Influenza!

Based on what we covered in lecture, your text, and after reading through the resources in BB on Influenza (In the Lectures section) post your comments on at least two of the following questions regarding Avian flu H5N1:
1. What is the source of this flu?
2. What is the relationship betwAeen birds, pig, humans and the flu?
3. How might an outbreak today compare with the1918 outbreak?
4. What would some of the consequences be of a pandemic today?
5. What is being done in light of the possibility of a pandemic?

Current situation with Avian flu outbreak
Reflect on the following:
1. Do you think there will be a major flu pandemic in the next few years?
2. How do we balance individual rights versus public welfare?

Craig Venter, the sea, genomics, and microbes

TED videos....a small nonprofit group produces videos based on the theme "Ideas worth spreading". In this video Craig Venter (remember from our History of Micro? Human Genome, cruising the oceans for genes?) talks about the genomic data they are collecting from the oceans. Watch the video and then comment:

What was the most interesting thing you learned?
What does he hope to accomplish with this research?
What is the significance of microbes on earth and in the sea?
What are transposons?
What is synthetic DNA and what is Venter proposing?

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/craig_venter_on_dna_and_the_sea.html

Follow the blog and comments via Google

Here's the tip of the week: If you want an easy way to follow the blog, click on the "Follow" icon in the upper right corner. All new blog posts will then appear in your gmail account. You don't have to go directly to the blog! Even better, if you want to follow the comments for each blog, click on subscribe at the bottom of the post next to the comment icons. Voila! All comments will be sent to your gmail. This allows you to know when others have posted comments, and you can keep track of your comments and others. Also, you can easily find a comment you might want to read again without going through each blog and comment. Highly recommend!

Next up, I'll be posting the graph of Semmelweis's data and giving you the final story of what was happening in that Vienna hospital.

Survey Monkey Results

Here are the results from our Web 2.0 Surveymonkey:
To date there are 94% response (remember, it was required!); 45 students. 91% of respondents said they were not familiar with Web 2.0 tools or the term Web 2.0. 36% said they read online newspapers and magazines; 27% had followed a blog; 31% had a blog at some point. 36% had made a video and uploaded it to youtube. The following chart shows responses to a query about their knowledge and use of specific tools:


Never heard of it. Heard of it, but never used it. Used it once or twice. Use it frequently. Response
Count
Google Docs 57.8% (26) 31.1% (14) 6.7% (3) 4.4% (2) 45
Google Reader 57.8% (26) 26.7% (12) 13.3% (6) 2.2% (1) 45
Feedly 93.3% (42) 6.7% (3) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 45
Diigo 95.6% (43) 2.2% (1) 2.2% (1) 0.0% (0) 45
Delicious 97.8% (44) 2.2% (1) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 45
Twitter 0.0% (0) 60.0% (27) 26.7% (12) 13.3% (6) 45
RSS feeds 60.0% (27) 33.3% (15) 6.7% (3) 0.0% (0) 45
Facebook 0.0% (0) 6.7% (3) 15.6% (7) 77.8% (35) 45
Glogster 93.3% (42) 6.7% (3) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 45
Flickr, snapfish, etc. 20.0% (9) 46.7% (21) 24.4% (11) 8.9% (4) 45
wikis 57.8% (26) 22.2% (10) 15.6% (7) 4.4% (2) 45
Voicethread 95.6% (43) 4.4% (2) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 45
Prezi 97.8% (44) 2.2% (1) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 45
Wordle or Tagxedo 93.2% (41) 6.8% (3) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 44


Hmmm, another challenge...to work on formatting and tables...never ends! Are you surprised by these results? We'll learn a few of these during the term starting with a simple graphing tool: Create a Graph.