After decades of research, it is largely accepted that the AIDS virus originated from chimpanzees. The theory is that HIV-1, the most deadly strain of HIV in humans, is a descendent of the SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) which is found in chimpanzees (Avert, n.d.). However, theories as to how the virus crossed species are still up for debate.

      One theory, the ‘hunter’ theory, is that a hunter killed a chimp and either ate it or was contaminated by the infected blood from the chimp entering a wound of the hunter while butchering it (Avert, n.d.). The oral polio vaccine (OPV) theory suggests that HIV was spread through the use of the oral polio vaccine called Chat, which was given to people in Belgian, Congo. According to Avert, “to be reproduced, live polio vaccine needs to be cultivated in living tissue, and Hooper’s belief is that Chat was grown in kidney cells taken from local chimps infected with SIV,” (n.d.). The contaminated needle theory suggests that single syringes being used in multiple people in the 50s spread the virus. There is also the conspiracy theory which leans towards the idea that HIV is a man-made virus manufactured as a form of biological warfare to wipe out African American and homosexual people.

      Although there are a number of theories as to how the HIV virus crossed species it is widely accepted that it did in fact originate from SIV in primates.

Sources

Avert. “The Origin of AIDS and HIV and the First Cases of AIDS.” n.d. Web. Retrieved from http://www.avert.org/origin-aids-hiv.htm

WebMD. (2009) “AIDS Retrospective Slideshow: A Pictorial Timeline of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic.” December 1, 2009. Web. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/slideshow-aids-retrospective

1. Rebooting a classic franchise
2. Showing the audience how the iconic film series started.

The movie stars James Franco as Will Rodman (Rodman was chose as a tribute to the original write of Planet of the Apes “Rodman Serling”) a scientist who has invented a drug (ALZ-112) with the potential to cure and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. His character shows a gradual change from someone who is Career-Driven to someone loving and caring.

 During the first pitch of ALZ-112 to the bio-tech company (Gen-Sys Laboratories ), the chimp that was supposed to be shown during the pitch “Bright Eyes”, goes on a rampage and end up getting shot in-front of of the bored of governors and Will. It is believed that the aggression is a side effect of the ALZ-112 and this results in the extermination of the rest of the apes who were tested on and causing Will to have to start from scratch with his project. How ever after the pitch it is discovered that “Bright Eyes” was aggressive as she had given birth. Will takes home the chimp to save him from being exterminated and names him Caesar. When at home we are introduced to Will’s Alzheimer stricken father Charles Rodman, Charles immediately shows an interest in Caesar and is the first to pick up on his “Super Intelligence”. Will then realises that “Bright Eyes” past down the drugs effects in her pregnancy.

 Shortly after Will goes back to Gen-Sys to sneak out some of the ALZ-112 drug to use on his father who’s condition is worsening. Will manages to sneak some of the drug out and goes back home where his father is lying on his bed. Will injects his father with the drug while Caesar watches from outside the door, Will falls asleep in the chair in his fathers room and is awoken by his father playing the piano. Will realises that his drug works and decides to monitor his father and Caesars brain activity.

 Caesar has a window in his loft bedroom where he watches the children playing in the street then he decides he want to go and play with them. Once outside he enters the neighbours garage where he is spotted and attacked by the neighbour with a baseball bat. Caesar is scared by this and is also hurt.

 Will decides to take Caesar to see the San Fransico Zoo Vet (Caroline Aranha). Caesar who Will had learnt sign language says that Will and Caroline should go on a date, which they do.

 Caesar becomes a agitated and want to be out in the open world so Will, Charles and Caroline take him to Redwood Forest on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. While they are there Caesar enjoys him self in the trees and the audience see Caesar grow into an “Adult” Ape.

 Back at home Charles’sbody has become immune to the ALZ-112 drug and again starts to deteriorate up to the point where he leave the house and gets into his neighbours car and crashes it into another car. The neighbour comes out and starts shouting at Charles and Caesar, watching from his window, see the neighbour and runs out side and howls at him. The neighbour runs but Caesar catches him and bites off his finger.

 Will is ordered to have Caesar put into the San Bruno Primate Facility run by John Ladon and his son. There they are what seems to be tortured, there he meat other apes and is tortured by them too for being clever.

Meanwhile…

At Gen-Sys Will and the Head of Operations are developing a newer version of ALZ-112 called ALZ-113 which proves to be fatal and highly contagious to humans.

 Whilst at the Primate Facility Caesar starts a revolution among the apes and even breaks of of the facility and goes to Gen-Sys to steal some of the ALZ-113. He then returns to the facility and rolls the gas canisters containing the drug through out the facility thus making the other apes have the same intelligence as Caesar.

 During this revolution the kill the facility workers and then move out to let the Apes from the zoo escape. Once they are all gathered they head over to the Golden Gate Bridge in order to get to Redwood Forest.

 Little do they know that the military is already there waiting for them, but the military forces are no match for the “Super” Apes and they are killed. The Apes then proceed to the Forest and are all congregating there when Will come and talks to Caesar begging him to come home and he tells him if he comes home he will make sure he is safe. Caesar then informs him ( By this time he can speak basic English ) “Caesar is Home”. Caesar then asks Will’s permission to climb the tree and Will agrees. Caesar then proceeds followed by two other apes up to the top of the trees where they all look out onto the damage they have caused.

Then the half the credits show and you think the movie is over but…

 I’m sorry but i missed a bit out about the new drug ALZ-113 one of the people involved in the testing is exposed to the drug and starts sneezing blood everywhere, he sneezes on a pilot passing on the virus later he is found dead.

 Back to the ending…

 The Pilot is at the airport about to get into the plane when he sneezes and blood comes out and drips all over the floor and on other people. I believe that they have shown this to make way for a Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2.

Thanks for reading

Matthew Jewhurst
matty247@live.co.uk

What Anthropology says about marriage, and how when compared to today’s perception of marriage its all quite hilarious.

Its easy to find yourself married and never have any idea why. Know this: Your marriage stems from a prehistorical homo sapien tradition at the heart of which is not surprisingly what is still at the heart of marriages today: Men provide resources in exchange for sex, while women raise children and, well, grant access.

But HOW did this all begin? It all has to do with our big skulls.

Prior to our fortuitous evolution from apes, we had, as pictured, smaller skulls. Science agrees that the long process of evolutionary change eventually brought about a significant enlargement in our skull size that began rapidly killing our female human ancestors. The new, cruel birthing process nearly wiped out our female population due to these large and bizarre head of ours. Luckily our species exists today because certain females ensured our survival through the rare miracle of pre-mature birth (pre-mature compared to before). 

Our baby’s premature skulls were not as fully formed as they used to be. After all baby’s heads are somewhat “mushy,” for those who know babies. And of course this mushy-ness, to dumb down science and more quickly get to the point, means that we have to spend much more time and put much more intensive effort into raising human babies than we do for ape babies. These “pre-mature births” means serious assistance is needed. Baby chimps are born and ready to go (comparatively), while baby humans are utterly dependent.

A dependent human baby taking a taxi

 Because of this difference in dependency, ape mothers, while spending years selflessly protecting and nurturing their children (as well documented by Jane Goodall) nonetheless don’t need much outside assistance to raise the baby ape. By contrast, human mothers have a lot of difficulty. The efforts required in child rearing and also in securing food, shelter, and other basics would be impossible for one mother. Mothers needed someone else to help her and her child survive this period of infancy, and she needs the same person, one who she can depend on. That’s where “fatherhood” comes in. Ultimately it becomes a loose contract. I, the male, will provide for you to assist the raising of this child, and you, the female will provide an outlet for my natural sexual urges. (Wedding bells tolling in the distance).

In contrast to human society, apes don’t have purposely recurring partners. Why would they? Research shows that most apes don’t know who their father is, and most females have no clue who it was that one drunken night in the tree. They follow estrus-rut cycles after all, which doesn’t leave a lot of choice in the sexual process. But we are different. We have “fathers,” and it is all because of sex.

A young chimp wondering who his father is. 

Again, sex: Unlike Chimps, but exactly like Bonobo Monkey’s (also our close relative), we humans have sex for pleasure (or male validation). How does it not make sense that men are deeply perhaps only interested in sex? No other species has any comparable institution of fatherhood because no other species has young which require so much care, i.e. no other species has “fathers” which innately, or naturally, want to or need to care for the young. And anthropologists suggest that men had as many “wives” as they could adequately provide resources for, and why would they not? More partners, more sex.  

Crudely:     (Premature babies)  +  (higher maintenance)  +  (Sex and men)  =  The basis for holy matrimony

Obviously cultures throughout time have helped us look at marriage differently. But in order to keep our humanness in the context of our 2 million year old people, we ought to remember the basis of marriage as rooted in men’s sexuality and women’s child needs, and then after perceiving this clearly, don’t say “I do,” say “ooh-ooh.”

Image by doug88888 via Flickr

What Charla Nash did on November 11, 2009 was nothing less of a brave act. Even though she herself couldn’t see the extent of her injuries, she took of her veil and revealed the aftermath of that unexpected and horrendous attack; knowing that photos of her face would be posted all over the Internet for millions to see. Then there are those individuals who are so eager to jump on the bandwagon complaining how cruel it was to ask Nash to remove that veil, but it was necessary in order to get the message across:if you decide to bring an animal that was never meant to be domesticated or socialized into an human environment, expect dire and potentially fatal consequences. Unfortunately, the message will go unheeded. People will continue to make dangerous animal into house pets.

The Appeal

 There might be many different reasons why anyone would allow such animals into their homes. One of them is vanity. For some, being the “master” of a powerful animal(e.g. a tiger) is a huge ego booster. The animal is a symbol for them…and is treated as such. While others have the belief that the animal will have a better quality of life living with humans. And of course those people who are foolish enough to think it would be fun to have a wild animal. Whatever the reasons may be the fact of the matter is that the nature of the animal is being ignored.

One other factor people have to understand is that the animal may not be happy in a human environment and that can cause some underlying resentment.

The Gorilla is the largest and most powerful ape. Even so, he’s quite gentle. And, he has the smallest penis. When he finds a mate, he stays with her “forever.” Often, the Gorilla will find another lovely gorillette and make love to her. He will invite her to come home, and then he will be practicing bigamy. But, then, he is true and faithful to both “forever.” When they have babies, he participates and helps raise the kids. If he finds a third female to mate, he will bring her home, too. Thus, in this fashion, the Gorilla is practicing plural marriage or polygyny, having many sex partners, but being with them all. Among humans, there are men who either live in a plural marriage situation (some Arab Tribes, some off-shoots of Mormon groups, and others), or they practice polygyny. Historically and culturally such human family arrangements have been common.

The Orangutan male prefers the “one night stand.” When he wants to mate, or have sex, he goes out (to a “banana” bar?) and finds a willing female. They have their tryst, and after they are done satiating their needs, each goes his separate way, and he never calls her again. He goes home – to his siblings and their babies. As a good uncle, he remains in that family organization to raise the babies that his sisters have. And, similarly, the female orangutan is impregnated, returns to her home, and gives birth. After the birth of her baby, she will get help from her brothers who have been out there spreading their seed. In essence, orangutans have many sex partners. There are certainly quite a few human males who just want to “hook up,” have sex, and going back home to their own lives without any responsibility accepted for the babies they help make.

Chimpanzees, which share 99% of the same DNA as humans, are very promiscuous. Males will have sex with any female, at almost any time. And females will copulate with any male as well. When a couple meet and begin to have sex, they are in a sexual frenzy for days or weeks, but then the passion tapers off. But after a while, if they meet another chimp, they will give it no thought to having sex with this new “stranger,” going through a similar passionate frenzy. Overall, chimps have many sex partners during their lives. When a female becomes pregnant, however, she tries to gain the favor of one of the stronger members of the Chimpanzee Clan.

So, Gorillas live alone with their mates and children. Orangutans live in their extended family. Chimps have a very large family or clan, and sometimes form larger alliances, like gangs or armies. As the chimp is smaller than the Gorilla or Orangutan, and since they are omnivorous, they often need help tracking down and catching live prey to eat. Gorillas don’t need others to help find food, as they are vegetarians; few Gorillas need help to sneak up on a broccoli.

Chimpanzees are also very territorial. Fights between nearby clans break out and they can be vicious.

Many a human male has been chimpanzee-ish: promiscuous, political, and war-like.

Then we come to the Bonobos. They are a subset of the Chimpanzee, but they are the most advanced (in brain power) of the apes, except for man. They are slightly smaller than the regular chimps. And they love sex, too. Some bonobos, male or female, will have sex with anyone, male or female. All the time. Over time, bonobos have many, many sex partners. And while they have their gangs and clans, instead of viciously fighting over a territory, they charge into battle and have sex with anyone and everyone. Make love, not war. The two clan leaders embrace each other, one arm around the other, each hand holding the other’s testicles.

Are there humans like bonobos? There are many men and women who would rather screw that shoot. And what about homosexuality? Yep, both there, too. How about the testicular grip? Well, the Old Testament gives many cases where people like Abraham would make a pact with another leader, and they’d hold each others’ balls while hugging. Even in the late Greek era, the members of the Senate in Athens would stand to “testify” before their colleagues while cupping their testes in one hand.

So, why do we marvel if humans, the most advanced ape, act in so many ways like the apes that we are related to? Instead of wondering why a man or a woman has chosen to have sex with someone other than his “spouse”, we humans immediately ask “Why? What caused that person to cheat?” and things like that. In reality, if we find a man or woman who has chosen one mate and stayed with that one mate forever, that is when we should ask, “What has caused him, or her, to be faithful to one companion, unlike the rest of the primates?”

Dr. Jane Goodall’s life reflects a clear passion and interest in the environment. Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall was born in England on April 3, 1934. As a young child, she was enthralled by the world around her, constantly exploring the insects and plants in her own backyard. While visiting Africa during her late teens, she met Louis Leakey, who hired her as a secretary for one of his anthropological digs. She returned to England, but reappeared in Africa in 1960 to study chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve. During her time at Gombe, she made some amazing discoveries that generated a new understanding of our environment: chimpanzees use tools for their own purposes, something only humans were thought to be capable of. Also, chimpanzees fight long-term wars between communities, and they have lasting family relationships, meaning parents and siblings care for one another throughout their whole lives. Goodall’s passion and determination led to her amazing discoveries that changed the world’s perception of the capabilities and lifestyles of primates.

Dr. Jane Goodall’s work has certainly not gone unheeded. She has received countless awards, medals and recognitions, such as the Medal of Tanzania, the Kyoto Prize, and the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal. She has also been appointed a Dame of the British Empire (the equivalent of becoming a Knight), and has been selected as a United Nations “Messenger of Peace”. Although Goodall is no longer researching in Africa, she is still working; today, she travels approximately 300 days a year, giving lectures and encouraging youth to act on behalf of species that cannot. She also manages the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation, an organization she founded in 1977. Dr. Jane Goodall clearly and consistently displays environmental integrity and dedication by taking positive, responsible action for the environment of the future.

Dr. Jane Goodall is an obvious representative of environmental heroes in our society. She is a dedicated individual, spending all of her time researching, travelling and presenting on behalf of chimpanzees. She is a passionate human being, who has loved the environment since her childhood, and she seems to have a special connection with her research subjects, calling them by name rather than by number. Through her discoveries and presentations, she has changed the scientific world superlatively. For these reasons, Dr. Jane Goodall’s story is a truly inspiring one from which everyone can learn.

It takes true keenness for an individual to make a difference in today’s world. One has to find something they love, and do everything they can to preserve it. In Dr. Jane Goodall’s case, the thing she loved most of all was the environment. Goodall committed her life to this worthy cause. Every day, she helps to create a world that is environmentally sound for all species, including humans. By learning about Dr. Jane Goodall and her breakthroughs, people of all ages can discover how they, too, can make a positive impact on the world around them.