Is it possible to apply mechanical engineering knowledge to architectural engineering?
Yes it is. The lines can actually blur quite a bit. I am a mechanical engineer however I specialize more in structural analysis. With this, my job has often crossed into the field of civil engineering many times.
Is it possible to apply mechanical engineering knowledge in all kinds of sports?
Your knowledge and its applications will only be limited by your creative imaginations..Every mechanical and physical motions and movements of the human body all follows and demonstrates all the principles as your learned in studying mechanical engineering..
Is it possible to apply mechanical engineer skills and knowledge in the visual arts?
Yes you can. If you got some talent as an artist you can find a lot tools and visions to make an art work. I have seen all kind of sculpture made with engineering materials. You can imagine a mechanical system and imagine the communication between the various parts of the system and convert it to a work of art. you can use 3D modeling to make a sketch of you art and then go and make it real. You can use all kind of joining methods to create an artwork from all kind of material. The opportunities are endless and you can make real.
How genetics apply to everyday life?
"What field of science or math most intrigues you? Why? Is it a field you think you could apply to everyday life, even if it does not become a career choice?" I would love to put genetics/DNA here, but I am failing at the last question. So how can genetics be applied to everyday life? And please don't say cloning or something, do YOU go around cloning people day to day? Help appreciated!!
How have knowledge on human genes led to improvements in medicine and health care?
1. Some diseases can occur through different genetic abnormalities. For example, there are two main types of colorectal cancer which can occur, one due to mutations in DNA repair machinery (microsatellite instability) and the other due to incorrect chromosomal segregation during the cell cycle (chromosomal instability). Therefore, if we developed a drug targetting the mutated gene product in MIN, it would be very useful for these patients but ineffective in CIN patients. By screening for the gene we are able to apply the correct medical treatment. 2. Genetic analysis can be used to identify inherited genetic disorders and hence treat the patient earlier than at the presentation of first symptoms. 3. Every person has a unique genetic profile which may say things about their potential to develop certain conditions (for example schizophrenia, cancer, Huntingtons). On an individual level, the knowledge that you are predisposed to a condition (such as Huntingtons, which currently has no cure) may be hard to cope with. If an employer or insurance company were to get hold of a genetic profile, they would have the potential to make a decision based on your long term predisposition to given conditions, instead of basing decisions on your actual medical profile. There has to be, and I believe there is, a high level of regulation with regards to any genetic tests which are performed.
What does a geneticist do?
A geneticist is one who studies and works to apply knowledge of genetics, a branch of biological sciences that involves heredity and natural variation in living organisms.Geneticists primarily focus on the passage of traits from parents to offspring through generations, though this is far from the only area of interest. A geneticist can work in any number of fields ranging from environmental sciences to law. Some geneticists conduct research purely for scientific gain to add to the body of knowledge that scientists have amassed on the topic of genetics. A geneticist can be a physician who has specialized training in genetics, a genetic counselor, a breeder, or researcher in medicine, ecology, pharmacology, and various other specialties.
Why might the usual importance of genetic diversity not apply to food crops? Why might it apply?
Within the individual crops, yes, the plants and animals have been bred for maximum output. This has led to a uniformity within their genetic makeup and more susceptibility to a crop-wide disaster. However, being omnivores, we rely on a wide variety of different food sources, each with a completely different genetic makeup. Should one crop be severely damaged (like California oranges were this year), the other food sources will more than compensate until the crop in question gets back on its feet.
Does the overall increasing rate of human knowledge hasten our biological evolution?
The other answerer, Robert Kolker, is certainly correct to say that we will probably simply bypass ordinary evolution and give ourselves whatever genes we want.In addition, in the short term, the more we learn about disease management, for example, the less we are subject to typical selection pressures. That influences the gene pool slightly by maintaining more harmful genes in the population, and by keeping certain individuals alive long enough to reproduce even genes that used to be speedily fatal.But this effect is miniscule.I think it will be the power to merely sidestep the mechanics of evolution by using genetic manipulation that will really change our evolutionary pathway.But there is no way that ideas and thoughts that are merely in our minds can influence our DNA, if that is the meaning of your question. Simple "knowledge" on its own can do nothing to affect evolution, any more than any other kind of physical change can be effected by the mind alone. Of course, we can apply the "knowledge" of genetics to change the kind of offspring we will have, as Robert said.
What key concepts do you need to know to have a basic, undergraduate-level knowledge of the field of genetics?
First of all, a good geneticist should understand both molecular and classical genetics. Do not miss out on the basics of both.At the 100-level:Classical genetics: Mendelian inheritanceCytogenetics: chromosomal theory (mitosis and meiosis)DNA structure, followed by the basic mechanisms (replication, transcription, translation), but mainly to understanding binding, pairing. Those processes by themselves aren't necessarily that important.The difficulty with the 100-level is it's hard to understand genetics without understanding all three. There's no obvious one of those three to start.At the 200-level:Molecular biology and biotechnology: some basic techniques like cloning, PCR, gels, markers. Preferably updated - a lot of obsolete technologies are still taught.Quantitative genetics. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, heritability.Population genetics: "Nothing in evolution makes sense except in light of population genetics." Understand mutation, selection, drift, and recombination.After that it will depend what you want to specialize on. Ecological genetics should better understand fitness, I as a plant breeder have to dive into selection and heritability, cancer researchers should know their biochemical pathways.Broadly, on the molecular end of things, transposons, small RNAs, promoters, some epigenetics are important. The 'omics and associated technology.Broadly, on the classical genetics end of things, more quantitative genetics and population genetics. Tree construction and interpretation, heritability estimation.