It is seven in the morning and your alarm is chirping away, or maybe it’s the morning sun, or the screech of a parent pressed for time. Regardless of the method from which you awake from your slumber, you crawl out of bed and feel that familiar morning growl emanating from your hungry gut. Some might grab a snack and quickly rush out the door, others might ruminate over an elaborate breakfast, and some are content with a simple bowl of oatmeal. This often first and necessary act of the day is repeated by billions of humans around the globe…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From archive
ISAAC NEWTON, STANDING ON THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS. EXCERPTS FROM HIS DIARY
“If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Isaac Newton in a letter to his rival Robert Hooke, 1676 – – – May 14th, 1665 Went to the post office today, thinking that I’d be picking up a grant proposal from the Royal Society. Imagine my surprise when I turned up and instead of a grant, there was a giant waiting for me. May 22nd, 1665 A week later and I’m still a bit confused on what to do with the giant, especially since it follows me relentlessly. Friends have not been much help in…
FRACTALS
As an artist who has always used natural forms as my subject and began my career by painting Rembrandt-like portraits of white roses, my interest in Chaos Theory and fascination with one of its components – fractals – led to a permanent transformation of my artistic vision. To echo William Blake, I see the world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of my hand, and eternity in an hour. My subject is no longer simply a flower. By stripping away the mask of the exterior form and magnifying the image…
ADVICE FOR POTENTIAL GRADUATE STUDENTS
(CLICK HERE FOR PIN-UP POSTER – pdf file ~85k) – We suggest photocopying at 129% – LTR to 11×17 – We currently have room in the lab for more graduate students. But before you apply to this lab or any other, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, be realistic about graduate school. Graduate school in biology is not a sure path to success. Many students assume that they will eventually get a job just like their advisor’s. However, the average professor at a research university has three students at a time for about 5 years each.…
THE BPA DISRUPTOR (A SHORT PLAY)
Scene. An empty lecture hall, stage, or an open space. RACHEL, a scientist researching the impact of bisphenol A on Bantam chickens, has entered a science competition requiring her to act out her research topic in pantomime. Enlisting the help of a friend, CARLSON, to help her with the “dance” performance, CARLSON’S reluctance is countered by RACHEL’s enthusiasm for the competition. RACHEL: (pointing to the script) Just read it. CARLSON: (in disbelief) Why did I let you talk me into this? RACHEL: (insisting) Read it. CARLSON: I’m not even sure I understand what it means. RACHEL: (confidently) It resonates. It’s…
SEEING GRAVITY AND THE (INVISIBLE) UNIVERSE
The prediction of gravitational waves, which are the ripples of space and time, is a major theory that many scientists are working hard to confirm. Emmanuel Fonseca talks about how the detection of these waves would uncover previously invisible objects such as black holes and cosmic strings, and may have further important implications. Emmanuel, a 2nd year PhD student in Physics and Astronomy, gives an informative introduction to gravity, gravitational waves, and what research into this concept could mean for the world. In his talk he also speaks to the importance of communicating scientific research and science education.
HOW TO MAKE A HAIRLESS WOOKIEE: IDENTIFICATION AND FUNCTION OF DE NOVO GLABR GENE IN WOOKIEE WOOKIEE
(This is the THIRD paper on a special issue on Wookiee science. You can read the first here, and the second here). Annals of Praetachoral Mechanics. (2014). Vol 1. pp29-38 pdf download. ABSTRACT We present evidence for the de novo origin of the Wookiee wookiee protein-coding gene GLABR since their divergence from humans. This gene has no protein-coding homolog in any other genome but its presence is supported by evidence from expression and hybridization data. Furthermore, other near-human species such as Zeltron, Chiss, and Sullustan share the human ortholog of this locus, which supports the inference that the ancestral sequence…
CANCER, A COMIC STRIP: THE ADVENTURES OF CRAFTY UNCONTROLLED MUTANT CELLS.
(Click on images for full size)
HOW TO MANAGE A HOTEL WITH AN INFINITE NUMBER OF ROOMS
It will help to know a little math. We don’t mean fancy math like differential calculus, the Mandelbrot set and Fermat’s Last Theorem. We mean the ability to juggle lists with an infinite number of items in your head without getting dizzy. An appreciation for very large numbers will also be beneficial. Most people have a concept of infinity that is far too small. You must disabuse them of their petty notions and expand their idea of infinity at every opportunity. You can prime your guests in this direction by keeping a few large numbers at your disposal. For example,…