To explore something can mean many different things. A person can explore land, science, literature, and many different topics. Lewis and Clark explored the land we live on today. Rosalind Franklin explored crystallography and eventually discovered the shape of DNA. Scientists today are exploring the world of genetics trying to find cures for the diseases that have hindered our lives for years. In history and modern times, exploration is a very good thing.
In 1803, the United States bought a large piece of land from the French. This was called the Louisiana Purchase. Thomas Jefferson, president at the time, wanted to go explore this land. There was so much area to cover; he would not be able to see everything in a day. Jefferson summoned the help from Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to go on this journey together. (http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/lewis-clark/). The exploration of this new land was very significant to our world today. If it Lewis and Clark did not set out to find new bodies of water or mountain ranges, we would not have the amount of civilization in that area that we do today. It could have taken years after the purchase to view this land, but Lewis and Clark stepped up to the plate. These men were brave enough to journey to the unknown to help the United States of America grow. (http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read/?_xmlsrc=lc.toc.xml&_xslsrc=LCstyles.xsl). Exploration of land is very important, because it can help countries create more metropolitan areas, and people can utilize the new land for their own purposes.
In biology classes around the world, DNA is one of the main subjects. Students explore the shape, function, building blocks and location of DNA. In 1952, most information about DNA was known, except what the actual shape of it was. For years scientists used many tools to view DNA. There was no evidence whether DNA was a circle, square, or triangle until Rosalind Franklin. Franklin studied DNA at King’s College. She explored crystallography and took a picture that changed biology forever. Franklin took the picture called Photo 51. This picture showed that a DNA strand was in the shape of a double helix. (http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/Rosalind_Franklin.php).
Exploring science helps our society by discovering new things that can help our everyday life. People like Rosalind Franklin who discover something as simple as the shape of our hereditary information, help us become more advanced as a people.
Today diseases like malaria and AIDS affect people in the world every day. Scientists are exploring ways to treat people and possibly find a cure. A group called HIV Vaccine Trials Network is working very hard to try to create a vaccine for this awful disease. It is hard to find a cure because viruses mutate and there are many different strands. (http://www.hvtn.org/science/strategies.html). If someone could find a cure, places like Africa, where AIDS is one of the main killers, would never be the same. Without the exploration of life-threatening diseases, our world would continue to suffer from them.
Exploration is most definitely a good thing. People can live in new places if land was explored. People can know more about themselves if someone explored the simple things. People would be able to live longer if exploration of diseases were conducted. With exploration, anything is possible. The world is open for our exploration.
Picture From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyphersculpture/2414831352/
Secondary Sources: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/lewis-clark/
When doing these weeklies, it's really best to think about how the question relates to what we are learning about in class; as we had discussed, there was much by way of exploration done in the Renaissance -- from literal exploration in the New World to the exploration of the arts and philosophy.
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