So for the other author's event that we had to go to I chose to go to Wendy Sumner-Winter's reading at Otherlands. All I can say was that the readings were very interesting. The topics were interesting as well. As I sat there listening to the readers there were a couple of things that I noticed. I noticed that the surrounding in which the readings were being done was very relaxed. It was very interesting. Before the readings started I walked around the coffee shope and just looked at all of the pictures and the things that were posted up on the walls. It was all very interesting. I believe that I saw an old ATM machine and by that was a bulletin board that had all kinds of things posted on it. It had everything from things that people were selling to missing pets. When the readings started I noticed that there was a guy walking outside, down the street with a guitar. It was kind of random and made me laugh inside my head. When the readings were over I was pretty impressed, I am not even going to lie. That night was an overall good night as well.

I went to Elizabeth Spencer's reading and I enjoyed it. She is an older writer and I never would have never thought that she would sound like she did. As soon as she opened her mouth and spoke I heard her southern voice prevail. It was a true southern voice. I did not expect it to be like that. I have heard southern voices, I mean I have grown up all around it, but hers was one that I had never really heard unless it was in a movie or something like that. I soon got over her beautiful southern voice and I enjoyed the story that she read out of her book. It talked about a period in her childhood. The chapter talked about her hometown and how she would make trips to Memphis in order to go shopping with some ladies in her town. I am really glad that I went to her reading because I enjoyed it more than what I thought I would. After she read out of her book she talked about all the places that she had lived and been. She told us how certain places where home to here or felt like home. She seems like she has had a good life. I think that it would be neat if I could actually get to sit down and talk to her because of all of the things that she has seen and what all she has gone through. That conversation would be a very interesting one, I do believe.

What if Tennessee did not get hit so hard with these storms this past weekend? Well if Tennessee did not get hit with these storms then parts of the state would not be flooded like they are. I never thought that we would see floods like that its amazing what all happened with these storms. For instance, I could not believe that the Opryland hotel and the mall in Nashville got flooded. I never really thought about floods being so destructive here in Tennessee. I never would have thought that the interstate would get so flooded either. It amazed me to hear and see pictures of all of these areas. Who would have thought that the interstate would get so flooded in parts that people would not be able to travel on it. Although all o this destruction took place I saw that some kids took the flood in a different way. They made their own fun, but their fun kind of got them into a little bit of trouble. The kids had taken a knee board or a wake board and hooked it up to the back of SUV and pulled each other through the water. As soon as the kids had stopped, after the first person or first few people went, cops were telling them to get out of the car and to stop. It looked like the cops restrained two of them . They set the kids down and i guess talked to them and called their parents. I really don't know what happened after they sat the kids down because the video stopped. Even though the floods were destructive some people had their fun in them.

What if we did not have to do all of these what if blogs? I think that these blogs are good for us. The blogs give us a way to vent a way to think about what could be or what it would be like in certain scenarios. Think about it, would you have thought about some of the things that you have written these blogs on. Personally, I think that we would not have thought about any of these things. It gives us a way back into our childhood to say what if we could fly, or what if we could breathe under water. It brings forth our imagination, that otherwise might have laid dormant for who know how long. I am amazed at some of the things that I have come up with to talk about on these blogs. Some of these things I have thought about before and others I really have not given that much thought to. It has helped me to appreciate everything more than what I already have. It has made me think off of imagination somewhat, which is something that science majors should be doing. That is one of the ways that we advance as people. That is how we have come up with laws and theories about everything. The only thing is that I have exhausted all of my thoughts on the blogs. It is getting harder and harder to come up and think about these what if blogs. They can get exhausting and I think that they can be time consuming especially if someone gets writers block they can't think of anything else to say. I think that these blogs have helped us grow as students though.

What if humans had no sense of caring or emotional feeling? What if everyone were so cold in their thought and their emotions towards other people? What would the world be like if everyone were like this? I think that if people did not have emotional feeling or a sense of caring then the world would be worse place than it is now. If people are so cold that they do not care for each other then we would not care about the other person at all. We would not care whether they live or die. Emotion drives the human race and it helps us to survive because we look after each other in a way. There would be more crimes and more killing because people just would not care. They would not have a sense of moral. I also think that if people did not care then there would be no law enforcement and we would eventually destroy our own race. We might even destroy the world because of it. It is a sad thing to think about but it would be true. In a way sometimes it seems that way today with all of the terrorist attacks and wars that are going on around the world. Do we really have to fight all the time and is it necessary? I don't think that we really do not have to fight, but if people really are that cold then the people who actually do have a heart need a way to protect themselves. It makes me sick to the stomach to know that people can be this cruel and to think that a whole world with these people. I think that it would be a horrible place to live. Think about it would you like to live in a world like this?

What if paper did not exist? If paper did not exist the world would be in a world of hurt. Think about it paper is really important. It helps us to record history, write down music, write letters and notes, and last but not least it allows us to be able to write papers, those things that we all hate. Without paper the world would not be as advanced as it is because the human race could get nowhere, we could not advance. We would not be able to advance due to the fact that we would have nothing to work off of or to advance from. We would not have all of the stories that we have, we would not know any of the major writers at all nor would we know any of their works because they would not exist. Without paper we might as well go back to the stone age. We would not have any of the modern technology that we have today. We also would not have any of the educational tools that we have today. Without these tools school would be useless, we would not be educated and the world would get nowhere. I never really thought of paper being as important as it is. It seems that paper is one of the most important things that the human race has despite the fact that we hate writing papers, or at least I hate writing papers. I think that people do not think about these simple necessities that we use in our everyday life as important. I think that they need to realize it and be appreciative of it. Why can't humans appreciate these little things in life. I know that I have learned to start to appreciate all of the little things that this life has to offer.

What if humans could breathe under water without breathing apparatuses such as oxygen tanks? To me this would be neat. I love the water and I have been around it all of my life. If we could breathe under water, we might place colonies or cities under water. It would be pretty awesome and we would not ever have to worry about drowning because we could take the oxygen from the water. I guess it would be kind of like having gills but not really noticeable. We might be able to find new discoveries. That is if the body could withstand all of the pressure that is put upon it by the water. I think that this would be amazing and that we could learn so much about the the waters of the earth. I think that if this were possible then humans would be attacked more by sharks and other lifeforms the waters. We could learn a lot more about the animals that we already know about as well. Like I said earlier I think that this would be really cool and I also think that we could benefit a great deal from this. I guess you could look at these types of humans as being mermaids or mermen.

What if music never made its way into this world? I think that if music would not have made its way into this world then there would be a lot of lost people. I know that I thrive off of music and how it makes me feel. I think that I would not have made it this far if it were not for music. It has had such a big impact on my life. It lets me express myself without having to use words of my own. People do not realize how much music affects everyone and people take music for granted. I don't understand why people do not see this. I think that people, unless they are musicians or some type of arts person, don't really understand what music does. They don't understand that music has the power to move. It can bring about emotions that might not ever be seen from some people because the music can bring memories back to that person. I don't think that anyone could ever fully understand the affects that music has on humans and their emotions. We can try to understand it but there is always going to be some type of mystery surrounding it. Music is one of the things that has always been around and I honestly think that people do not take it for what its worth. I know that music has brought tears to my eyes and it has even dried tears. I think that music should always be promoted and advanced whether people really appreciate it or not. Music is a way for me to escape to a happy place as well. I do not know what it is that makes music so powerful. It is awe inspiring and amazing in every way. I think that music is one of the most important things in this world. There is just something about it, something about the ringing of chords, the harmony of instruments and voices as well as the emotion put behind it all.

What if humans were made of sugar? How would everyone react to this and what would people have to do in order to stay alive? I think that if people were made of sugar then, life would be a lot harder to maintain. People would not be able to go out in the rain. Also how would humans consume drinks. If the people did go outside while it was raining or consume some type of drink then they would just melt. It's kind of a ludicrous thought but its interesting to think about. People should be made up of sugar because the human race consumes so much of it that the consumption of this sugar is unhealthy. I remember reading a story about people that were made out of sugar when I was in the sixth grade. In the story the people never went outside when it rained and nobody understood why until one day water had splashed onto one of them. They dissolved and that was how the story ended. Looking back and thinking about that story, I wonder how hard it must have been for those people not being able to go outside when it rained or even to get wet. How much water would these people be able to take before they died? I don't remember that much about the story that I read, but it was an interesting story because now I am wondering about this story that I had forgotten about. It makes me wonder what the author was thinking when they wrote the story. Why did they pick such a wierd topic? Were they thinking like I am, I do not know but the story was interesting.

What if the world stopped spinning? What would it be like? First of all if the world stopped spinning then half of the world would be completely dark for about six months and the other half would be submerged in an endless array of sunlight. I think that for that period of time that the world is dark, the people living there would be kind of depressed or not as happy. I say this because I know that I am happier when the sun is shining and that I am apt to be not as happy when I am sitting in the dark. Also it would be hard for plants to grow on this side of the earth because sunlight is one of the most important things that plants need in order to survive. It makes me wonder if earth would eventually end up without any plants or would the plants just bloom when the sun comes out. If the plants eventually all died then everything would eventually die off. Everything most likely either die from lack of oxygen or from starvation because pretty much everything lives off of plants. I could not even imagine a world that has no plants. The beauty would be taken away from earth. People do not realize or appreciate nature. They look past all of the beauty that this planet has and do not realize how important these plants are for us. I know that I have always appreciated nature and I just wish that people would open up there eyes and appreciate it for what it's worth as well. I also wish that people would learn to appreciate life in all forms. If people would just realize these things the world would be a better place and the planet would survive a lot longer.

What if guns did not exist? What would this world be like? I think that if guns did not exist then the world would be a completely different place. There would be more people alive because of there would not be any gun accidents, mishaps, or gun crimes. Why should people use guns all the time, it just shows that people are very violent in nature. Although I am not against guns, sometimes I wish that they did not exist because of all the accidents that pertain to guns. People play around with the guns as if they were toys, but in reality they can be tools of peace or destruction. It just amazes me how people do not take guns serious. It also amazes me to how people do not check to make sure the guns are unloaded before cleaning them. I know that I was always told not to play around with guns. I have also been told to not point a gun at anyone unless it is for protection. It amazes me that there are so many accidental deaths due to guns every year. Why can't the human race learn to take all of these precautions seriously. I think that people take these precautions way to lightly and that is why we have so many accidental deaths from guns every year. I also think that people should open up their eyes and see what this world is coming to because right now everyone is blind unless they lose someone that is close to them due to an accident with a gun. It just makes no sense. Are humans really that cold, or heartless, that they don't care about other people. Personally, I think that people should cherish every moment that they have with someone and just care for each other because you never know what will happen. My last words on this topic are to love the ones you cherish while they are still here.

What if books did not exist? What would this would be like and what would the future be like? Books are a main component of education and without books the human race would not have been able to advance the way we have. They are key to so many things; they have been used for pleasure, educational tools, and recording history. Without books people would be illiterate and they would not be educated. They especially would not be able to write. People would not be able to write because writing would not be needed. In order for people to write, people would need to know how to read. This contributes to the educational part because without books being it would be hard for teachers to teach and it would be hard for people to learn. History would be flawed because the stories would change frequently. The reason that these stories would change is due to the fact that the history was not recorded. People do not realize how important books really are. They have so much information in them and benefit everyone that reads them. If it were not for books then the world would not be as advanced as it is. We would be living in the stone age and would not know that much about anything.

What if aliens existed?

What if aliens really existed? I have always asked myself this question and I always come up with the same answers. I always think about what the aliens would look like and what the world would be like if they really did exist. I also think about whether or not if the aliens would be friends or foes, and are they more advanced than the human race? I believe that if they really did exist and we knew about it the world would be completely different. I think that if they were more advanced than the human race and the aliens were friendly then we could benefit from them completely. On the other hand if the aliens were hostile with us then they could hinder the human race's advancement. They could do this in several different ways. They could declare a state of war against the human race and take over the world. Hopefully if they do exist then they are not hostile towards the human race but then again the human race is a very domineering race, always wanting power and control. Thinking about all of this makes you wonder if the movies descriptions are true or not. It spikes your imagination and then you start to think about what they really would be like. Would they really be flying in flying saucers or disks. It also makes you wonder if they really do exist or are they just a figment of the imagination. As big as the universe is there is that slight possibility that they might actually exist, but then again who knows. I know that I don't and there is that possibility that we may never know because the universe is so massive. It would take us way too long to even begin to get out of our solar system unless we made some remarkable, innovating, and groundbreaking discoveries or inventions.

What if the sun exploded.

What if the sun exploded, and what would happen to the earth and the human race if this happened? It is a scary thought but if the sun were to explode what would the human race do and what would be the outcome of this catastrophic event. I believe that if this were to happen then there would be a great deal of panic, that is if anything or anyone survived the explosion. If the sun were to explode that would probably be the end of the earth and everything else that is known in our solar system. The sun would explode probably destroying everything that is close to it. If the sun would not blow up everything with it then the planets would be engulfed in a cloud of darkness forever and the planets also would not be held together by the gravitational forces that holds them together. There is also the possibility that the planets could be sucked into a black hole. I believe that if this were to happen then the human race would go extinct. If we were not destroyed completely by the explosion then the people and all the other living things would die off from freezing, starving, or suffocating. All of these ways are linked to each other because if sun exploded then the planet would freeze over and all of the plants would die. Over a period of time all of the food sources would deplete leaving everyone to start to death, that is if everyone does not suffocate before dying of starvation because no plants would mean that there would not be any oxygen as well. Another possibility is that everyone would just go crazy and start blowing everything up. Hopefully this will not happen in our lifetime because that would be an absolute horrible way to end the world.

What if refrigerators did not exist?

You never think about how life would be like if we did not have some of the most basic appliances that we have today. One of these appliances is the refrigerator, but what if this appliance was never invented? What would life be like and what would the people's reaction be if all of the refrigerators just stopped working? If refrigerators did not exist then people would find other ways to preserve their food like they used to. People would still be using ice boxes and salts in order to preserve their food. Today we do not think about these appliances like that because we use them every day. I think that people would not know how to react to the situation today if all the refrigerators just stopped working completely. I think that there would be food wasted everywhere because it is produced in such a massive quantity making all of the grocery stores lose money. The more modernized people would not know exactly how to do everything like the people used to have to do. I think that modern people might possibly have a hard time with this concept because it is not what they are used to doing. I know that I would not know how to preserve my food without a refrigerator or an ice box. I would be losing some food and some money because of this and I would have to actually cook the food when I got it. Refrigerators have become a necessity but at the same time they could and can be replaced with ice boxes in order to accomplish the same thing that the refrigerator does, keeping the food cool and preserving it as long as the ice is there. We would not be able to store as much food in it though. I think that it would be good for us but at the same time it would be bad.

Reflection: The Periodic Table

I thought that the book was very interesting. I found it interesting how Primo Levi linked named his chapters as elements and linked them to his life. For instance he named one of his chapters nickel because he worked in a nickel mine and so he told the story of how he worked in the mine. To be quite honest I never thought that a book that contained the name the Periodic Table would be such a good book. I never thought that I would have liked it as much as I did. It still amazes me. I liked how he described some of his first lab encounters. Like when he took the match and lit it to test to see if the gas in the jar was really hydrogen or if it were chlorine gas. It kind of made me laugh because that was not the brightest idea, but then again he did prove his point.

What if the Civil War did not happen?

What if the civil war didn't happen? What if we still had slaves? This puts a different toll on everyone's life. In the south mainly, the confederacy would still exist. The south would not be part of the United States of America. Instead we would be called the Confederate States of America. Things would run the way they should have kept running until the Civil War happened. Slaves and plantations would still be the main focus of the South. I think that the South would be a lot different, and we could go back to being the "True South." Where dirt roads, farms, animals, tractors, and big trucks ruled. Life was as simple as piece of pie. Also, taxes would be a lot different. Since the Civil War was mainly over taxes and slavery was a side note, we would be affected differently with our money. Maybe, our country would not be in so much debt. Maybe people with rude attitudes would not be walking around thinking that the world owes them something. Maybe our social class system that we have would be structured differently. We would have two totally different sets of our class system; we would have the white class system and the colored class system. We would have separated schools. Along with schools being separated the bathrooms and public places would also be separated. All public offices would be completely segregated. Diversity would not exist in the South. However, I do believe the equal but separate clause would still be in effect. Though the South did not completely obey the equal but separate clause, I still believe that some kind of clause would exist in today's "Confederate States of America." If the Confederacy wanted cooperation from all races, something still would have had to change. However and ultimately, President Barack Obama would not be president, at least in the Confederate States of America.

What if flying cars existed?

What if flying cars existed and what would it be like to see all of the cars in the sky instead of on the ground? I have always dreamed of flying cars, actually I have always dreamed of being able to fly, and how cool it would be to be able to fly above the earth to go wherever you want in a short period of time. I also wonder what they would look like. Would they or would they not have wings? Would they look more like planes than cars? I personally think that it would be awesome to have flying cars, but how would the test for getting the license be. Would you have to take a written and an actual flying test or not. Would the airspace be crowded and the ground be free. I think that if flying cars really did exist I would probably stay on the ground because of the fact that the traffic in the air could be bad and what not. Also traveling on the ground could become faster because of this air traffic. It kind of makes you wonder what would happen if there really were flying cars and whether and how long it would take for this form of transportation to become affordable. Would the people flying these cars be called pilots or would they still be called drivers? It is the little things that make you wonder the most. Like who would be eligible to drive or fly these machines. Looking to the future I do not know how the whole idea of flying cars would be achieved. It kind of scares me to think of this because the all the crazy people in the world. I think that this would make it easier for people to get away with things as well.

What if flying cars existed?

What if flying cars existed and what would it be like to see all of the cars in the sky instead of on the ground? I have always dreamed of flying cars, actually I have always dreamed of being able to fly, and how cool it would be to be able to fly above the earth to go wherever you want in a short period of time. I also wonder what they would look like. Would they or would they not have wings? Would they look more like planes than cars? I personally think that it would be awesome to have flying cars, but how would the test for getting the license be. Would you have to take a written and an actual flying test or not. Would the airspace be crowded and the ground be free. I think that if flying cars really did exist I would probably stay on the ground because of the fact that the traffic in the air could be bad and what not. Also traveling on the ground could become faster because of this air traffic. It kind of makes you wonder what would happen if there really were flying cars and whether and how long it would take for this form of transportation to become affordable. Would the people flying these cars be called pilots or would they still be called drivers? It is the little things that make you wonder the most. Like who would be eligible to drive or fly these machines. Looking to the future I do not know how the whole idea of flying cars would be achieved. It kind of scares me to think of this because the all the crazy people in the world. I think that this would make it easier for people to get away with things as well.

What if flying cars existed?

What if flying cars existed and what would it be like to see all of the cars in the sky instead of on the ground? I have always dreamed of flying cars, actually I have always dreamed of being able to fly, and how cool it would be to be able to fly above the earth to go wherever you want in a short period of time. I also wonder what they would look like. Would they or would they not have wings? Would they look more like planes than cars? I personally think that it would be awesome to have flying cars, but how would the test for getting the license be. Would you have to take a written and an actual flying test or not. Would the airspace be crowded and the ground be free. I think that if flying cars really did exist I would probably stay on the ground because of the fact that the traffic in the air could be bad and what not. Also traveling on the ground could become faster because of this air traffic. It kind of makes you wonder what would happen if there really were flying cars and whether and how long it would take for this form of transportation to become affordable. Would the people flying these cars be called pilots or would they still be called drivers? It is the little things that make you wonder the most. Like who would be eligible to drive or fly these machines. Looking to the future I do not know how the whole idea of flying cars would be achieved. It kind of scares me to think of this because the all the crazy people in the world. I think that this would make it easier for people to get away with things as well.

What if flying cars existed?

What if flying cars existed and what would it be like to see all of the cars in the sky instead of on the ground? I have always dreamed of flying cars, actually I have always dreamed of being able to fly, and how cool it would be to be able to fly above the earth to go wherever you want in a short period of time. I also wonder what they would look like. Would they or would they not have wings? Would they look more like planes than cars? I personally think that it would be awesome to have flying cars, but how would the test for getting the license be. Would you have to take a written and an actual flying test or not. Would the airspace be crowded and the ground be free. I think that if flying cars really did exist I would probably stay on the ground because of the fact that the traffic in the air could be bad and what not. Also traveling on the ground could become faster because of this air traffic. It kind of makes you wonder what would happen if there really were flying cars and whether and how long it would take for this form of transportation to become affordable. Would the people flying these cars be called pilots or would they still be called drivers? It is the little things that make you wonder the most. Like who would be eligible to drive or fly these machines. Looking to the future I do not know how the whole idea of flying cars would be achieved. It kind of scares me to think of this because the all the crazy people in the world. I think that this would make it easier for people to get away with things as well.

What if flying cars existed?

What if flying cars existed and what would it be like to see all of the cars in the sky instead of on the ground? I have always dreamed of flying cars, actually I have always dreamed of being able to fly, and how cool it would be to be able to fly above the earth to go wherever you want in a short period of time. I also wonder what they would look like. Would they or would they not have wings? Would they look more like planes than cars? I personally think that it would be awesome to have flying cars, but how would the test for getting the license be. Would you have to take a written and an actual flying test or not. Would the airspace be crowded and the ground be free. I think that if flying cars really did exist I would probably stay on the ground because of the fact that the traffic in the air could be bad and what not. Also traveling on the ground could become faster because of this air traffic. It kind of makes you wonder what would happen if there really were flying cars and whether and how long it would take for this form of transportation to become affordable. Would the people flying these cars be called pilots or would they still be called drivers? It is the little things that make you wonder the most. Like who would be eligible to drive or fly these machines. Looking to the future I do not know how the whole idea of flying cars would be achieved. It kind of scares me to think of this because the all the crazy people in the world. I think that this would make it easier for people to get away with things as well.

Hot Zone reflection

The Hot Zone has opened my eyes up to a whole new world. A world that I did not even know existed. I never knew about the Ebola virus or understood it until I read the book. As I read the book it described several cases of the Ebola virus breaking out. These cases were described very well and to an extent that could frighten the reader. The book made me aware of the virus and the different strands of it. This virus is a level four biohazard, which means that the virus is very dangerous. It has to be handled with extreme care. The scientists that handle the virus have to wear space suits in order to do their research. This is to keep the scientist from contracting the virus and dying. If the person does catch the virus then they will more than likely die a horrific death. The virus starts off by giving the patient a headache. As the virus progresses to the next stage the person will bleed from the nose. Eventually the body pretty much decomposes while the person is living. The internal organs begin to fill with blood and start to turn to liquid. This would be a horrible way to die. It makes me think, what if the virus got out and started to spread in a major city? Could this virus thin the human population by a significant amount or could it wipe humans out all together if given the chance? It could be a possibility because it is so deadly. This virus is very deadly to primates and can even jump species so it does make me wonder all of these things. I think that the book really did open my eyes up to the virus because before I read the book I did not know what the Ebola virus was. I believe that this book could strike some fear into people and make them more cautious.

What If Time Travel Were Real (1)

What if time travel were real? What would we do? Would mankind change history or would we just leave everything the way it is? Personally I think that time travel would be really cool but at the same time I think that it could be very bad for mankind as well. It is cool because we could actually go back in time and study the time era. It would make it easier for man to study certain time periods that we do not have that much information about. We could learn more about the Neanderthals and other humans that were prominent in that time. We could also confirm evolution theories by going back in time and tracking the specimen in order to see if and what they evolve into. All of these things would greatly enhance the knowledge of humans. Although time travel could possibly be good it could also be potentially bad. Going back in time could possibly change the future. The future could be changed for good or worse but it would be hard to tell. It would be bad to go back in time to change one thing and the result turned that the United States does not exist anymore. I think that changing one little thing could really thwart history. I say this because if something is changed and that event were significant to one person then that could affect their whole life, changing their thoughts and their life in general. I think that even if there were such thing as time travel that it would be best not to even go back in time even though we could learn a great deal about a lot of things. Time travel would interfere with the natural flow of life and I believe that this natural flow should not be interfered with.