have for the medical field, but it also made me think about a lot of things. It is so interesting that what seems to be a simple topic such as no risky chances can expand into a much more broad subject. The article "At Risk" would serve as the basis for your article. Both can easily be intertwined.

Unknown said...

I would used the article "Desegregating Wilderness" if I was referencing the nature part of my research. Simply because the author makes a compelling comparison between the segregated wilderness and the segregation between blacks and whites. I think it's very different and unique muse to use.

J'kolbe K. said...

If i was a science writer I would use no risky chances as the basis of my research. I choose this because it deals with real life decisions faced by many and how they are handled differently. I feel this would lead me into a psychological field.

Nyla Gantt said...

If I were a science writer, I would use the article "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness." I feel that I would be able to expand on this topic much further if it were a basis for research that I was conducting. The world would not function properly if we didn't have light. Many things on the Earth need sunlight to grow. It would be so inconvenient for many people if we didn't have light.

Olivia Slater said...

The basis for my inspiration would be the article "At Risk". This article touched on many controversial topics regarding the environment. As a science writer, it would be my obligation to bring facts and awareness to something that impacts society in its entirety. I would bring attention to the impacts humanity is having on the environment and give suggestions as to aid in the preservation of the planet.

James said...

I think I'd like to write an article based on "No Risky Chances" because it really makes you think. Thinking about life and getting old and being taken care of is scary and incredibly important, but often looked over. "No Risky Chances" is great because it allows you to have one of those moments when you've realized something you already knew, but this time it really matters.

Trion T. said...

I would definitely use "At Risk" as the basis for my article because of how interesting I found the comparison between at risk species and at risk people to be. I would try to write about the similarities between at risk species and a group of people who are considered to be at risk. How if there are laws to protect at risk species, should there not be laws to protect people who are considered "at risk?"
I would also try to go around and gather a consensus on what people consider to be at risk populations in America and what makes them think this. This consensus would be gathered from people of various backgrounds to try to eliminate any bias. After gathering people's initial response to this question, I would then ask each person what they believe could be done to protect these "at risk" populations.

Jasmin Smoot said...

I believe the article I would use as the foundation of my departure would be "No Risky Chances." Although I've never experienced a real situation like this, I believe we've all been through something similar. This woman had to make a decision that would make or break her. Not all necessarily have to choose between living and dying, but there have been times where one decision we make could dramatically alter our lives. This is when we have to weigh the outcomes of each possible decision we make, whether it be to study for an exam or to go on a diet. Every choice we make has either a negative or positive result, but we have to choose. In the end, she passed away. Life continued to go on even after she made her decision. This is why I never linger on the choices that I make because lives continues to go on. I believe that was the theme of it all.

Aliyah Johnson said...

Aliyah J.
If I was a Science and Nature writer I would write about "No risky Chances." The story taught me so much about people's decisions and how those decisions should not be judged. I share the same opinions as the author of the story (Atul Gawande); and I feel that eventually I would have arrived at the same realizations as he did. I've witnessed first hand how doctors criticize patients' medical decisions.

Tatyana C. said...

If I was a nature writer I would use the article "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness". This article has inspired because it takes a look at all species and animals and show us that what we are doing are harming the animals. I would write about the article because I feel as if more people need to know and understand the dangers we are putting our wild life in.

Trevon Bosley said...

If I were a science and nature writer I would use the “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness," article as my basis. The facts given throughout the article were incredibly interesting to me and I know that it will interest the community I would be writing for.Also the importance of the issue will draw a lot of attention to my writings.

Unknown said...

Well considering I want to be an anesthesiologist, I would use the article "No Risky Chances" as my basis for my own research. It definitely was the most interesting to me, therefore I would have the most desire to really dig deep. The science of medicine and the way it affects the human body is something that I find fascinating because going through an illness is something that is more than physical. It is also mental and so I would love to see how much they effect one another and the person's overall treatment.

Unknown said...

I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" because it was the most intriguing and thought provoking article in my opinion. I'm sure others reading my writings would also find it interesting and I feel I can work with its topic much more. Talking about nature and how we mistreat it seem to be my forte as a pre-veterinary medicine major. Darkness is just as important as light.

Unknown said...

David B.
IF i were to write about nature, I would use "The Deepest Dig" article as a basis. This article talks about the deep see and how we can mine an abundance of minerals there. I would expand on the topic of mining minerals but in space since some planets are composed of iron or another metallic ore. This article would work for this topic since it talks about mining in an unknown environment.

Anonymous said...


If I was asked to choose one of the essays as my muse I would choose “At Risk”. I would choose this essay because it has been one of the most interesting ones I’ve read so far. It made me think from a different perspective and if I was Nature writer I would want to take this perspective further. I could immersive in to study of interactions of humans and our environment because it something I didn’t realize until now ,that we are very much part of changing it.

Nia Piggott

Unknown said...

I would write about the article "No Risky Chances". It is very interesting, and it is also the only story that I actually went back and read for a second time. It makes you think. Before the reading, I was aware of the cycle of getting old and making decision; however, this goes deeper and makes me think more about it.

Lucas Reincke said...

For the basis of my article on nature and health, I would choose "No Risky Chances." This article struck me as a story of sacrifice, and the realization that our time in this world is very limited as it was for Jewel Douglass. Her story was she was given the opportunity to have more chemo treatment to last maybe a few more months, and without it she would have less than 2 weeks. She decided she wanted to be happy with the time remaining in her life. I think that is an important theme for people to understand, to live and love life to the fullest. To not try to hold on and make ourselves hurt over the thought of never waking up from a sleep. Instead, to enjoy and indulge in the pleasures of life like Jewel wanted to. Sadly, she did not get the chance as she passed away less than 24-hours later after her doctor's visit. (p. 67) In any case, we should strive to be happy and healthy, and enjoy our health while we can.

Unknown said...

I would use "No Risky Chances" as the basis of my writing because I have always been interested in medicine, and just being able to read about another doctor's experiences is very inspiring. I would very much enjoy writing about an experience if I was a doctor so other people can have insight. "No Risky Chances" was also my favorite article I have read so far and I could feel the emotion put behind it, and that is what I would want my readers to take back from my writings and reflect on it.
Jade H.

Aja J said...

If I were a science and nature writer, I would use the article “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness” as the basis for my article. I found this article to be very eye opening about how artificial light affects living things differently. I love all animals, so I think this would the perfect article for me.

Unknown said...

If I were a scientific writer, I would use "The Deepest Dig" as a muse for my own research. I thought this article was very thought-provoking because we have depleted our resources to the point of desperately searching for another source: the ocean. It is also rather terrifying because of how dangerous it is to explore our oceans with the vast amount of animal and plant life we have yet to discover. I find it fascinating and frightening to imagine what kind of creatures currently live in our oceans that we have no idea about. I wouldn't doubt that we could even find fossils of prehistoric life forms as well.

Katie Hatches

Jazsmine Towner said...

I think "No Risky Chances" highlights the idea that not everyone wants to be saved and some people simply want to die without little suffering and to be as comfortable as possible. I think the article will serve as a "exception to the rule" because the woman didn't want to be saved like everyone else her personal beliefs and feelings over ruled the Doctor's recommendations and that is important to consider in the medical field
Jazsmine Towner

Unknown said...

After reading the stories if I were to use one as a muse I would use "No Risky Chances". Through my search in my future job my one question when I chose the medical field was what about when my patients die. I always wondered how I would be able to tell them, or how I would feel if they passed away under my knife. I would do a paper about that experience from a surgeons point of view and the patients. I would interview many different people with different experiences in the manner of death and how to talk to another about it.

Alexandra J said...

If I was a science and nature writer, "No Risky Chances" would be the basis for my own research and writing. It was the most thought provoking for me and also relates to the field I want to pursue - medicine. I think this article really displayed the importance of the patient and doctor relationship and using this article as a foundation for research would help demonstrate why patients make the decisions they do, and what doctors think about those decisions.

JaLeah McKinney said...

I would definitely use "No Risky Chances" as the basis for my article if I were a science and nature writer. This was the most intriguing and interesting article to me and I would not only look into the science of things but even the psychological way of things, such as ways people make major decisions, thought processes etc.

Unknown said...

If I were tasked with the responsibility of using a scientific essay as my muse, I would use the essay "The health effects of a world without darkness". I pick this essay because it interested me the most and I loved how it compared so many different animals and showed reasons for why they were better off with the darkness than with a lot of light. I think it was an interesting perspective and offered a lot of creativity because it is not something I normally hear about.

Aliyah Butler said...

I would write about "No Risky Chances" because death and our own mortality can be scary to think about, but I think that these are topics that should be talked about more. Doing so may potentially ease our fears. It also gives us a new view into someone else's life which is important because it allows us to better empathize with people.

Aliyah B.

Crystal R. said...

I would choose "At Risk" as the basis of my article. I really like this article and it was really interesting to be. This article is a good way to connect science and nature, seeing how the author connected the two in it. The connection of how humans are "at risk" and not offered protection like that of animals that are "at risk" and listed as endangered species grants them some type of protection is very wrong and changes the depiction of some races or groups that are seen as "at risk". Gathering information from local communities and their opinions on this could help support show the wrong in this and what could be done to change this depiction and the outcome of what happens to those that are "at risk."

Xavier J. said...

If I were to write about science and nature I would use the essay "At Risk" because of its ability to not only inform the reader of the problems of species extinction, but to also relate those problems to social issues we face today. The ability for the writer to tackle many issues in the essay without distorting the main message was really interesting to me.

Xavier J.

Unknown said...

I would use the "No Risky Chances" article and focus on the mindset of the patient in contribution to choosing the correct health plan. The mentality of the patient and doctor matters in terms of treatment not just what would end in the best health condition. The best health route could be the worst mental route for the patient.

- Tiera Williams

Tameah F said...

I would choose "No Risky Chances" as the basis of my article because it talks about medicine and mortality, which interests me due to the fact that I am a BioMed major. In my article, I would talk about my experiences with dealing with deaths from severe illnesses and how medicine has helped people, my grandmother in particular, get through tough situations.

Joshua Jones said...

I would use the "Health Effects of a World Without Darkness." It was very informational and taught me the negative effects of artificial light on the world. I never knew any of it existed so I am more aware of those things now, such as the effect on sleep. We sleep less now as a society and it can cause issues in brain development in children.

-Joshua J.

Joey N. said...

If I was a nature/science writer the article I would based my theory off of would be the "At Risk". This article was the most compelling and painted the clearest picture of the symbolism between the world and nature.

Marcus B. said...

I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as a muse for writing because I feel bringing to light the dangers or excessive light use is important. Many people don't realize that too much exposure to phone or computer's digital screen can be quite unhealthy for you. It's something most people don't think about, considering we are living in a world so controlled and based around technology. There are many great pros, but we also need to bring to light and give awareness to the cons.

Sierra Taylor said...

If I I was writing about nature of science, I would use the article "At Risk". I would talk about the environment and the harm being done to it. Specifically, I would go into the need for providing protection for endangered species. A fact I think many don't realize is that the world is connected. Extinct and endangered species are a serious problem. It's our job to safeguard the planet and the living organisms inhabiting it.
- Sierra Taylor

Breanna B. said...

I would chose to work with "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" articles. I found this the most interesting as I already think technology is ruining society. This just makes me feel even stronger on that position. Everyone has the internet in the palm of their hands--in other words, they have everything in the palm of their hands. Yet, no one realizes the damage they are doing unto themselves and the planet.

Deborrah Blackburn said...

The article I would choose to base my paper on would be "No Risky Chances." This is because the science of medicine has always interested me and the story behind this article is very fascinating. I would focus on how a patient's decisions affect their treatment and their overall health when they are sick. Most people don't realize that they are in complete control of their treatment and are able to choose what they think is best for them. So I would discuss how and why people choose their particular treatment and what the outcome was.
Deborrah B.

Unknown said...

I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" because of all of the interesting studies mentioned in this Article. The studies shine a light on many health effects that I feel everyone should be aware of.

-Nylah B

Anitra B. said...

I would use "No Risky Chances" as an inspiration for my writing. As a nursing major, this article interested me as it was medically based. I also like how the article was told from the patient's point of view. In my article I would also use this technique to hopefully help medical professionals understand things from the patient's point of view and their reasoning for their choices.

Unknown said...

I would use the article "No Risky Chances" because of the point of view. It is told from the patient's point of view and I am a pharmacy student, and they tell us when we counsel patients, that we have to "dumb it down" for them because they may not understand all the medical lingo and terminology that we use to diagnose their conditions or when counseling them about their medications. Sometimes, we don't always know how to dumb it down, because it could lessen what we are trying to tell them, and even then they still might not understand so seeing the article from the patient's point of view, helps us as health care providers, have a baseline as to how we should relay information to our patients.

Cheniya A. said...

As a health major, I would use the article "No Risky Chances." It evoked a lot of thinking about the science of our natural behavior in relation to our decisions as a human race.I mean this to say that it was very interesting when considering life not just from a medical standpoint, but from one that matters most as it defines what a life can mean not only to the other around, but for oneself.
I think that's especially important because, generally, the medical community does not teach compassion - it is learned. So, in my own article, I would write about how treating illness with a special sort of compassion for each patient would allow them (the patient) that chance to consider and weigh their options for the best possible ending and to not be so worried about losing a patient - if it is that patient's decision - because they have a say in how their story ends.

Anonymous said...

I would choose "No Risky Chances" because out of the articles this is the one that hit home with me the most. I admire the woman's will to want to live the rest of her life as comfortably as she could while still keeping in mind her family and her desire to see them before she was too sick to be able to.

Sydnee T.

Unknown said...

I would personally use “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness” as a topic of discussion because I feel as though it reaches out to a lot more people and that more will be able to understand and connect with it. Technology is everywhere and is being used constantly, whether it is at home, workplace or classroom. There is no way to escape the artificial light that projects from a laptop, cell phone or anything. Not to mention when it is nearing time for bed, most people will end up staying awake and using the phone as a distraction until they decided that they are tired enough. Most people probably aren't even aware that this isn't good for them in any way.

Alona D.

Anonymous said...

I would choose “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness," because this is the most interesting topic to me. It's not something I have read or learned about, so it would be interesting to find out more about this topic.

Sydney J.

Unknown said...

I would choose "At Risk" because I found that concept to be the most fascinating. The phrases and word choice that people use when referring to people of color or people in poverty period is interesting to me. As if they are lesser beings. And if we paid more attention to the phrases and word choice that people use when referring to people of color we would notice that they are actually undercover racists.

Anonymous said...

Personally I would use the article "At Risk." For many years the world has been declining. Many people still continue to ignore or refuse to believe that we have a big part in the declination of the world. Global warming is a real problem and many animals and plants and such are at risk due to this.

Tashawna Nash said...

I would use the article "At Risk" because of the articles that I read I thought it was the most interesting and wished there had been more written with it. I would choose this article because of the two ways that it explained the words "at-risk" and the meaning that you could take from those words. Also because it would be somewhat of a call to action that if we consider at-risk animals to be allowed to be protected, why can we not protect, or take better care of at-risk youth.

~Tashawna N.

Unknown said...

I would use the article "At Risk" because it was the most intreseting to me. I would go into detail about how underrepresented these at risk populations are. This would be important because we have to be the voice of animals and understand how letting them go extinct greatly effects our world.

KaelynB said...

I would choose "Health Effects In A World Without Darkness" because this made me think the hardest and contemplate things. The other ones affected me in a similar fashion, but this one actually made me think outside of this post. I have always been interested in this topic and it was nice to reinforce that feeling while reading this.
-Kaelyn Blunt

Natasha said...

I would choose the article "At Risk." I think the environment is an extremely important part of our society, especially now that global warming has become such a big deal. I know some people still do not think it is real or actually happening, but I believe it is. We need to start changing our energy sources and lifestyles to further support the environment. This is an article I would definitely encourage everyone to read.

Natasha Handy

Nia Oke-Famakinde said...

"No Risky Chances" would serve as the basis for my article. I would write about nature and how it compels people to do or think in certain ways. I would use "No Risky Chances" because it gives insight into how decisions can lead to very big changes. The article also shows the two different thought processes of the patient and doctor, which would be beneficial to the creation of my writing.

Nia O.

Andriana C. said...

I would reference "Desegregating Wilderness". The essay revolves around the laws in place to preserve the wilderness and the words associated with these laws. I feel this would be a good starting point for the sciences for this reason, as it can be tied to social issues as well based on how the essay is worded. This way, old objectives and new objectives can be referenced in a single paper.

Gabriel Msengi said...


I would have to pick "No Risky Chances" From Slate, because the article talked about health related issues. Being a biochemistry major and wanted to enter a health related field the article gave me an insight of what decisions health care professionals may have to deal with. It was exemplified what good doctors would do for their patient. If I were to continue writing it would be other examples of health care professionals making choices that benefited the patient.

-Gabriel Msengi

Anonymous said...

I would choose "Health Effects Of A World Without Darkness". Not many people know the effects of artificial light on the human body and what can happen if the world doesn't have darkness
-Maxwell C.

Unknown said...

If I were a writer, I would write about both nature and science since they are interconnected. I would write about the little and easy things that people could do in their everyday lives to protect the environment, like turning off lights when they leave the room or recycling. I would highlight how environmentally friendly practices generally save money, promote personal health, and help save the environment.

-Rodrick Robins

Jordan Robinson said...

I would most likely choose to continue writing articles similar to the article "No Risky Chances", because it correlates to my intended career of Emergency Medicine. This article was insightful and straight to the point about the dark sides of being a doctor. Not every day can be the "miracle day" for a doctor; sometimes patients are just too sick. This article helped me to better understand that in those situations you cannot give up, you have to be fully present for the patient.
I feel as though articles like "No Risky Chances" will prove as motivation to students to continue their medical pursuit and to never lose sight of why they want to be a doctor-- to help others.

Simone Hall said...

If I was to ever become and science and nature writer, I would focus on topics most closely relating to the article "The Health Effects of a Worls Without Darkness". This is because this topic is the most relatable to me, yet, I never knew how dangerous something that we use every day, such as artificial light, could be. I believe it is important to make people aware of things like this so that we can live in a healthier world in the future.

Unknown said...

If I were a science writer, I would write about the numerous possibilities of ocean floor mining. I would base a lot of my writing on "The Deepest Dig". I consider myself an environmentalist, so discussing the risks of such an endeavor and its potential effects on the ocean floor's ecosystem is a topic that would interest me. I believe that I would eventually expand to discussing the pros and cons of mining in numerous different ecosystems.

Anonymous said...

I would pick "Desegregating Wilderness". The constant compares and contrasts between the Civil Rights Act and the Wilderness Act can make for a very dynamic paper. Segregation and persistence can be a common theme throughout the paper, by relating the segregation ended by the Civil Rights Act and the persistence that followed it to the segregation created by the Wilderness Act and the persistence that ended with it.

-Brandon Nichols

Unknown said...

I would use the "at risk" article to discuss the interaction between humans and the environment. Many people don't realize how everyday activities affect the world around them and the first step to change that is awareness.

Roland Wooters said...

I would chose to write about "Desegregating Wilderness" as is talks about how white people tried to keep black people out of national parks to preserve them. This article already has a nature-like theme so I would use it as my muse. It constantly refers to the Civil Rights act so this is beneficial information as well.

Unknown said...

I'd definitely use the article "No Risky Chances". Mostly due to the point of view. As Atul Gawande says on page 65, "I had never seen anyone die before I became a doctor...". As a future doctor, I wonder about this and how it will take a toll on me, and what kind of toll will that be. Will it be emotional, psychological, or something else. I choose this one because I can relate to it I suppose.

Unknown said...

I'd definitely use the article "No Risky Chances". Mostly due to the point of view. As Atul Gawande says on page 65, "I had never seen anyone die before I became a doctor...". As a future doctor, I wonder about this and how it will take a toll on me, and what kind of toll will that be. Will it be emotional, psychological, or something else. I choose this one because I can relate to it I suppose.

Laree Keys said...

If I were to write about science and nature I believe my muse would be the article "No Risky Chances". This article easily captured my attention because of its real life application, and in turn interested me into the topic of science and nature because the subject is sometimes harder to learn or speak about.

Andrea R. said...

I would probably choose to use the article "Desegregating Wilderness" as it shows an intersectionality between nature and social issues. Despite the passing of both the Wilderness Act and the Civil Rights Act, being able to enjoy the wilderness was still seen as somewhat of a privilege and the author of the article even points out that the majority of people who utilized the park were white.

Meanwhile, as there are specific and remote areas that are meant to be preserved, the places where humans are allowed to freely set foot are deforested and turned into urban areas. This raises the issue of nature vs. development and how to reach a balance without destroying nature.

Unknown said...

As a person who writes about science, I would definitely be interested in writing about biological and social sciences related to human beings. So from what I have read, "No Risky Chances" would serve as the basis for my article. I would write about the effects of mortality on medical professionals. Like the author states, when in medical school, mortality and dealing with it is not something that they emphasize/teach much about. They expect you to know how to deal with death or teach yourself. I think often medical professionals deal with death in a cynical way, just to get through the day and keep their sanity, but what I would be interested in is how deaths of their patients affect the medical professional's attitude towards life, their loved ones, etc.

-Bella N.

Unknown said...

I would write more about "No Risky Chances". This is interesting to me because I am a nursing student and I see things like this in my everyday life as s patient care tech. I would also include stories about those who did take the risky chances and talk about their experience also. I would want to touch on both sides. So my title would be "Risky Chances".

Natalie T.

Unknown said...

I would write more about "No Risky Chances". This is interesting to me because I am a nursing student and I see things like this in my everyday life as s patient care tech. I would also include stories about those who did take the risky chances and talk about their experience also. I would want to touch on both sides. So my title would be "Risky Chances".

Natalie T.

Isaiah Blackburn said...

I would use Atul Gawande's "No Risky Chances" as a basis for my departure article. This article stresses the difference between concepts and scenarios we learn in school and those we encounter in the real-world. Keeping this in mind, I would caution readers to stay passionate about their craft but to remember that despite their knowledgebase, the patient gets to make the final decision.

Zuriah Harkins said...

If I were to write about science and nature, I would write about how the artificial light is starting to create negative health effects in the environment. I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as my support system because it introduced me to many problems that I did not know light could cause, and I feel like these problems are something that more people need to be aware of.

Zuriah H.

Shardai J-H. said...

I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as a basis for an article. I would talk more about the effects of artificial light on the brain and body. Given my biology background, I would also mention the issues it causes in regards to human evolution and what it might mean in the future.

Curtis Tallie said...

I would choose the article "At Risk" as a point. I feel that that article was the most interesting to me because it discusses humans and the environment.

Alicia Sears said...

If I were a science writer I would use "Desegregating Wilderness" because to me we have become more wasteful than ever before and we are not thinking about how we are effecting the world. It also shows how people always try to come up with some silly reason or plan to stop something bad from happening instead of evaluating the real problem at hand.

Unknown said...

I would chose the No Risky Chances article as my inspiration/muse. It was the most interesting to me because I want to go into the medical field. It showcased the dark side of being a doctor. I would continue in this writing by investigating the psychological affects being in the medical field and witnessing death has on a person.

Fiona H.

Quincy S said...

If I were writing a scientific article inspired from one of these essays, I would chose "No Risky Chances". As a Bio-Med student I found this particular writing interesting and very applicable to my desired career. Developing from the problems already discussed in this essay, I would use a scientific perspective to investigate and analyze the risks and chances of survival that come with the surgical procedure discussed.

Anonymous said...

If I were to start writing about something science related I would choose "No Risky Chances" to go off of. This short story does go into the realm of dealing with death. And dealing with death is a very important part of life. It also shows how possibilities and other options can give more confidence in a person. In the story the options of manually unblocking her intestine and draining the fluids were both presented earlier but separately and both were refused by the patient. When presented together, the patient felt better and agreed to the surgery which dealt with her fear of either dying or suffering from her surgery.

Persephone C. said...

I would chose "No Risky Chances," because although I am not really interested in the medical field, I am interested in psychology. I have always been really interested in why people make the choices they make, and the way the brain works. Sometimes physical medical problems can lead people to mental illnesses, so this article really stuck out with me.

Dakarai P. said...

I would choose "At Risk" because I have found that to be the most interesting article so far. It made me realize that even though we use the same titles for things they have very different meanings. We looked at "at risk" kids as a danger to us, but we do not look at the danger in their surroundings. Compared to endangered or "at risk" animals where we view them as victims and consider all factors that go into their survival.

Kelsey W said...

I would use No Risky Chances to write about the nature of people and how they think and make decisions as important as the one presented in the article but also just everyday decisions. I think this was a beautiful article written about the beauty of life. It could be argued that it did not have a happy ending and I think that might be why it stood out to me. It could be talked about about science or the nature of people and humans as a race.

Sierra Ewing said...

I would choose the text, "At Risk". Even though it mentions very little of the physical components of science and the like, it ties together personal life experience and the environment in which we attempt to thrive. I find the article relevant and understandable.

Unknown said...

I would use "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" as a basis for my research article because it combines the beauty of nature with the harsh reality of technology. I don't think I would focus so much on how we live in a world with no darkness, but rather the benefits of having the technology and its influences from and on nature because for my I like to listen to music while walking or driving and the music I listen to really allows me to take a closer look to nature and all the little details that are hiding behind thick walls of leaves.

Barry F. said...

If I were to start scientific writing, “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness" would serve as the basis for my article. The topic that was covered in that article is very interesting to me. I have experienced light pollution first hand, so I can relate. Light pollution could be an issue many people are experiencing and they don't know what it could be until they read about it.

Unknown said...

If I was a science or nature writer, I would prefer to write about the depths of the ocean because the vast majority of it is still a mystery to even to modern day science. I would use “The Deepest Dig” as my inspiration because I would attempt to bring awareness to the movement of deep sea exploration. Not only can new species of sea animals help us understand adaptation, but we can also greatly benefit from the untapped resources that lie in the ocean as long as it doesn’t negatively impact the environment.
After reading Jarvis’s article, what was one point concerning the irony of exterminating certain mammals to protect other species that was particularly profound to you? Please provide a page number citation.

Kellsey H said...

If I were a science or nature writer, I would base my research upon concepts discussed in the article, "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness." Prior to reading this article I was not aware of the negative effects of artificial lighting. Although I was not well educated in regards to artificial lighting, it did spark my interest. I would conduct research relating to methods of reducing artificial lighting and raising awareness.

Alexis Acoff said...

If I had to write about science or nature, I would use the article "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness". Reading this article really made me think about all of the artificial light we have made in our world today, and how we as humans do not consider the livelihood of other organisms that we have to coexist with. It was a very interesting article, addressing an issue that I never really thought was an issue prior to reading it.

Unknown said...

If I were a nature or science writer, I would prefer to use "At Risk". The article was the most interesting because it seem to link two unrelated topics. Using at risk animals in juxtaposition to at risk youth was truly something I never seen done. I would love to examine the parallels between the two.