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Contrasts or complements of the two articles
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Contrasts or complements of the two articles
The article that I will compare or complement with the assigned article is the one named ‘Ecosystem restructuring along the Great Barrier Reef following mass coral bleaching.’ The article comes from the nature journal. The article complements the assigned one in a way that if elucidates the issue of mass coral bleaching just like the assigned one. The two articles contrast in a way that the first article focuses on mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene while the second one focuses on ecosystem restructuring along the Great Barrier Reef as a result of mass bleaching. Upon reading the two articles, it is evident that coral bleaching takes place when corals are stressed by a modification in environmental conditions. They act in response by purging the interdependent algae that dwell in their tissues and then turn entirely white. The interdependent algae, referred to as zooxanthellae, are photosynthetic and give their host coral nourishment in return for fortification. The second article complements the assigned article in a way that coral bleaching is a common reaction of a coral in stress, and insulated colonies or small spots of bleached coral are not essentially a reason for concern. Both articles emphasize climate change as the leading cause of coral bleaching. A warming planet signifies a warming ocean and an alteration in water temperature—as slight as 2 degrees.
The assigned article contrasts with the second article in a way that it gives information on how coral focuses on anthropogenic climate warming. According to it, coral bleaching occurs when stressful conditions lead to the expulsion of the algal partner from the coral. Before anthropogenic climate warming, such occurrences were somehow not common, allowing for the reef between events (Hughes et al., 2018). The assigned article further asserts that the normal interlude between bleaching events is now not more than half of what was before. Such slight repossession windows do not permit for complete recovery. In addition, warming proceedings, for instance, El Niño, are warmer than previously, as are overall ocean conditions. On the other hand, according to the second article, global warming is significantly altering various coral reef ecological units by an increasing magnitude and frequency of mass bleaching events. How local effects gage up across impacted regions rely on many factors, including interactions between taxa, patchiness in coral mortality, and metabolic impacts of great temperatures on reef-dwelling species populations.
The second article uses data from before and after the 2016 mass bleaching event to assess environmental alterations in corals, mobile invertebrates, fishes, and algae at 186 locations along the complete latitudinal span of the western Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef. On the other hand, in the assigned article, analysis is done on the bleaching records at 100 universally dispersed reef sites from 1980 to 2016 (Stuart et al., 2016). The average reappearance period between pairs of severe bleaching occasions has reduced gradually ever since 1980. The second article complements the assigned one supporting the fact that most corals, like other cnidarians, have symbiotic algae within their gastro dermal cells. In response, the algae generate oxygen and aid the coral to eliminate wastes. Most significantly, they provide the coral with biological products of photosynthesis. Raised seawater temperatures are the leading basis of mass bleaching events. Coral bleaching’s main events have happened between 1979 and 1990, with the connected coral mortality impacting reefs in every part of the universe.
Reference
Hughes, T. P., Anderson, K. D., Connolly, S. R., Heron, S. F., Kerry, J. T., Lough, J. M., … & Wilson, S. K. (2018). Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene. Science, 359(6371), 80-83.
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6371/80
Stuart-Smith, R. D., Brown, C. J., Ceccarelli, D. M., & Edgar, G. J. (2018). Ecosystem restructuring along the Great Barrier Reef following mass coral bleaching. Nature, 560(7716), 92-96.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0359-9
Debating Evolution
Debating Evolution
Studies indicate that 54% of the United States population does not believe humans evolving from earlier species. This is a worrying trend and a challenge to anthropologist educators. United States no believe of evolution theory emanates from an ongoing debate on the better hypothesis between evolution theory and creationism. Creationism is widespread given that unlike the evolution theory, people from both the informal and the formal sector interact with it (William et al 67). On the other hand, evolution theory is difficult to understand for the general public. This has the meaning that only anthropologists, biologists, and other human scientist can comprehend the theory. Having education to the general public could be the remedy that will assist in increasing the number of people that believe in evolution theory (William et al 109). Lack of such a mechanism will lead to a further decrease in Americans that believe in evolution theory.
Trends such as this will lead to the generalization of evolution theory as just another theory. This will lead to lack of societal support of evolution theory. Societal support deficiency will lead to decline in progressing anthropology ideologies. Anthropological ideologies are indispensable in understanding current societies and human beings. Lack of these ideologies will hamper human development research. This will also have an impact on science in general and have a negative impact on technology. It is for such reason that anthropology has to understand the challenge it faces. In accordance, educators will have to teach the public evolution theory and avoid focusing on the existing debate (William et al 156). This will protect anthropology studies in public schools leading to an improving human development research. Societies will nourish will nourish with coexistence with science and technology will thrive.
Work Cited
William, McBride, Walrath, Prins, and Harald. The essence of Anthropology. California: Cengage Learning, 2012.
Contrast and Comparison Between the Sumerian, Homeric and Hindu Religions
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Contrast and Comparison Between the Sumerian, Homeric and Hindu Religions
The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Mahabharata are great epics that represent the Sumerian, Greek, and Hindu cultures and provide a look into the religious practices of these people. The Mahabharata includes useful information on the development of the Hindu religion from 400 BCE to 200 BCE and discusses the influence on Hindu moral law. The Epic of Gilgamesh, on its part, provides an account of superhumans in Enkidu and Gilgamesh who interact with the gods painting a picture of the Sumerian religion in the mind of the reader. The Iliad and The Odyssey, although the former more than the latter, the ritualistic aspects of the Homeric religion are found. In comparing and contrasting these cultures, this paper looks at the ritual practices and other characteristics of the deities in question.
The one common thing between these religions is animal sacrifices. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the two characters Enkidu and Gilgamesh at one point offer the sun god a sacrifice in the form of the heart they have slaughtered from the Bull of Heaven (George). In The Iliad, in an attempt to appease the goddess Artemis, Agamemnon offers his daughter Iphigenia as a sacrifice. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey, offers several animal sacrifices, including sheep, during his time in Hades. The Hindu people also did offer animal sacrifices as indicated by Emperor Bharata horse sacrifice in a ritual referred to as Ashvamedha that was reserved for nobles (Narayan).
There were, however, numerous contracting features and practices between these three religions. The Hindu religion is the only one practiced to date among the three. The Sumerian and Greek religions have, for a long time, been extinct. The former especially eroded with the extinction of the Mesopotamian culture and way of life. Hinduism, which is considered the oldest religion by many scholars, is still a dominant world faith with several divisions. The most of the Hindu branches still worship Brahman as the single deity, although they still pay homage to other gods and goddesses.
Another contrasting aspect of these religions is the role of the supernatural in the lives of the people. In The Odyssey, the people did not rely on the gods for provision or help but rather had the primary purpose of appeasing them and showing respect to avoid attracting their rage (Ready). In the Hindu religion, the various deities have roles beyond protecting the people. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and purity who has the ability to bless with material possession. The Sumerians believed that Enlil, the chief of the gods, looked after the wellbeing of the people.
It is essential to mention that all these religions did not believe in a single deity as it is in most modern religions but rather had triages of heaven. In ancient Mesopotamia, various deities acted as patrons for multiple cities. For example, Uruk had a patron deity in the name of Ishtar, who resided in the city walls and was fed through offerings from the residents (Sazonov). The Greeks had the twelve Olympians who demigods who took care of human affairs, particularly for exceptional people. The Greek gods, similar to Hindu gods, had different roles, and each dealt with a different aspect of the world and society. For the Greeks, especially, no single god was all-powerful.
In conclusion, ancient religions, as depicted in the various respective epics, had quite a lot in common. They did not rely on a single deity and spread their needs across different gods. They had standard practices such as animal sacrifices but differed in the animals they offered, which may be influenced by the animals available to each. Although these they had many gods, they each relied on them for a specific reason and had distinct roles. The Sumerian and Homeric religions now remain as myths, while Hinduism remains widespread in certain parts of the world.
Works Cited
George, Andrew. “The epic of Gilgamesh. A new translation.” (1999).
Narayan, Rasipuram Krishnaswami. The Mahabharata: A shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic. University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Ready, Jonathan L. “Omens and Messages in the Iliad and Odyssey: a Study in Transmission.” Between Orality and Literacy: Communication and Adaptation in Antiquity. BRILL, 2014. 29-55.
Sazonov, Vladimir. “On the Epic of Gilgamesh in Estonian.” Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore 53 (2013): 193-197.