Being of a curious mind, I am occasionally fascinated by simple things such as the phenomenon of cracking knuckles. In this respect, I have done some very basic research regarding this phenomenon and have been repeatedly disappointed by the explanations presented on nearly every web site I have seen that attempts to describe the process in question. There are many physiological reasons that our joints make noise, but the description of at least one of these processes is always, well…not what it is cracked up to be. Specifically, virtually every web article mentions “cavitation” as the primary cause of the…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From March, 2007
TUBERCULOSIS AND THE BCG VACCINE: NOT QUITE GOOD ENOUGH
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most virulent pathogens, infecting one third of the world’s total population (1). Tuberculosis (TB), of which M. tuberculosis is the causative agent, has become a frightening epidemic, killing almost two million people annually (1). The development of the Mycobacterium bovis bacilli Calmette-Géurin (BCG) vaccine in 1921 and its subsequent routine use in infants in developed countries has succeeded in reducing the incidence of TB (2). The effectiveness of BCG varies greatly though with geographic location – ranging from 0-80%. The failure of BCG is of particular importance in the developing world where rates of…
OUR HUMOUR WRITING CONTEST – ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT
Basically, an almost last call for entries. And to reiterate, a humour piece is needed, plus (plus) additional captions can be supplied if you want to take a chance at modifying your score for better or for worse. Also, note that the prize rocks! (full details below) * * * PDF | JPG The Science Creative Quarterly seeks science humour pieces for entry into our awesome new contest. Judging will be based on a number of criteria that can be annotated as follows: Briefly, final Score (FS) is equal to the the base score of the humour piece submitted (S),…
THE EVOLUTION OF DESIGN: ENGINEERING ENTERS THE BIOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
“And there are even some engineers in this [biology] class!” – a seemingly innocent remark, but one that contains sentiments often expressed in the biological realm: engineers just don’t really fit in. At first glance, nothing seems out of the ordinary with this statement – and both parties would probably agree – of course engineers don’t fit in. There is just something fundamentally different between these two disciplines, the respective parties would say (or between biology and the other physical sciences, for that matter). An attempt to justify this would then be given in some remark about engineers being good…
WHEN IT’S O.K. TO ASK, “WHAT STINKS?”
Lab rats, let’s face it. Sometimes, some of us in science sometimes sacrifice hygiene for extra time in the lab. Got a 2-hour incubation, why not go for a jog or catch a spinning class? Have to start your 12 hour ELIZA at 4:30am to make it to your 5pm seminar, why bother showering before you show up in the morning? Got soaking wet walking to the lab in the rain, why not dry out your shoes and socks on the heater? Had some funky smelling take-out 3 nights before, why not heat up the leftovers in the microwave right…
GRIMACE IS A G.M.O.
March 14, 2007, 3PM: Mildred, the maid leads me onto a sandstone patio, and I have to stop and take in the marvelous view of the San Francisco Bay. Immediately, I know that this is a place for the rich and famous, appropriate for a king or queen perhaps, and certainly fitting for a fast food icon. “It’s a fucking nightmare, that’s what it is.” he says as if it were a matter of fact, shifting heavily in his lawn chair. “Those bastards, the things they do…” His voice unexpectedly trails off. “Sorry,” he looks vacantly at the shimmer bouncing…
MSG: MORE THAN MEETS THE TONGUE
Most of our lives are spent obtaining food, preparing food, cooking food, and taking the time to savor food. Food is colourful, flavorful and simply delightful. The only drawback is wondering what our next meal is going to be. A simple solution for most working class people in the world: eating out. With such an abundance of neighborhood fast-food restaurants or take-out place at competing prices, eating out has become the latest trend in filling the stomach of many. In fact, the idea of purchasing pre-cooked meals has become such a widely accessible concept that people choose this alternative over…
BUBBLES
The bubbles in my bath are white; try as I might they never change despite a range of gels and goos in rainbow hues – pinks, greens and blues. The chemists say it’s child’s play to reproduce the scent of fruits, herbs, flowers and roots. But still the foam is monochrome.
GLYCEROL STOCKS: THE FUTURE IS NOW
Cryonics, the technique of freezing dead rich people and their pets, is generally disregarded as a big lame waste of money by most scientists and doctors. The goal of cryonics is to preserve all cells in the body well enough such that in the distant future, after scientists have figured out how to successfully “thaw” these high-stakes ice cubes, doctors [robots? Femto-sized germ soldiers?] could take a stab at curing your previously lethal disease. Then you would be free to marvel at the brushed stainless steel landscape, the crushing loneliness, and how everyone has a cell phone in their brain…