The Structure of Romantic and Sexual Relations at “Jefferson High School.” Each circle represents a student and lines connecting students represent romantic relations occuring within the 6 months preceding the interview. Numbers under the figure count the number of times that pattern was observed (i.e. we found 63 pairs unconnected to anyone else) REFERENCE: Chains of Affection: The Structure of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Networks. (2004) Peter S. Bearman , James Moody, and Katherine Stovel , American Journal of Sociology 110: 44–91 ABSTRACT: This article describes the structure of the adolescent romantic and sexual network in a population of over…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From November, 2005
THE FIGHTING HYPOTHESIS: STABILITY OF POLYMORPHISM IN HUMAN HANDEDNESS
Most people exhibit hand preference for their daily activities and object manipulations, but it has long been a mystery to scientists as to how and why human handedness exists. Studies from different areas of science, including neurobiology, psychology, developmental biology, anthropology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and other fields, have all come together to try and solve the puzzle behind human handedness. Yet, there is not a single model that is sufficient to provide an universally accepted explanation. Interestingly enough, human handedness has been reported to exist since the Upper Palaeolithic, for more than 10,000 years; however, the proportion of left-handers in…
SUPERPOSITION
Erwin loved the cat that Niels had given him. Such a lovely cat. He would play records for his cat while he thought and studied deep into the night, and his cat would gently rub against his leg. • When Orpheus laid his eyes upon Eurydice, all else fell away. Though the nuptials were doomed, his fair lyre still sung out the most beauteous chords, so that even the Gods were said to stop and listen. • As Erwin sat at his desk, his eyes and mind became crowded with infinite possibilities. With all of the seemingly impossible theories, though…
JOKES WITHOUT PUNCHLINES TAKEN FROM A CELLULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
1. A chemical microbiologist, a pathologist and a clown are flying in a small commuter plane between Kansas City and Omaha. Halfway there, the plane bursts into flames and the pilot bails out. The passengers discover there are only two parachutes. Which one dies? 2. 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester walks into a bar. On the stools next to it are a leprechaun, a unicorn, and Santa Claus. The bartender has a keg of Guinness, a bag of oats, and a plate of cookies behind the counter. He says to the newcomer, “These three regulars beside you are mean bastards if…
SWEATY SEX
Cameron Muir thinks a lot about hot, sweaty sex. It’s his job, after all. Muir is a psychologist at Brock University, and his current fascination is human sweat — particularly when it’s coitus-induced. His interest in sweat was aroused by steroid hormones, the tiny molecules like testosterone and estrogen that control so much of human sexuality from the inside of our bodies. Testosterone, in particular, can profoundly change a person’s appetite for sex. Women who have had their ovaries removed often complain they’ve lost their libidos, probably because of changes in hormone concentrations. “They’ll go to the doctor and say…
WATCHING THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE: BOOK REVIEW: A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING
A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING By Bill Bryson. 544 pp. DoubleDay Canada $39.95 (Hardcover) I haven’t sat and watched this much television is years. But, it’s hard not to when the birth of the universe is on. And on my television, which gets only one channel with rabbit ears, it’s on every night. So, as Bill Bryson puts it in A Short History of Nearly Everything: “The next time you complain that there is nothing on, remember that you can always watch the birth of the universe.” What Bryson is referring to, in such an illuminating and funny way,…
ELSEWHERE AND OVERHEARD
Overheard “It’s not as if we were asking (the chimps) to give blood or write cheques to tsunami victims.” Joan Silk of the University of California, Los Angeles, part of a team that looked for evidence that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) will help other members of their group. The study revealed that apes don’t seem to give a monkey’s ass about their pals. (Nature) “Sword swallowing thus raises at least two uncertainties. What is the incidence of complications, and how often do they stomach it?” Brian Witcombe, radiologist consultant, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, UK on the incidence of esophageal perforations and other…
THE ACKEE FRUIT (BLIGHIA SAPIDA) AND ITS ASSOCIATED TOXIC EFFECTS
Introduction The islands of the Caribbean account for less than 0.03% of the world’s landmass and are enriched with a wide variety of flora and fauna. More than 2% of the world’s total number of plant and vertebrate species are endemic there [1]. Due to the regions rich diversity of flora and fauna, there is increasing interest in the isolation of natural products which have been found to possess a wide range of interesting biological activities. Hypoglycin A, an unusual amino acid, was initially isolated from the ackee fruit and has been the focus of many years of research due…
THE ACKEE FRUIT (BLIGHIA SAPIDA) AND ITS ASSOCIATED TOXIC EFFECTS
Introduction The islands of the Caribbean account for less than 0.03% of the world’s landmass and are enriched with a wide variety of flora and fauna. More than 2% of the world’s total number of plant and vertebrate species are endemic there [1]. Due to the regions rich diversity of flora and fauna, there is increasing interest in the isolation of natural products which have been found to possess a wide range of interesting biological activities. Hypoglycin A, an unusual amino acid, was initially isolated from the ackee fruit and has been the focus of many years of research due…