* * * (REPRINTED FROM ISSUE ONE, APRIL 11th, 2005)
The Science Creative Quarterly
From October, 2005
THE BESTEST, MOST KICK ASS, HUMAN GENOME PROJECT
Mondo-Genetic-Services is proud to announce its latest venture, “The Bestest, Most Kick Ass, Human Genome Project.” Hot on the tails of the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium and Celera Genomics, we present to you a novel approach in the elucidation of mankind’s blueprint of life. Rather than using the frequently studied yet boring human cell lines, or samples from a small group of ethnically diverse, anonymous, and likely dull individuals, we propose a completely different strategy – that is, we plan to use the genomes of individuals handpicked by the editorial staff of People magazine, a move we feel will…
ELSEWHERE AND OVERHEARD
Overheard “In the first few days, she squealed for cigarettes every now and then, but as her life became more colorful, she gradually forgot about them altogether.” A zookeeper on Ai Ai, a chimp at a zoo in China that has finally quit smoking after 16 years. (Ananova.com) “We make kids wear helmets and knee pads,” Dr. Goldstein said. “But no one thinks about protecting the crotch.” a Boston urologist, Dr. Irwin Goldstein on new studies showing the link between bicycle saddles and impotence. (NY Times) ”We call him our ‘missionary lizard,’ “ Looy said. ”When people realize the T.…
THE MACGYVER PROJECT: GENOMIC DNA EXTRACTION AND GEL ELECTROPHORESIS EXPERIMENTS USING EVERYDAY MATERIALS
Abstract: DNA extraction and separation by agarose gel electrophoresis is a simple and exciting process that anyone can perform. However, the high cost of specialized equipment and chemicals often hinder such an experiment from being carried by members of the high school community. Here, we describe a cost effective way of extracting and electrophoresing DNA under a prescribed MacGyver limitation – that is using only materials available from a grocery store or shopping mall. * * * In order to carry out this project, we decided to first divide the procedure into three specific sections, each to be addressed individually.…
WHITE SILKEN RIBBONS
“And your mother, how is her health?” I asked the cheerful young woman who had come in for a physical examination. She was draped in a blue paper gown under which her naked alabaster skin seemed translucent. Her branching veins coursed like roots close to the surface as they returned indigo blood to the warmth of her core. She smiled, albeit woefully. “My mother actually died several years ago. She had a brain tumor… glioblastoma multiforme it was called.” I stopped writing and looked up from the notes I had been scribbling in her chart. “I’m so sorry.” The young…
HOT SCIENCE-Y GUY OF THE MONTH – NIKOLA TESLA
His eponymous coils aren’t the only thing that created a buzz and a sizzle! So he’s been dead since 1943. Minor detail. Nikola Tesla was one helluva hot ticket in his time and no doubt he was well aware of it, too. No matter what the fashion of the day, guys just don’t strike a pose like the one in the accompanying photo unless they know they have got it goin’ awwn. Now don’t let that seductive, come-hither stare fool you. He’s not playing coy, no matter what you think those bedroom eyes might be suggesting, so stay in your…
HOT SCIENCE-Y GUY OF THE MONTH – KAYSAR RIDHA
Aw heck, it’s nearly Labour Day, so let’s just call this lovely man the Hot Science-y Guy of the Summer and be done with it. Now I doubt if he’s going to include that on his updated résumé, but one thing I am willing to bet on is that Kaysar Ridha would prefer not to be remembered as The Guy Who Took His Finger Off the Button on Big Brother 6 TM; therefore I am not even going to mention the fact that he’s the guy who…well, let’s just say the end of the season came tragically early for the…
5 HOT SCIENCE-Y GUYS
1. Sir Martin Rees I don’t know if this guy’s straight or gay, and I don’t care. He’s got a certain polished appeal going on, and he’s the freaking Astronomer Royal for crying out loud. What does that mean, you ask? How does that make him any more special than any other astronomer besides the Royal part? Well, look, if I have to explain that, it would mean one of us would have to do some research. And I’m tired. I just got in from a party. But I do know that this guy’s been busy studying multi-universes and I…
ROUNDING UP THE SCHMEISER CASE: BENEFIT AND LIABILITY ISSUES OF TRANSGENIC CROPS
For thousands of years, it has been common practice for farmers to keep the best seeds from their fields for the next growing season. This has allowed them to develop breeds of high quality, high yields and nurture those adapted to the local conditions. Trading seeds with other farmers is also a secular tradition that is important for maintaining a diverse genetic background within a field. So when Percy Schmeiser, a 59 year old Saskatchewan farmer, inadvertently found that some of his canola plants that boarded a local road, were resistant to a herbicide purchased to get rid of the…