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        • Astrocytes Expressing ALS-Linked Mutated SOD1 Release Factors Selectively Toxic to Motor Neurons
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        • And Many More...
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    • 2013 Publication

OUR MANIFEST DESTINY IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE

Editor's Note: Reese K. ('18) read a New York Times article on the bristlemouth fish for his chemistry class
The New York Times science synopsis, Fish by the Trillions in the Twilight Zone, explains the phenomenon that is the bristlemouth fish. This fish, which might claim the title of Earth's most populous vertebrate, dwells in the area of the ocean nicknamed the “Twilight Zone.” The “Twilight Zone,” also known to scientists as the Bathypelagic Zone, is the ocean region from 200 meters to 1000 meters in depth; it is graced by meager sunlight and inhabited by fascinating animals. One of these eerie lifeforms is the aforementioned bristlemouth fish, or Gonostomatidae. This one-to-three-inch fish, living in the trillions, appears as tan-to-black in color when not using its ghostly cloaking device. The scientific anomaly surrounding this fish lies in the cloaking device that the bristlemouth uses to disappear from its predators. Practicing counter-illumination, bristlemouths are able to blend in with surrounding light and camouflage themselves from both their predators and their prey.

My personal interest was piqued by this story because of my love and interest for the ocean. The Twilight zone, Midnight zone, Abyssal Zone, and Hadal Zone are all areas within our planet; however, we know less about them than we do about the surface of our moon. As an inhabitant of Earth, a planet taken up by 70% water, I feel that we have a certain obligation and need to not only understand, but protect our oceans. Studying the somewhat magical abilities and traits of the animals living thousands of meters below sea level is unlocking a subsect of biology that scientists are only beginning to understand. The bottom of the ocean is one of Earth's last frontiers. As a person whose childhood was mystified by the exploits of Lewis, Clark, and the Westward Expansion, I feel a certain manifest destiny to encourage, and maybe even take part in, the uncovering of the ocean’s secrets.
​

My personal interest aside, educating and learning about the ocean’s vastness is crucial in our ability to protect it. For example, when the disastrous BP oil spill occurred in 2010, we were only able to understand and counteract the damage caused to the ocean because of our knowledge of it. You cannot cure a disease until you study its symptoms, and the same ideology holds when it comes to protecting all of the ocean’s creatures, from Blue Whales to Gonostomatidae. This protection of our oceans is why studying it is so important, not to mention the possibilities of using the incredible abilities of these amazing animals to further our worlds technology. Like space exploration this oceanic exploration is essential, our resources are running out and we need to put time and thought into resources that aren't going anywhere. The ocean is a perfect example of a “reliable” resource, harnessing the immense power of the tides and water in general has been one of the more promising forms of alternative energy. Understanding how to harness this energy so our world can still function while doing it in away that allows the world of the Gonostomatidae to function as well is essential.

Bibliography:
Broad, William J. "Dark Region of Ocean May Shed Light on Climate Change and Other Issues." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 29 June 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.
"Science News That Stuck With Us in 2015." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.



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  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • HOW TO SUBMIT
  • Past Publications
    • 2019 Publication >
      • Scientific Research
      • Mathematical Exploration
      • Scientific Exploration
      • Computer Science
    • 2018 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Scientific Research
    • 2017 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Scientific Research
    • 2016 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
      • Scientific Research
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Artistic Creations
    • 2015 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Bell Curves
        • Birds Vs. Turbines
        • Energy in the Obama Era
        • The Future of Neuroscience
        • Gender Gap in Math
        • GMOs--Yes or No?
        • The History of Minecraft: How a Swedish Indie Game Came to Dominate the World
        • The Effect of Prozac on the Brain
        • Philae Lander's Discovery of Organic Molecules
        • Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Turbines
        • Your Own Worst Enemy: An Overview of Lupus
        • The Methylhex Ban
        • The Effect of Lyme Disease on the Immune system
        • Infectious Mononucleosis
        • Replacing CFCs
        • The Switch
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • The 43rd Figure
        • The Clock
        • The Collatz Conjecture
        • Constructing a Soccer Ball
        • Determining how Ballparks Affect Batter's Ability to Create Hits
        • The Rotating Conundrum
        • Pythagorean Puzzle
        • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
        • Kinetics Lab
        • Math in the Restaurant Business
        • Math as a Vessel for Social Change
        • Sustainability of Bottled Vs. Tap Water
        • Thoughts on the Lottery
        • Understanding Player Efficiency Rating
      • Scientific Research >
        • Communicating With Computers
        • The Mystery of Asthma
        • The Nanoscopic War Against Cancer
        • Phytochemistry
        • Solving the energy crisis with Intermediate Band Solar Cells
        • A Pain That Never Ends
        • Rapamycin Resistance
        • Ampacity of a Single Core Horizontal Cable
        • Morphological Properties of Texting Acronym Formation
        • cGAS and STING Expression
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Can Humans Survive the Climate Crisis?
        • My Experience as a Teacher's Assistant
        • Ted Talk Responses
        • Teens For Food Justice
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Chandelier
        • Deltoidal Hexacontrahedon
        • Dodecahedron Card Trick
        • Eye of the Triangle
        • Free Radric Delantic Davis
        • The Grid
        • What Does A Randomly Composed Song Sound Like?
        • Science Wing Mural
    • 2014 Publication >
      • Cover Photo
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Art Using the Fibonacci Sequence
        • Computer Generated Architecture and Designs
        • Mathematical Landscape
        • Math Art
        • Math in Music
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Algae Bio-Fuel
        • An Energy Alternative
        • Clean Energy In Transportation
        • Calorie Restriction
        • Creating Energy in the Modern World
        • Dietary Intervention Impact on Gut Microbial Gene Richness
        • Earthly Applications for NASA Technology
        • Explaining Relative Motion
        • Exploring Artificial Inteligence
        • Gamma Function
        • How Leaves Work
        • Hydrogen Fuel Cells
        • Music and Brain Development
        • Programming Calculators
        • The Science of Microsatellites
        • Sci-Fi Taser
        • Sloane's Gap
        • Sustainable Energy: Why Some Ideas Shine Brighter than Others
        • Understanding The Galvanic Cell
        • The Virus: Our Unforeseen Philosopher's Stone
        • What Are Fuel Cells and How Do They Work?
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • Astrocytes Expressing ALS-Linked Mutated SOD1 Release Factors Selectively Toxic to Motor Neurons
        • Big Bang
        • Dictyostelium Discoideum
        • The Future of Solar Cell Technology
        • And Many More...
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Alternative Energy Sources, New but Unused
        • An Insight Into the Curious World of Ethnobotany
        • Challenging What We Think We Know
        • The Current State of American Education
        • Discovering New Numbers
        • Interview With an Architect
        • Life of Pi Response
        • Mathematical Art Video Commentary
        • Missing from Science Class
        • The Museum of Math
        • The Inside Scoop on a Real Mathematician
    • 2013 Publication