Anthropology Discussion 1

There are 8 prompts posted here for you to reply to. (Around 200 Words Each) (SEE ATTACHED FILES FOR INFO)

PROMPT 1

Anthropology is generally not taught in high school so most folks do not encounter it until they reach college. Have you taken anthropology before? If so, what sub-field? If you have not taken anthropology before, what are your expectations for the class or what do you think it is about?

PROMPT 2

We are living at a moment in history when scientific evidence is being rejected in many areas of public discourse (evolution, climate change, vaccines). Achenbach sets out to make an argument about why people may reject science. What are some of the factors he highlights? (SEE ATTACHED FILE)

PROMPT 3

Rick Potts' article is a great argument for why students should study anthropology. What are some of the conclusions you draw from the article about why anthropology matters? (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/moral-dilemma-we-face-age-of-humans-180952909/?no-ist)

PROMPT 4

In the decades (centuries, really) leading up to the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species, many naturalists, scientists, and other thinkers developed ideas that were central to Darwin's work. What are some of these ideas and how did they lay the foundation for Darwin to articulate the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection? (http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/origin-species-beak-finch)

PROMPT 5 (http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/origin-species-beak-finch)

Darwin provided a great deal of evidence for evolution in On the Origin of Species. Since its publication, the amount of evidence for evolution has increased dramatically. What are the four main categories of evidence for evolution? What are some of the examples discussed in the tutorial in each of these categories?

Can you find other examples of evolution online? If you search outside course materials for more examples, you must include the URL of the website you use so that others can look at the source and evaluate it. The internet is super awesome but there is a ton of complete and total nonsense out there. Be careful when looking up information and make sure you are getting it from reputable sources. Choose only high quality, reliable websites. Do NOT use sites like Wikipedia, About.com, listverse, and other sites that can be edited by the public or are simply copying information from original sources. Make some effort to find more reputable sources for academic work. Include any URLs you use.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate websites for their credibility:

Authority -- what are the author's experience, credentials, or affiliations?  What are their affiliations?  look for sources with named authors who have the experience and knowledge

Credibility -- where is the author getting their information?  Do they list their sources?

Audience/Purpose -- is the author speaking to a particular audience?  Do they have a particular perspective, or agenda?  Are they trying to sell you something?

Currency -- does the website have a date?  Is it maintained and updated?

PROMPT 6 (http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/origin-species-beak-finch)

The Galapagos finches are one of the most famous examples of evolution, particularly the phenomenon of adaptive radiation, from Darwin's work. What is adaptive radiation? How do the finches illustrate this? What other examples of adaptive radiation can you find online?

If you search outside course materials for more examples, you must include the URL of the website you use so that others can look at the source and evaluate it. The internet is super awesome but there is a ton of complete and total nonsense out there. Be careful when looking up information and make sure you are getting it from reputable sources. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate websites for their credibility:

Authority -- what are the author's experience, credentials, or affiliations?  What are their affiliations?  look for sources with named authors who have the experience and knowledge

Credibility -- where is the author getting their information?  Do they list their sources?

Audience/Purpose -- is the author speaking to a particular audience?  Do they have a particular perspective, or agenda?  Are they trying to sell you something?

Currency -- does the website have a date?  Is it maintained and updated?

PROMPT 7 http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/default.htm

Darwin suggested that evolution is such a slow, gradual process that it cannot be observed directly in the lifetime of a single human being. Since Darwin's time, researchers have clearly demonstrated that evolution can be observed, as discussed in Weiner. What examples of evolution in action does Weiner highlight? How do they clearly demonstrate evolution occurring? What other examples of evolution in action can you find online?

If you search outside course materials for more examples, you must include the URL of the website you use so that others can look at the source and evaluate it. The internet is super awesome but there is a ton of complete and total nonsense out there. Be careful when looking up information and make sure you are getting it from reputable sources. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate websites for their credibility:

Authority -- what are the author's experience, credentials, or affiliations?  What are their affiliations?  look for sources with named authors who have the experience and knowledge

Credibility -- where is the author getting their information?  Do they list their sources?

Audience/Purpose -- is the author speaking to a particular audience?  Do they have a particular perspective, or agenda?  Are they trying to sell you something?

Currency -- does the website have a date?  Is it maintained and updated?

PROMPT 8

Protein synthesis is the most fundamental function of life and proteins perform most of the essential functions in our bodies. Using reliable websites, find information about different proteins and describe their functions. You might also consider looking for examples when the wrong protein is manufactured as a result of a genetic mutation. Include the URL for any sites you use.

Things to consider with websites:

Authority -- what are the author's experience, credentials, or affiliations?  What are their affiliations?  look for sources with named authors who have the experience and knowledge

Credibility -- where is the author getting their information?  Do they list their sources?

Audience/Purpose -- is the author speaking to a particular audience?  Do they have a particular perspective, or agenda?  Are they trying to sell you something?

Currency -- does the website have a date?  Is it maintained and updated?