RECORRDING AND SHARING OBSERVATIONS

Describe the nature of the claim made for why everybody needed to do the data collection using identical procedures.

Identical procedures was followed throughout the process of data collection by everybody so as to ensure that the results would also be uniform and that validity would not be compromised as well. To further explain, if the same procedures were not followed then it would be most likely that the results obtained would not be directly comparable. In this sense, since the reliability of the data collected are in part confirmed through similarities between the data collected by other students, such confirmatory purposes would also be compromised if identical procedures were not carried out. Thus, the aforementioned claim, is mainly based upon the purposes of data as a basis of results, conclusions, and comparisons.     As you collected the data and compared observations with classmates, what experiences did you have that provided evidence for the importance of using identical procedures

During the process of comparing the data that I have obtained with those gained by my classmates, the most notable observation that I had was that there was a great similarity among most of the data. In relation to this, there were of course data that significantly differed from what the majority of the students acquired. The presence of similarities and differences is the most important evidence for the significance of using identical procedures. In particular, if the same procedure has not been carried out, it may not be appropriate to assume or to conclude that the data gained by the majority would be considered as correct while those that differ would be regarded as incorrect thus, the overall validity of the data cannot be properly established.

Therefore, following identical procedures is indeed vital if proper comparisons between observations are to be accomplished. Reflect on this process in terms of how your view of scientific information may have changed as a result of this experience, what new question it brings up about how scientific information is accumulated and what new things you have to think about in terms of how science collects and documents information.

Before the experiment and prior to realizing the significance of having multiple and identical procedures in conducting an experiment, I never completely appreciated why science is often regarded as something that is factual. Basically, after having learned of the importance of proper means of confirmation and comparison between observations or findings, I now completely understand that science is indeed a pursuit for valid or factual information that may be tested, repeatedly gained, and confirmed. With such thoughts, questions regarding the significance of challenging properly gained data or observations comes into mind as well, especially in terms of the reasons that one should consider prior to attempting to refute information that have been previously proven to be valid and true through established procedures.   

For more information from what we come up with in class
1.  Use one level scoop of solid.
2.  Measure liquid in 10 ml graduated cylinder   4ml.
3.  Test in the large test tubes.
4.  Mix using the tapping method.
5. Mix for 1 minute.
6.  Use clean glassware   clean between every test with soap and water.   Rinse with distilled water.
7. The solid we answer, and there are more that we will discover later. This answer from all the class.
SolidPhysical AppearanceWater
Clear colorless liquidEthanol
Clear, colorless liquidCyclohexane
clear colorless liquidHCl

Clear colorless liquidTable Salt Grainy white powder S,  liquid clear and colorlessFlores Martis  Chunky mustard yellow powderS, clear yellow liquidS, clear yellow liquid with an orange tint across the top and bottomS, clear orange liquidS, clear light yellow liquidSaltpetre   Table SugarWhite granular powderS, clear colorless liquidI, solid left at the bottom of the test tubeI, solid left at the bottom of the test tubeS, clear colorless liquidHexuronic Acid  Off-white color. Grainy white powder.S, liquid clear and colorless.I, liquid clear and colorless with white solid at the bottomgum benzoin White powder.I, solid floated to the topS, dissolved instantlyI, solid was left at the bottomI, some solid floated to bottom and top

Potentials of Scientific Research

In the recent years, there has been a lot of development in the scientific discipline. There has been a lot of good research that has been done over the years and at the same time there has been not so good researches that has been made. By this I meant that research has been made aimed at production of destructive commodities. As the saying goes, it is easier to destroy than to construct. From this statement, it can be argued that there is no balance in the advancement in science of the research that is good and that which is harmful. (Karmakar, 2009)

For instance, it can be argued that through scientific research, human beings have been able to find cure too many diseases that has been in existence in the past and which had no cure. However, if we look at some diseases that are currently devastating the existence of human being in the world today, they have their origin from scientific research. A good example is the existence of the dangerous viruses such as the Aids and the Ebola viruses. (Karmakar, 2009)

Even though human beings took part in the production of these viruses, they have been unable to completely fight them. Another example is the case of the production of nuclear and biological weapons. Even though human beings have manufactured these weapons, they do not have any other substance that can counteract the effects of these weapons. This means that in case they are used they may destroy even those people who manufactured them.  (Karmakar, 2009)

Even we analyze some of the most fascinating developments in the scientific field they are linked to destruction of the human beings. There has been a lot of development in the stem cell research which had seen the cloning of organism. If this is looked deeply, it will mean that there is no need for human reproduction as they would be easily cloned. This has more negative effect than the positive ones.

In conclusion, this is a clear indication that there exists an imbalance between the science capabilities of curing and that of killing. It is clear that the negative or the killing side of the scientific research has more potential than the curing side. The reason is that the same science sometimes produces substances that are too powerful for it to cure. It has the knowledge of producing and sometimes fails to have the knowledge or the capacity to counter what it has already produced. This means that the killing capacities of the scientific research is even a threat to its curing capacities and to the entire scientific field as it is capable of wiping out the entire human race in the world.

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

Reduction-oxidation also referred to as redox and is defined as all the chemical reactions where by the oxidation numbers of atoms are changed. The term redox has two concepts, the reduction and oxidation concept. Reduction refers to the decrease in the oxidation number while oxidation is the increase in oxidation number. This process is understood well when one recognizes the chemical reaction that leads either increase or decrease in oxidation number of an atom or atoms (Jerome, Peter, 2007). This involves taking note on the rules for passing on oxidation numbers.

Oxidation number is the charge that would be there in an atom if the compound was made of ions. For an example, assuming that CH4 has C4- and H ions, then the oxidation number of the hydrogen and the carbon atoms would be 1 and -4. Howeve,r it does not matter whether these compounds have ions or not since this oxidation number refers to the charge an atom would contain if it was ionic.
To reflect this process chemically, we consider how electrons are transferred by the reductant to the oxidant. Therefore, the redundant that gives the electrons is therefore said to be oxidized while the oxidant gains electrons and is be reduced. The pair of a reducing and oxidizing agent involved in any reaction process is referred as redox pair (Jerome, Peter, 2007).

A good example of this redox reaction is between fluorine and hydrogen
H2  F2  2 HF

This can be broken into two half- reaction process and expressed in the equations below
Reduction reaction is expressed as F2  2 e  2 F.
Oxidation reaction is expressed as H2  2 H  2 e

There is no net alteration in charge in a reduction  oxidation reaction so the surplus electrons in the oxidation reaction must be equivalent to the number of electrons extreme by the reduction reaction. Hydrogen fluoride is formed when ions come together and the equation is expressed below
H2  F2  2 H  2 F  2 HF

Ionic and Covalent Bonding and Compounds

An ionic bond involves transfer of electrons from less electronegative to more electronegative atom and consequent formation of ions (Mascetta, 2003, p. 57). Ions have different properties than their original atoms, and are arranged in a crystalline lattice rather than forming individual molecules in liquid or solid phase. Conversely, covalent and hydrogen bonds are formed by sharing of valence electrons of outer energy shells (Mascetta, 2003, p. 58). Hydrogen bonding is a type of dipole-dipole attraction. High positive charge of hydrogen atom attracts electron pairs of neighboring electronegative atom resulting in dipole formation. Ionic bonds are strongest out of the three and have smallest interatomic distance. Ionic bonded compounds have higher boiling and melting points than hydrogen bonds, which in turn, have higher heats of vaporization and higher boiling and melting points than non-polar covalent bonded molecules (Mascetta, 2003, p. 57-62). Ionic molecules conduct electricity unlike covalent bonded molecules. Electronegativity difference between elements is highest for ionic bonds, followed by hydrogen and then covalent bonds. (Words 153)

Single, Double and Triple Bonds
    
Sharing of one pair of electrons between two atoms produces a single bond, two pairs of electrons a double bond and three electron pairs a triple bond (Mascetta, 2003, p. 62). Double and triple bonds result from four and six bonding electrons respectively, between two atoms. Triple bonds have highest electron density and greatest attractive force between nuclei and shared electrons, followed by double and then single bonds (Mascetta, 2003, p. 62). Triple bonds have shorter interatomic distances and higher bond strengths than double bonds, which in turn are stronger and shorter than single bonds. Bond order is three for triple bonds, two for double bonds and one for single bonds (Mascetta, 2003, p. 62). A single bond includes a sigma bond with electrons along the internuclear axis. Double bond consists of one sigma and one pi bond while a triple bond includes one sigma and two pi bonds. Pi bond electron orbitals overlap in planes perpendicular to sigma bond and to each other. (Words 152)

Ionic and Covalent Compounds

Sodium chloride (NaCl) and Lithium fluoride (LiF) are ionic, and methane (CH4) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) are covalent compounds. The same can be determined in two ways. Firstly, generally compounds between metal and non-metal, such as Li and F or Na and Cl are ionic while compounds between non-metals, such as C and H, or H and Cl are covalent (Bettelheim et al., 2009). Alternatively, electronegativity difference (EN) can facilitate determination of ionic or covalent character. For, NaCl and LiF, EN1.9 implying they are ionic while EN1.9 for HCl and CH4 highlighting their covalent nature (Bettelheim et al., 2009). (Words 91)

Science has been responsible for several of todays miracles from airplanes to the internet it has been responsible for making our lives more comfortable and convenient. Science does have a dark side though, it has also been responsible for making war far more atrocious, it has created weapons which can wipe out humanity in an instant and it has also created drugs such as crystal meth, cocaine and angel dust which degenerates the very humanity of a person as well. No one can say that science hasnt been good for humanity as a whole it drastically changed us as a species and is responsible for bringing us out of the stone age. Science has come to define who we are and we are dependent on it to solve our problems and for our very way of life. Sometimes though the abuse of science can lead to disastrous consequences however should the blame be placed on science itself Or should the blame be on those who wield it

The potential of something for good or bad isnt dependant upon the object itself rather on the will of the person who chooses to use it. Let us use the plant poppy as an example. When allowed to grow naturally in the wild poppies are beautiful flowers that arent harmful in the least however in the hands of the unscrupulous it can be turned into opium which is one the first mind altering the drugs that has causes the degeneration of the human condition due to its addictive properties. The potential of poppy to be used as a mind altering drug that could be sold for profit didnt come into realization on its own rather this particular characteristic was exploited and used by those who wished to get rich. The flower itself isnt to blame for the thousands addicted to it or those that have died due to the addiction rather the blame falls squarely on those that used it for nefarious purposes in the first place.

In the end it isnt science that has to be judged as to whether or not it has more potential for killing or curing rather it has to be humanity itself that has to be judged. Does humanity possess within itself the capacity to go beyond its faults and become a better species or will we continue to get worse and worse Science itself is exempt from classifications of good and bad since it is a tool the fault will always lie with the user. No one has ever blamed a knife instead of a person when a stabbing homicide has occurred why then should we blame science for our own faults.

All individuals possess both imagination and knowledge, knowledge in of itself is the accumulation of persons experiences and is used as a method of reference regarding current and future actions. Knowledge is what we fall back on when we make decisions, it guides out actions based on what we have learned either through personal experiences, the experiences of others or through the various means of education that is out there. Imagination on the other hand is based on our problem solving ability, it was originally meant as a way for us to take what we have learned and fine tune it in such a way that we could solve a problem that we come across. There is an old saying that necessity is the mother of invention that being said in order to bring about an invention to adapt to a necessity an imagination is needed to come up with a solution to solve the problem.

Knowledge in of itself is limited to the fact that it can only be applied. For example knowing that an apple seed will grow into a tree doesnt solve how you can ensure that its growth will go unabated. It takes imagination to take into account the various outside forces that could come into play to prevent or encourage its growth, what possible ways might be used to ensure the positive and reduce the negative and finally the various uses that can be done with the apples once theyve grown from the tree. For example knowledge dictates that apples are edible but knowledge doesnt say that you make a business out of the apples, that you could make apple pies, jams or tarts. That you could possibly become rich by creating an entire forest of apple trees from that one seed and sell all the apples. Only an imagination could give such insight.

Knowledge is the base while imagination is the structure. Knowledge is important in its own right for without it there would be nothing that an active imagination could base itself on. Nothing to say that a seed could grow into a tree, that an apple is edible that water and soil are what it needs to grow. An active imagination is based upon a solid foundation of knowledge. It is not that imagination is more important than knowledge rather for me it is more of a symbiotic relationship where they both need each other. For without imagination knowledge cannot be applied to its fullest extent and without knowledge an imagination has nothing to base itself on. They are indivisible with neither being more important than the other. Its just that people assume an active imagination is better due to it being in the forefront of the mind at all times. We can use a play as an example of the perception of knowledge and imagination. When watching a play you see the actors, dancing, singing, acting doing what actors do best. Let us take them as examples of the imagination. Now the stage, the background, the costumes all the things that make a play truly grand are created by backstage stagehands. Let us use the stagehands as examples of knowledge. The stagehands go unnoticed and are never seen yet they are the ones that truly make a play beautiful, take away all the music, the backgrounds and the costumes and leave the actors to act on an empty stage and you will see a play that is an empty shell of itself. That is effect of knowledge. It applies itself to the actor of our mind that is our imagination. It brings out its creativity, it beauty and its effectiveness. Without it our imagination would be stale and rather empty.
I am sorry to disagree with one of the smartest men of our time but I dont believe an imagination is more important than knowledge rather they are of equal importance, indivisible and inseparable as they should be.

Checking the department of homeland security website of the U.S. government you would see the current threat level is yellow indicating a significant risks of terrorist attacks. Sometimes I believe that the reason we have terrorists attacking us in the first place might be due to the fact that we are unnecessarily interfering in affairs that we had no right interfering in. From Vietnam to the Gulf War to the conflict in Israel itself we have definitely immersed ourselves in numerous international conflicts, spent billions of tax dollars in war expenditures and have lost hundreds of American lives in the process. What we get as a result is an increasing level of paranoia on our very home soil and more problems than when we started out.

Terrorism is used when a specific group or organization wants to incite fear and distress into a populace by use of terror tactics such as the potential for mass murder by way of bombings, chemical warfare or even simply sabotage. The reason methods such as these are used is because terror groups could not possibly confront a country directly since to do so would put them in the direct line of sight of that countrys military and they would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers alone. The likely weapons terrorists would use would probably be homemade bombs. Terrorists work by being in small cells that covertly sneak in the country they want to sow chaos into. They cannot be too obvious about their intent so when they arrive their luggage is usually clean with nothing to indicate about ulterior motives.  Once they are settled they usually go about in trying to obtain the necessary materials necessary to construct a homemade bomb out of the prying eyes of the public. After the said bomb is complete they would then find a target that would cause a lot of civilian deaths, preferably someplace very public that would immediately get the attention of the media. They would head over there and use themselves as human bombs and detonate the bombs while they themselves are strapped to it.

These days it has grown increasing difficult for the government to act against terrorists since before terrorists used to come from outside the country now they seem to be American citizens themselves.
This results in a situation wherein not only must the government guard against outside threats it must guard against its very own citizens as well as potential threats. As a citizen the best possible way of helping the government out would be to report and strange and suspicious movements of individuals in your area. If you are a chemicals supplier report any strange purchases that seem out of place. It may not be much and the Department of Homeland Security does receive a ton of calls like those everyday but it will help in the long run in preventing yourself from becoming a victim as well.

Solar energy is an abundant, free and nearly limitless energy source. It is not limited to a select group of countries, it is free to harvest and no one owns the right to it. The only cost would be the solar panels needed to collect the energy and the appropriate converters to change it from solar energy to mechanical energy and finally to electrical energy which can be used commercially. The only draw back it has is that it cannot be used 24 hours a day since it needs sunlight to work properly.  Taking all of this into consideration one would assume that using solar power would be the best possible choice and would be the most successful. Assumptions though are rarely a good thing and its best to use cold hard facts as such I will prove why solar power has the best chance of success in todays commercial market.

First and foremost there is very little difficulty in harvesting solar energy. All you need are the proper photovoltaic cells to harvest the energy and then a converter to transform it. While photovoltaic cells are expensive the initial investment is insignificant compared to the years of free electricity you get and the fact that they are easy to maintain and relatively easy setup with numerous commercial companies already offering their services to install them in small, medium or large scale projects. As compared to a geothermal power while also being a source of free power the cost of building the plant not mention the limited areas where it is available as well as maintenance costs is prohibitive to it being used as a mainstay of energy production. The use of dams for hydroelectric power while also being free is also limited to certain locations and the cost of building a dam as well as maintaining is also harder compared to a solar energy field or a small scale home version.

Solar energy can be obtained easily nearly anywhere in the world and is easily set up. You can actually recoup the cost of the cells eventually from the savings you make on electricity. Not only that but usage of solar cells arent as environmentally impacting as compared to building a dam or geothermal power  plant. It is due to all these factors that solar energy is a lot more commercially viable as compared to other forms of alternate energy.

All in all solar power is the way to go if a cheap, effective and easily obtainable source of energy is needed. 

It is a well known fact that the Earth is growing warmer just by stepping outside one can feel it, that the air seems warmer than it was 5 years ago, that the sun seems to be stronger, that it hurts a lot more than it did before. That is direct evidence of global warming. You dont need articles, journals, emails facts or figures to find out for yourself that things are markedly different than they were in the past. As a rather new species on this planet of ours we have left a rather large carbon footprint on our world. Larger and at an unprecedented scale compared to all other species that cam before us. With our cars, our factories, our power plants, our various pollutants and destruction of forests we have definitely left our mark that much is certain. Why then do some believe that there wouldnt be a consequence to our actions That everything is perfectly alright that theres nothing wrong at all.

In total the various countries in the world spew millions of tons of carbon dioxide gas every year through cars, factories and other such carbon emitting sources. This of course will have an effect on the environment in a mostly negative way. Carbon dioxide gas interferes with the natural process of the release of heat by the world. The process usually involves heat from the suns rays reaching the Earth with a majority of the rays being bounced off the reflective surface of the polar ice caps. The rest hits the surface of the Earth and is bounced back into space due to the atmosphere and the oceans.  The rest of the heat is dissipated out into space over time. Large amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere interferes with this process by trapping the heat in the atmosphere instead of releasing it back into space. This results in gradual increase in the planets atmospheric temperature. Over time we have slowly started to feel the effects and the very polar ice caps themselves have started to melt which is evidence enough of something really wrong happening to our planet.

Critics can say what they want saying that there is nothing wrong and that all the facts and figures are exaggerated. The melting of the polar ice caps, droughts happening in Australia and in other parts of the world, stronger storms like Katrina which devastated New Orleans and other freak weather conditions which have been reported on the media, it would be hard to exaggerate these events since they are already known as solid fact. If nothing is to be done within the next couple of decades the future of the next generation looks dim.

It actually all comes down to one question. Which of the two is the most easily reusable Paper while easily recyclable isnt as strong as plastic. Its too easily ripped, doesnt have the same tensile strength, and when wet become useless as a container because it becomes too fragile. Plastic on the other hand is not easily ripped, has a high tensile strength and doesnt get damaged when wet not only that they are easily reusable as garbage containers or as bags should you want them to hold something temporarily. When looking at the facts it seems like a clear cut case in favor of plastic however going a little deeper you would start to see facts that say otherwise.

For instance plastic unlike paper is not naturally biodegradable. Meaning that if left to its own devices in the natural world plastic would literally remain unchanged for hundreds if not a thousand years. If every single person within all the densely populated metropolitan areas in the world were to use plastic and it just stayed there eventually we would come to a point where we would be up to our necks in plastic. This doesnt mean that paper with its biodegradability is any better at conserving our planets resources. 1 gallon of water is used to produce one average sized grocery bag as well several other chemicals. While paper bags are recyclable a lot of energy and resources also goes into the recycling process more so than to normally produce the average paper bag. Finally the source of all paper bags namely trees are cut down on a yearly basis which affects the overall quality of the environment.
 
In other words using both would damage the environment. Fortunately though there is another way. A lot of grocery stores sell reusable grocery bags that can be used for years. They last longer than a paper or plastic bag would and they wont damage the environment. They are easily available at most grocery stores and are incredibly cheap. Theyre also easy to store in a car and a lot of environmentally conscious people these days have been advocating their use due to their positive effect on the environment since that they save landfill space and trees as well.  I believe that sometimes in order to solve a problem you dont necessarily have to choose the lesser of two evils rather find a more creative way.

 When companies say No Sugar Added they are trying to imply that their product is low in calories. In todays calorie conscious society where people have started to become more aware of what they eat due to the rising problems of obesity in the country as such low calorie products have started to incur a greater customer demand. People still want to enjoy what theyve grown used to eating and drinking however they dont want to deal with consequences of getting fat rather they want the convenience of eating and drinking the same amount without the hard work of exercising to maintain their weight. Companies capitalize on this attitude of the public and thus created a whole new line of products that say No Sugar, Low Calorie, Guilt Free and other such labels to encourage people to buy their products. What those companies should say is that their product doesnt have natural sugars in it, however that doesnt meant that their product isnt sweet. Companies these days use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame to make their products sweet without the added calories from sugar.

Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is often used as a replacement for sugar since it is easier to process and to obtain.  Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame disrupt the bodys natural ability to associate sweetness with high caloric content. The result being that bodies of people who have gotten used to artificial sweeteners tend to consumer more than what they actually need since the body has lost the ability to distinguish the amount of calories they consume with the taste of what they are eating. In todays artificial and manufactured world something sugar free is not necessarily healthy. People opting to buy packages labeled as no sugar instead of buying those packages with sugar find themselves consuming more of the product that they did before resulting in a rather ironic situation wherein they gain even more weight.

If people really want to lose weight changing the way they eat by eating natural foods and exercising instead of artificially created artificially sweetened, packaged and reconstituted foods is the healthiest and best way of really losing weight. It is rather unfortunate that a lot of people in the U.S. dont seem understand this point of view and opt to go the lazy route instead the result being people wondering how they gained so much weight in the first place.

America with its advanced health care system and professional workers is actually ranked pretty low in terms of healthcare services. For a citizen of one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world it is only reasonable that one would expect better health care than that of other countries. In the case of the U.S. though its healthcare system has a major flaw and that is it is discriminatory and only caters to those who are relatively well off. A large portion of the American public does not have access to proper medical attention as compared to Western Europe wherein a majority of the countries there have a universal health care system wherein the poor can expect the same level of treatment as anyone else shows the extent of how effective their healthcare system.

Britain has a better and more comprehensive healthcare system  as compared to the U.S. It allows for frequent doctor visits, subsidized medicines and above all you rarely if ever receive a medical bill. Another country with a better health care system would be Canada. Have you ever heard the story of Americans driving to Canada to buy their medication over there Thats because medication in Canada is actually several times cheaper as compared to the U.S. even though they are the exact same thing. This is due to the fact that with their subsidized healthcare system medication becomes cheaper and more easily accessible.

Ask yourself this question, if we are the richest and most powerful country on the planet, why then do have one of the least effective forms of healthcare This might be due to the fact that with a privatized healthcare system the price of procedures and medication is dictated by board room profiteers who seek to line their pockets instead of a government committee which seeks to create a pricing system that would be more effective and less costly to the American public. All in all I say that America has long been overdue for a revamp of our system of healthcare. If we are able to give monetary assistance to other countries why cant we give assistance to our very own citizens Privatization is not the way to go regarding healthcare. Creating a universal single pay healthcare system will enable people to get the medical assistance they need instead of being told by hospitals that they cant have the procedure since they cant afford it.

For me the Telomeres theory is the most convincing when it comes to explaining why people age. Let me first define what a telomere is. Telomeres are sequences at the ends of chromosomes. Though they are written in the alphabet of the genes, telomeres do not contain the codes for proteins. So telomeres are not themselves genes, but neither are they meaningless junk. Instead these repetitive sequences protect the ends of the chromosome from damage, and prevent the chromosomes from fusing into rings, or binding haphazardly to other DNA in the cell nucleus.

With the telomeres comes also the telomerase this particular molecule by its nature counteracts the natural tendency of telomeres to erode over time. They enable the telomeres to last longer than they usually do to enable continued cellular division. One must wonder though then why arent we all immortal or live longer

That would be because the telomerase the prevents the breakdown of the telomeres while being present in all cells is largely inactive and only present in certain cells such as a bodies sperm, immune cells and the gut lining.

If it is a question of them being inactive then wouldnt switching them on bring about a vastly longer lifespan for us all Unfortunately studies have shown that an active telomerase in the bodys cells also equates to cancer in certain cells of the body. Since an active telomerase would result in uncontrolled cellular growth which cancer defines. Even so in the end immortality really isnt all its cracked up to be. There is a reason why we die, it is so that we can make room for the next generation. An immortal race would put far to much pressure on the Earth and would result in such a fast depletion of resources that we would wind up wiping ourselves out through starvation of resources.

The international drug trafficking business is a 400 billion a year industry.  Consisting of numerous networks of suppliers and distributers in various countries the world over. No more so is this evident than in the United States which ironically is one of the largest consumers of drugs in the world.
In the early 1960s the use of drugs within the United States came into the public lifestyle. Thought of as a recreational activity by young, white middle class Americans, the social stigma associated with their use lessened probably due to the fact that drugs came to represent the idea of protest and rebellion against a government that the youth had lost confidence in.

Over the next 30 years drug trafficking into the U.S. came from numerous sources. Starting off in Columbia with the Medillin Cartel then branching off into Mexico and other foreign countries the drug flow into the U.S. seemed unceasing. How it was able to got in the first place either speaks of the ingenuity of the drug traffickers at the time or the ineptness of the U.S. authorities in determining that drugs such as cocaine actually posed a threat to the American public.

Once the government caught on it was already too late. The networks were already established and kilos of cocaine were shipped into the country on a daily basis. Originally isolated to the wealthy and the middle class due to the cost of cocaine at the time with the advent of crack, a highly addictive and affordable drug that was accessible to the general public, the drug trade practically became a full blown explosion.

The U.S. wars on drugs started with the Nixon administration through the creation of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) which consolidated agents from BNDD, Customs, the CIA and ODALE
Massive seizures of drugs occurred, from 1970s starting in a small California airport where 600 pounds of cocaine were confiscated to the Tranquillada, Columbia bust of the early 1980s where an estimated 13.8 metric tons of cocaine were seized along with an estimated 1.2 billion in chemicals and laboratory equipment to produce more cocaine.

Even after all the seizures, arrests, and confiscation of property the drug flow still continued into the U.S. If one cartel was destroyed another simply took its placed. An example of this is when the Mellina cartel of Columbia was dismantled only to be replaced by several other cartels located in Mexico.
As always the law of supply and demand takes precedence here. As long as there is a demand for the drugs there will always be those willing to find a way to supply it.

The successes that the U.S. has had in stemming the flow of drugs will always be undermined by several factors. For one the production of drugs outside of the country will never be stopped so long as those producing it find a market for it in the country. The flow of drugs could have been stopped long ago if only the public as a whole just said no. If drugs are widely condemned why are they then still used Another is the vastness of the United States itself. The very border it shares with Mexico is 2,000 miles long with more than enough entrance points to bring drugs into the country. Dont forget the several hundred miles of coastline it has as well as an extensive border with Canada. With all these entry points it will be next to impossible to stop a creative cartel from finding a way to bring the drugs into the country. The only way to effectively stop the drug flow into the country is to stop the demand for it however the demand doesnt seem to abating anytime soon.

Not all drugs should be legalized, some like cocaine and crack which are harmful for society in general and degrade the humanity of a person should not even have been allowed to be created let alone be legalized and sold. The only time a drug should be legalized is if it has an actual medicinal purpose which helps an individual overcome an ailment or a disease as drugs were originally meant to be used. Not as a recreational activity for people who wish to feel better about themselves through artificial means. As for the legalization of POT, while it is true it does provide some medicinal benefits it is also known for its recreational purposes so its sale would likely be a double edged sword. You must wonder though in this century wherein we have a form of medication or its near equivalent that is just as effective why is it that those who advocate the use of POT for medicinal purposes dont just buy its direct medicinal equivalent It would be easier to take it in pill form rather than smoke it with fewer side effects and could probably be bought generically as well so why the need for shops that sell it in plant form Its questions like these that makes one wonder if there really is a need to go through all that trouble  or are there alternate more recreational motives regarding its sale. Its hard to determine if someone really needs it or not and harder to justify why they dont just go to a pharmacy for proper medication for what ails them.

Periodic Table
Systematic study of any thing is Science. Chemistry is a material science, systematically studying the matter of the universe. The matter is available in the form of elements or compounds. The detailed study of elements by various Chemists led to the finding that there is some order and recurrence in the properties of these elements and there were many efforts to classify them. The Russian Chemist, Dmitri Mendeleyev succeeded in providing a very useful classification of the elements, known as Mendeleyev Table. Since there is some periodicity in the arrangement of the table, this is called as Periodic Table of Elements.  According to the Mendeleyev s periodic Law, the physical and chemical properties of the elements are the periodic function of their atomic weights. In other words, when elements are arranged in the increasing order of atomic weights, similar elements recur after intervals  (Chugh, K.L. 4.1).

This arrangement of Elements in a Tabular form is very useful and handy in the hands of Scientists, Chemists and Engineers.

The salient features of Periodic Table
The elements are arranged in the ascending order of their Atomic weight, to be more precise, Atomic number. Depending on the recurring nature of Chemical and Physical properties, the elements are placed in an ascending order of periods, 1 to 7. The number of elements accommodated in the periods1 to 6  are 2,8,8,18,18, and 32 .
  
Irrespective of their atomic weight, Elements having similar Chemical properties are grouped into respective groups. In the modern long periodic table, the groups are classified into four blocks, namely, s, p, d, and f depending the electronic configuration of the elements.
  
The s block elements, of group I and II, are highly reactive Alkali and alkaline earth group of metals. The p block elements, of group IIIA to VIIA are mostly non metals, with some metals. Group VIIA elements are all non metal with electro negative character, that is with high electron affinity. Group VIIIA elements are inert as their outermost shell is fully saturated and consequently have the highest ionization energy and un reactive. The d block elements, IIIB to VII B,VIII,  IB, and IIB are all metals with low reactivity, consequently some of them are called noble metals. The f block elements are also metals with low reactivity.
  
The atoms are thus arranged and located in a table form giving important informations like Name, Symbol, atomic Number, Atomic Weight, Oxidation state, and Physical properties like melting point , Boiling point  density.

Uses of periodic Table.
Periodic Table is a very useful document for Academicians - students and professors of Chemistry, Research Chemists, Industrial professionals   R D Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Chemical consultants.
  
Academicians use this to teach the chemical nature with respect to electronic configuration of elements. One can predict how an element will behave seeing the location of the element in Periodic Table. For example, The element Potassium, being located in the first group, it is Electro positive, will react with any electro negative element, say Chlorine. Similarly Silicon being in the middle of the Periodic Table is not a very reactive element.
  
Chemists, Chemical Engineers  and R D Professionals find is as a very useful and handy tool, a one page document, having many useful data available at hand. It is very use full for developing Industrial Chemical process.
  
Wherever Chemicals are encountered, say Custom houses, Forensic Laboratories, Chemical Analytical Labs etc, Periodic Table will be referred.

Example.1 Process development. Suppose an assignment of developing a process for the manufacture of 30  Hydrochloric acid is given. The process involves Hydrogen, Chlorine and
Oxygen. From the Oxidation state given in the Periodic Table, 1 and -1 for Hydrogen and Chlorine respectively the Equation is HCl  HCl, writing the molecular equation, it is H2 Cl2  2HCL. Now, to develop the process, the first step is to develop the Mass Balance. The required atomic molecular masses for Hydrogen, Chlorine, and Water ( water, H2O constitute 70  in the commercial acid,) can be takenCalculated from the Periodic Table. The physical state at which these elements, H and Cl are available, can be assessed from the meltur, Selenium, flouorine  bromine and Iodine), The higher period elements are Metals, the metallic property progressively increasinf as we go down in the periodic table.      

The rise in ionization energy as we pass from the s elements of the group. I to the p elements of group VIII is due to the increasing effect of the nucleus.  (Akhmetov, N.30). The first group element have only one electron in the outr most shell and so have the least ionization energy and so they are higly reactive and can easily form positive Ion. As we progress  from s group elements to P elements Ionisation energy increases and consequently reactivity decreases. But the pgroup elements exibit electron affinity, and they can accept electron forming negative Ions. This phenomenon is highest in Group VII elements, Halogens. Thus halogens are most reactive among the P group elements

The tendency to form complexes is most pronounced in elements in the long period of the Mendeleyev periodic system and especially group VIII elements  (Alexeyev 228). ing point and boiling point data available in the Periodic Table (Perry). Here in this case Hydrogen is available as a gas  as seen from the boiling point.