A DNA test is done to get vital facts or information about a crime, to prove the innocence and guilt of someone or trace family ancestry. DNA is used in paternity testing and genetic testing as well.
Lets cover how DNA is useful across different strata.
DNA and Forensic Science
In forensic science, DNA fingerprinting is used widely. It is used to find the match of the suspect of a crime using the sample of semen, saliva, blood, hair etc. There are different methods to do DNA fingerprinting. These methods are amplified fragment length polymorphism (AmpFLP), short tandem repeats (STR), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RFLP analysis. DNA fingerprinting also helps to understand the pattern of human beings from the pre historic times.
DNA and Paternity Test
The DNA paternity test is done to prove whether a child is the daughter or son of a person by making a comparison of the DNA of both the parents. There are different companies that provide services for paternity testing. Generally, there are three kinds of testing companies that offer the test. The first kind are those companies which specialize in testing and have their own testing lab to perform the test. In the second category, there are those companies that provide service of others like a broker. In the third category, there are laboratories which perform the paternity test as a side job.
DNA and Genetic Disorders
These days, genetic testing are done using DNA analysis to test for various illness, diseases, ancestry and many other things. Genetic test is the DNA analysis from the human body. In our DNA, there are various strands of code relating to hair color, height, eye color and of other related parts. It also consists of information related with illness and disease. Genetic tests can be performed before or after birth. In case of a genetic test before birth, the doctor takes some fluid from the mother’s fetus or do a CVS to have material from placenta containing the genetic information. For genetic testing after birth, this is done using blood sample or by taking swab from the inside of the cheek. Some segments of the DNA do not change and it passes from generation to generation. This helps in paternity testing and also to determine earlier ancestry.
DNA testing centers
There are different DNA testing centers that provide testing information. They provide DNA analysis and other testing service like DNA banking and paternity testing. Testing centers also provide counselings for biological relationships research. Theses centers process the DNA samples in accredited laboratories and give highly accurate results. Childsafetyaid, GeneTree, Atlanta DNA center Inc. and American testing center of DNA are some of the popular DNA testing centers.
Thus, it can be rightly said that DNA testing and its benefits permeates every strata of life because of its accuracy and clarity.
By: Christian Elm
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Filed under Reference And Education by on Nov 18th, 2010. 
Is it an advantage of a civilization or society to have large numbers of creative geniuses in their population bases? It is often said that when innovation moves too fast, change disrupts the fiber and stability of a nation. Does this mean that we need to curtail innovation or reign in the creative geniuses and visionaries of our time? What does history show us in this regard?
Well sometimes we see leaps in productivity, science and the forward progress of a nation due to creative geniuses, then sometimes we see the destruction of a country at the hands of the unreasonable man. So, one could say it is both an advantage at times to have creative minds by the truck loads and in other past periods it has assisted in the crumbling of the society. It all amounts to change. Enlighten me. Here is a thought:
Too many free-thinkers creates instability, multi-directional conflicts and moves a society towards anarchy, thus too much of an advantage leads complex systems to break down and falter under their own weight, even if it is time to right-size the system and simplify, only to start the entire process again – circular.
If it is seen as a disadvantage to have fast changing innovation to a large degree then a society or civilization eventually loses and the forward progression of mankind stagnates. Rule Maker – Rule Breaker scenarios, Bell Curves of Civilization theory, etc.
What about for the actual creative genius, does being one become a huge advantage or a liability to the individual? Well, as such an individual personally, I do not need an advantage, head start or car lengths to win, although surely prefer no disadvantages, but in the end accept those barriers that lie ahead, that is whether I chose to observe them, go thru them, ignore them or go around them. I believe the strong survive and you do what ever it takes for however long it takes to accomplish the goal. What say you?
By: Lance Winslow
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Read more on Society – Advantages and Disadvantages of Creative Geniuses…
Filed under Reference And Education by on Nov 17th, 2010.
The Roman Army has long been seen as a fascinating and possibly the worlds most well-known military force. Its advanced fighting tactics for the time coupled with superior leadership, armor, and weapons created an army that was able to dominate much of the known world. For the Roman citizens and subjects, the army formed an integral part of the lives and hearts of the people. Government labels such as republic and empire accurate as they may be, do not entirely describe the heart and sole of the Romans. In essence, they remained a military state throughout the life of the empire.
From the early republic to the late empire, the Roman army directly influenced society and balance of power within the empire and out. In this paper, I will discuss in detail why the Roman army was so powerful on and off the battle field and also how it affected the lives and society of the Roman Empire.The Army in the Roman Republic
Since the Early Roman Republic, the army was becoming a major part of the lives of the people. Wars and battles were fought just about every year, and it was common to have rituals to signify the beginning and end of the campaigns for the year. During the time of the republic, the army was solely a citizen army, and all citizens were liable for service (provided they were financially able to own some land) within the considered military age of seventeen to forty-six. Every year a selection process took place called dilectus. All men of military age were required to visit the capitol of Rome for possible recruitment. Citizens with property valued at over 400 Denariia silver coin which was the principle form of payment in the Roman times were liable for service.
When enrolled in military service, the men were required to serve a maximum of sixteen years, but often were only expected to serve six years with a callable period for the remaining ten years. Some went into service only one year at a time, and then would attend the selection process every year until their six years were up. It was not uncommon that all youths who were eligible for military service served in a campaign for a few years during their lives.
By: John R Hilde
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Filed under Reference And Education by on Sep 14th, 2010.
Literacy and adult education goes hand in hand. Due to failures in the public education system, kids are graduating from high school unable to read or find New York City on a map. The school system has put them out in the real world without sufficient skills to manage their own life. These kids seldom pursue literacy and adult education, becoming resigned to menial jobs with no future.
An impoverished and uneducated population is not good for any of us. Being in a state of poverty with no prospects open in the future also leads to these kids getting into drugs and drug dealing. It simply becomes the point of least resistance. Although they know the consequences of getting caught, they get too into this method of making quick, easy money. Many become addicts along the way. Young, uneducated women may get married early, soon having kids to support which only worsens the situation. Others, with diminished self-esteem, fall into prostitution.
The problem with impoverished families is that, lacking functional literacy creates a cycle of poverty that can go on for generations. Divorce rates among young people with these problems is particularly high, when compared with other age groups with a better education. While there are some free adult education programs, if you can’t read, how will you ever know about them? It seems that it would be a smart idea to be proactive about ending this cycle of poverty.
The current public education system has failed these people. However, the current policies virtually punish these individuals. The young woman, now single, with three kids, is given a welfare payment allotment and is chided to get a job. The amount given is insufficient to afford a living, so that person falls further and further into poverty. What is this young woman to do? Some states will pay for day care, but the process takes 3-4 months for approval. If she doesn’t look for work, because she has to watch her children, she is disqualified to receive her welfare payment. The current policies create a catch-22 situation. Which, unfortunately causes some to begin taking some of the other illegal options, requiring neither literacy or adult education.
A more cost-effective and long term solution lies in funding literacy education programs, rather than simply sustaining the person or family in poverty. Aptitude tests might be administered to determine the natural talents of the individual. Everyone has a talent for some productive work. Pay to educate each individual in a skill that allows them to earn a decent living and those welfare rolls would surely shrink. Were a massive and comprehensive literacy and adult education to be made a primary goal, everyone’s taxes would go down, poverty would decrease and the GDP would grow, increasing the overall prosperity of the entire society. The best result would be the number of lives changed forever, as well as the next generation.
Write your congressional representative and let them know you want to actively promote literacy and adult education programs for those who need it, for the ultimate benefit for all.
By: Zara Jones
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Read more on Literacy is Such a Vital Component in Today’s Society…
Filed under Reference And Education by on Sep 9th, 2010.
What does education mean to you? Let’s turn our attention to solving one of the nation’s most important problems, education. Education is one of the most important, if the not the most important foundation that needs to be instilled in today’s children. The fact is that it’s every parents dream to see their children choose and eventually accomplish a higher level of education. Are we being surpassed by other countries, are they quickly becoming the world’s leading authority and provider of higher education?
Its clear that we have a need of higher education. We are in an economy that is based on education, we have doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists and the list goes on. If we can’t hire the workers with the training and skills we require, major companies will find it necessary to move to those countries where the talent resides. To simply state the position simply as possible, we must hire the best work force in the world to stay competitive. We are outsourcing our needs because we don’t have the level of expertise that is required to maintain our own economy.
The need to outsource is only considered as a last resort because we can’t keep up with the rest of the world. Many times we don’t have much of a choice; we need raw materials and advanced technology to compete and that only comes with an advanced education.
So, how do we maintain our education and not sacrifice our economy? First we must develop self discipline and give out teachers the tools needed so they can make a positive impact. We must do more to ensure teachers have the training to teach the subjects they’re presenting with a deeper understanding of the curriculum. The fact remains “the U.S. has the lowest high school graduation rate in the world”. If we are going to compete in a knowledge based economy we must devote more resources to our teachers. Teachers must reflect an increased focus on science and math to better prepare students and allow them to compete on a global based level.
While other countries are graduating scientists and engineers at an impressive rate our students are straying away from these fields. We have many students that are looking for a quick fix. They are not willing to put in the time and effort to really understand the curriculum. I witnessed this first hand when I was in high school and college. Many students that did their homework the night before, no research or real effort was put into their work. I remember many students that had a great memory and were able to retain just enough to get by.
Understanding is the key to success in anything you do, if we complete our work without a thorough understanding; we will not be prepared for higher “University” based education.
Our education level will play a major role, on whether or not our future will succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. If performance and test scores are declining, who needs to step in and take charge? Should it be our parents, our schools, our government, or a combination? The debate and dilemma will continue, until this growing problem is addressed.
By: Dr. Paul Singh Sran
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Read more on America’s Declining Education And Its Impact On Society…
Filed under Reference And Education by on Sep 8th, 2010.
If you are a sociopath it means you do not follow rules of society and it probably means your mind works much different too. In fact it also probably means you have not been brainwashed into the political correctness of the forward progression of society. If so, then why is that a bad thing? Well in many ways it is not.
Yet the word sociopath is often used in a negative way. What is even more interesting is that there is a trend in the United States of many people breaking the political correctness and telling society to stick it when it comes to expected norms of society?
Being a sociopath means you do not follow the rules of society. Many people say that sociopaths are bad? Not so really, well they could be bad if they go around breaking laws and hurting people. But those who buck the trends of political correctness; artists, comedians, actors, writers and musicians are hardly unneeded in society.
In fact we need them very much to prevent our civilization from turning into a socialist beehive. For those whose brains work differently, we should be thanking you all.
Yet society, academia and those who think they are helping society by trying to be professional and then condemn others by using “Sociopath” in a negative connotation are not helping our civilization, as they use this as a tool to control and manipulate independent thinkers into their linear thought process.
And actually well nothing on Earth could be more damaging to the over all society than that. Consider this in 2006.
By: Lance Winslow
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Read more on Being A Sociopath Means You Do Not Follow Rules of Society…
Filed under Reference And Education by on Jul 28th, 2010.
Science is a relatively isolated island in the societal landscape. As every other community, practicing scientists speak a dialect of the common language.
One of the tasks of science (and scientists) is, according to one of the theoretical legacies of Marx, to show that the true nature of things is different that its daily and sometimes (alienated) appearance (The development of Science; an introduction to the philosophy of science – Gerard de Vries).
Marx — the example set out in the book — was in that case a scientist who changed our thought on labor. According to Marx, human labor is exploited by capitalists. To “see” this relation you need to dig under the “apparent” superficial level. Then after economic analysis you observe that the real relation between wage and labor is deviated because of entrepreneurial profit. The cause being that workers need to pay more for a product than the wage they receive when making this (same) product.
Marx changed economic thought, but also society. His influence was paramount. Of course his background and ideology explained the direction of his theoretical thoughts, but his study was credible, based on available information of that time and based on the spirit of the time.
And this is — whether you agree with Marx or not — the way the scientific influence on society should be. Based on hard work, evidence, a vision and credibility. If your point is new, credible, innovative, challenging or otherwise interesting, there will always be someone who will catch the point and bring it to the market. If not — like the recent Pluto discussion — the credibility of science is at stake.
Read more on Science and Society – How Science Changes Our Lives…
Filed under Reference And Education by on Jul 23rd, 2010.
Yesterday I watched
Filed under Reference And Education by on Jul 18th, 2010.
Before I read of Ivan Illich’s death I had started to write a commentary on his contributions and ideas of “Deschooling Society.” I have felt that many homeschoolers and even many Illich fans miss the message he was trying to deliver. Perhaps my own interpretation is enhanced by the numerous opportunities I had to talk with him, hear his lectures, and visit with his “traveling crap game” that met in various universities around the globe. Or it may be that his way of developing an idea was to stimulate the listener’s own thought, rather than to lay an idea out so clearly that every one captured exactly the same message. Now that Ivan has passed on I am driven to make this piece a bit longer than it was originally drafted.
“Deschooling Society” was more about society than about schools. Society needed deschooling because it was a mime of the school system that it engendered and that engendered it. In our current society individuals are expected to work in dull and stultifying jobs for future rewards. This they are trained to do in schools. They go to school so that they can get a job to work for future rewards.
By deschooling illich did not mean taking schooling into the home, nor did he mean “free schools” in which a curricula was set by the students. Schooling of any kind that limited a person’s capacity and desire to self-learn was detrimental to the living a full life by that person.
All life, according to Illich, should be “convivial.” That is it should be lived in joyous collaboration with friends and colleagues. Learning and work alike should be fun and fulfilling. They should be entered into as, and not differentiated from, play and recreation. A society that does not create that kind of convivial learning and living is not living up to, nor fulfilling the potential of, humanity.
In later works, like “Tools for Conviviality,” and “Shadow Work,” Illich developed further the theme of what he meant by living the good life. He took “good” in both of its connotations, — good as moral, and good as a pleasing. “Vernacular” was the word Illich used to express the good life. The vernacular is the simple, the local, the communal. Every human and every community has its own natural concept of the vernacular. It is wrapped up in being a human. It is what a person can do themselves in the place the are at the time it is without dependence of external assistance.
The bicycle was the hardware example Illich often used to exemplify the vernacular. The bicycle extends one’s own capability and efforts for transportation. It needs no massive outside system beyond that its operator’s control. The automobile, on the other hand, is not only a complex apparatus requires a complex outside system, but it also requires more work and effort than it produces in transportation. If you take into account all the hours you spend to buy a car, to purchase gas and tires, to pay taxes for the road, to insure and license it, to clean up its pollution, and pay for all of the other costs your rate of travel is less than that of a bicycle, and that doesn’t count either the hours, the costs, or the frustration spent in traffic jams and accidents.
In “Medical Nemesis” took the same concept to the medical system showing that not only did the medical not cure ills but in created them. In every aspects of our lives conviviality and the vernacular have been overwhelmed and diminished by what Illich called the “disabling professions.” The law professions have increased crime, the professional economists have created scarcity and poverty, the teaching profession has dumbed us down, the farming profession has incrased hunger. With this loss of the vernacular has come the loss of the family and the community. The single goal of humans has become to “make it” in a materialistic global economy.
In his most recent essays Illich has brought his concepts to a fitting climax. An essay “The Cultivation of Conspiracy” in “The Challenge of Ivan Illich” a 2002 book of a collection of essays by many of his colleagues edited by Lee Honacki and Carl Mitcham. This essay discusses friendship. The friendship Illich writes of is not just that of being kind and cooperative to you neighbors. It is a deeper ‘conspiriatio’. As in much of his writing Illich goes to great length to explore the original meaning and related ideas and actions related to the word. “Conspiriatio” is breathing together. But breathing is not merely expelling air. It is about the breath of life — the soul. ‘Conspiriatio’ is the melding of one’s inner being with others. It is best exemplified by the wedding kiss that symbolizes, or more exactly is, the combining of two souls. It is more than the ceremony or the license of marriage. It is above physical love. It is the unifying of two beings. This conspiratio, or welding of souls, (although Illich, a former priest, doesn’t us the word soul) is the root of the vernacular and of the convivial.
This brief extension of Illich’s concepts is meant only to put his book and the idea of deschooling society into context. Homeschooling grew from the ideas of Illich, Holt and others. During the 1970s a few scattered families broke away from government schools and started homeschooling. By 1980 there were some 10,000 to 20,000 such families homeschooling alone. As the numbers grew these scattered home schools started linking up, establishing organizations to provide resources, and to take on special tasks like the legal defence of homeschooling. By 1990 the cells of homeschooler had become a soup and ad hoc linking became normal. “Homeschool support groups” spontaneously self-organized in many communities and on the Internet. By 2000 there was almost no Ameican community that did not have a Homeschool support group.
But, in the practical day to day struggle to homeschool their own children many, if not most, homeschoolers left behind the social idealism of Illich and Holt. Parents who were imbued with the concept of schooling could not really let their children be free to learn whatever the community and nature offered them. They had been guided by their schools and parents and they believed it only natural to be the guides and authorities for their children. They looked to “experts” to provide school texts and curricula. And exchange information with other parents on how to keep their children’s> noses to the books. Their universal cry is for government to “just leave us alone.” They argued that they have “parental rights” to raise their children as they wish.
As homeschooling is becoming accepted by the mainstream it is also looking again at it roots and recognizing that “homeschooling alone” is not enough. Conviviality and the vernacular are arising within the homeschool support groups. The goal of A Coalition for Self-Learning is to bring the concept of deschooling society into real being. We seen this transformation as being necessary for the survival of humanity.
Bill Ellis
By: Bill Ellis
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Filed under Reference And Education by on Jul 7th, 2010.