Eating Healthy

Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma -- one of NY Times' best books of 2006 -- explains why America is getting fat and unhealthy. The culprit? Processed and refined foods. Our bodies are not adapted to eating Easy Mac, Kit Kat bars, white bread, or even supposedly 'healthy' food products like cereal bars. So avoid food that your great-great-grandmother wouldn't recognize and stick to the good stuff -- the less ingredients used in a product, the better. Eat vegetables (leafy veggies are best), and don't eat too much. Sound tough, but it's better than any of the alternatives: obesity, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.

Most Popular Myths in Science

Livescience.com is debunking the top 20 myths in science:
- Chickens can live without a head
- A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's
- Water drains backwards in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation
- Hair and fingernails continue growing after death
- There is no gravity in space
- A falling cat will always land on its feet
- Humans use only 10 percent of their brains
- Men think about sex every seven seconds
- Eating a poppy seed bagel mimics opium use
- You get less wet by running in the rain
- A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian
- The five second rule
- Adults don't grow new brain cells
- Animals can predict natural disasters
- Chicken soup can cure the common cold
- Seasons are caused by the Earth's proximity to the sun
- Yawning is "contagious"
- The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space
- Lightning never strikes the same place twice
- It takes seven years to digest gum

My favorite myth: A falling cat will always land on its feet
Studies have demonstrated that, when dropped from most heights, cats will land gracefully on their feet. Results change only with cats dropped upside-down from a height of one foot or less. We're not suggesting you try this at home.

Wonder which of the other claims are true and which are false? View the page here.

World's ugliest dog

I was watching TV last summer when I stumbled across the world's ugliest dog competition. There were a lot of ugly dogs in 2006, but none could hold a candle to Sam, the world's ugliest dog until his death in 2005. Truly hideous.

Parkour

This is one of my favorite online vids. If the link is dead, type "Russian jumping" into video.google.com. And don't try this at home.

Smart or Stoopid?

Take the test...I'll tell you my score if you tell me yours :)

Comet McNaught

Lucky night star gazers in Australia and the southern hemisphere were able to catch stunning views of Comet McNaught earlier this month.

The photo above was taken from the NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

A brain injury that wipes out cigarette addiction?

Researchers from the University of Iowa and U. of Southern California report that 12 people who suffered brain injuries to the insula were able to quit smoking cigarettes without difficulty (but 6 people with similar injuries did not quit).

The insula is a specific region of the brain found near the ear. Researchers hypothesize that the insula's job is to interpret physical sensations like heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature into emotions. This latest study suggests that the insula may also be responsible for activating a smoker's craving for cigarettes.

Antismoking treatments based on these findings are probably years off -- doctors are not planning to inflict brain damage as a treatment for people who would like to quit smoking.

“The question is, Can you learn to deactivate the insula?” Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said. “Now, everybody’s going to be looking at the insula.”

Read the NY Times article. Thanks Ms. Vaughan for emailing me the article!

The Father of Micro-Biology

I would like to submit to Mr. Wu's distinguished consideration the following biological question which has long unsettled me. The Dutch scientist Anton von Leeuwenhoek, in the late 17th century, perfected microscope design to such an extent as to become the first human being to observe living cells, such as blood cells, muscle-fiber cells, bacteria and (ahem!) human spermatazoa. The scientific and lay community at large would like know, Mr. Wu, how exactly Mr. von Leeuwenhoek procured these cells.

Mr. Wu, please enlighten us. Inquiring minds want to know.

Beware of the fungi!

Tomorrow, we learn about fungi. Here's a creepy video of parasitic fungi to get you excited. Watch as the fruiting body of the fungus "erupt from the ant's head," as narrated by the venerable David Attenborough. Not for the squeamish!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

My grandmother turned 98 years young yesterday. She is an amazing woman. She's survived everything -- war, depression, immigration -- and managed to raise 8 children, 13 grandchildren, and maintain a happy marriage for over 75 years with my grandfather. Plus, she's the sweetest, most generous human being I've ever met. And I'm not just saying that because she's my grandmother.

Fruit art

Saxton Freymann is a NYC artist who creates characters out of fruit. He claims that each fruit or vegetable has its own personality. Using the wrinkles and features of the fruit as his guide, Freymann uses a knife to carve out emotional animals out of the fruit.

Does he make it?

Read the story of Ricky the Flying Raccoon, one brave little guy.

Fun with diatoms

Today in class you learned about diatoms, cool-looking unicellular eukaryotes classified in the protist kingdom. The Englishman Klaus Klemp, apparently, creates artwork by arranging these diatoms in patterns. Cool, but kind of weird.

A real world model?

What biological molecule does this staircase (with its shadow) resemble?

Will the real scientist please stand up?

A joke from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Christopher Haddon (p. 142):

"There are three men on a train. One of them is an economist [a person who studies money and finance] and one of them is a logician [a person who studies arguments and reasoning] and one of them is a mathematician. And they have just crossed the border into Scotland (I don't know why they are going to Scotland) and they see a brown cow standing in a field from the window of the train (and the cow is standing parallel to the train). And the economist says, 'Look, the cows in Scotland are brown.' And the logician says, 'No. There are cows in Scotland of which at least one is brown.' And the mathematician says, 'No. There is at least one cow in Scotland, of which one side appears to be brown.'"

Interview with an actress

Ms. Wu (no relation to me) is an actress living and working in New York City. She has appeared in films, commercials, plays, and TV shows like Law and Order.

Q1: Did you take any special classes to be an actor/actress?
A1: I went to college to study acting, and got my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts).

Q2: How long does it take to memorize your lines?
A2: Depends on the script. Shakespeare is much easier to memorize because it has a meter, and often, a rhyme. Contemporary scripts with lot of words like: "um" and "like" and "so" are more difficult to memorize because the thoughts/speeches are more disjointed. Usually you pick up the lines by rehearsing over and over after about 2 weeks.

Q3: Did you act in school?
A3: Of course!

Q4: Do you get calls for different roles or do you send out letters?
A4: I have an agent who calls me for different roles

Q5: Do you have any suggestions for a good acting school or a school that can prepare you for acting?
A5: Go to college. The following schools have great undergraduate programs: SUNY Purchase, North Carolina School of the Arts, Carnegie Melon, Boston University, Cinncinatic Conservatory of Music, Northwestern, Juilliard, Rutgers.

Skip NYU (undergrad) and Columbia. These programs are not respected, and cost way too much, (NYU Graduate Acting program, however, is
highly respected, but I suspect you'll be too young to be thinking about your masters yet).

It is also a good idea to get a solid, regular undergraduate education and then pursue acting later---in your graduate degree. That way you'll have gained the life experience and maturity to really develop your characters and work on your craft in graduate school. Sometimes kids work on acting too soon---before they have enough life experience to understand characters/people/humans. Of course, for some, it is just innate.

Q6: What made you want to be an actor or actress?
A6: It is fun, it is creative, and it is rewarding. that is why I do it.

Happy Belated B-Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals. They are complementary."

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed."

"Many people fear nothing more terribly than to take a position which stands out sharply and clearly from the prevailing opinion. The tendency of most is to adopt a view that is so ambiguous that it will include everything and so popular that it will include everybody. Not a few men who cherish lofty and noble ideals hide them under a bushel for fear of being called different."

Word.

Career Advice

Professor John Krumboltz teaches at one of the nation's most prestigous universities, Stanford University. Here's his career advice, summarized from the article, "How People Choose Career Paths."

1) Think positively! Don't let a few obstacles or setbacks prevent you from pursuing a career. Scared of blood? Doesn't mean you can't be a doctor -- many doctors have overcome this fear quite easily.
2) Do a little research! Many people never decide what they want to do -- they simply end up with a job and stick with it. "A decision with such profound consequences deserves careful study," Krumboltz says.
3) Don't choose a career because you think it will earn you prestige or respect -- choose a career that will make you happy and successful. Lots of students want to be doctors, lawyers, or professors, but there are plenty of other rewarding and valuable careers.

Interview with a theatre actor

Mr. Dingman is a fellow Swarthmore alum and currently performing in the play, "Kill Me Like You Mean It." He's not only an actor, but also an improv comedian as well. Here's his responses to Chanel's questions about being an actor.

Q1: Did you take any special classes to be an actor/actress?
A1: Yes, I've taken classes in scene study, voice, and movement from a variety of different teachers. A lot of acting classes have similar names, but no two are the same.

Q2: How long does it take to memorize your lines?
A2: HOURS. I think I'm a bit slower at it than most, but I'd say I need about an hour per five pages of script.

Q3: Did you act in school?
A3: Yes, since 2nd grade. I then went on to major in theatre studies in college.

Q4: Do you get calls for different roles or do you send out letters?
A4: A little of both...once you send out enough letters, you hopefully start to get a small trickle of auditions, and then hopefully from there you get cast in something, and from all of this you meet people who sometimes call you. I find I have to try to keep up with both at the same time.

Q5: Do you have any suggestions for a good acting school or a school that can prepare you for acting?
A5: It depends on your interests of course, but I really appreciated the opportunity to study at a liberal arts school while I was majoring in theatre, because it gives you a perspective on your work, and allows you to cultivate interests for those times, which are all too frequent, when you're not getting to act. Once I got to New York, I started taking acting classes at a couple of studios around the city (Upright Citizens Brigade, which I don't really reccommend, and Studio Dante, which has been excellent). There are hundreds of these classes, and I think they're invaluable because they keep you sharp and connect you to other actors and teachers, which is the only really reliable way to know what's going on in the city. The advice you'll get casually in class is more valuable than anything I've ever read in a book.

Q6: What made you want to be an actor or actress?
A6: Watching Jim Carrey in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." I thought, "if this guy doesn't care what people think of him, then I shouldn't either." It's developed from there, of course, but I have to admit that was the thing that gave me the spark.

Being an Emergency Room Doc

Many of you have expressed an interest in becoming a doctor someday. But what does it take? And what is the job actually like? Dr. Shen, an old family friend of mine, is a physician working in a NYC emergency room. From the sound of it, he's got his hands full in the ER. Thankfully, though, he has graciously taken time out of his busy life to answer Victor's questions. Read on to see what he has to say...

Q1: What happens every day? What do you do?
A1: I see essentially anyone that makes his way into the Emergency room for whatever reason. This includes people who are itchy, are in pain, have been shot/stabbed, hit by a car, are giving birth, smelled something funny, have pus coming out of their arm, have diarrhea, are vomiting blood, want medications, hear voices, twist their ankle, are severely drunk, or are just visiting. My job is to figure out what's going as fast as I can without missing anything dangerous or life threatening and then to fix the problem either through medications, procedures, or referring to the appropriate specialist, like your heart doctor, or your surgeon for instance who might do something much more invasive like open heart surgery or removing your appendix. I don't do surgeries, but what I do include draining pus pockets, putting tubes down tracheas to help patients breath, and doing spinal taps.

Q2: If something goes wrong, what do you do?
A2: There are things that you can't predict happening, and you do the best you can. There are many other doctors working at the same time, many of which are specialists who can give their input as to what's going on if you ever have a question. If something goes wrong and you're responsible, you own up to it, and examine the case so problems like that don't happen in the future. Patients are very unpredictable and some even lie against their own better judgement.

Q3: Are you happy with what you do?
A3: Yes. It's very fulfulling at the end of the day. When you're in the midst of the madness in the Ed it's easy to lose sight of why you do what you do since you're stressed, tired, and frankly, people in emergency situations aren't the nicest folk. However, when all the dust settles, you yourself know what you've done and the good you've done for these people. Half of the patients you make a huge difference for and you can tell they're appreciative. Another quarter leave mad wondering why they spent so much time in the ED. These patients usually aren't that sick and have problems that I can't fix in one day. I don't feel bad that I couldn't fix them, it's just the nature of the disease or the human. The last quarter end up in the hospital, hopefully assured in some way that we the doctors know what's going on, but also somewhat apprehensive over the future course of the disease which may be dependent on the next several days of treatment or impending surgery.

Q4: Do you regret any decisions that you made as a doctor?
A4: I'm lucky since I'm still in training and none of the final decisions are on my shoulders; however, there are always decisions that are being made that you don't quite 100% agree with. In truth, it's very difficult to know what exactly is going on with many of the patients. You have limited resources and often limited information to make your decision and there will always be doubt. The trick is to make that doubt small enough by knowledge or tests so you can be reasonably assured that this person can go home safely.

Q5: What did you do to become a doctor?
A5: I went to college for 4 years, took a hard exam, went to medical school for 4 years, took more exams, and poof here I am. It's like jumping through hoops. You know exactly how high and how far the hoops are. The question you must ask yourself is if you are willing to put in the time and effort. Also, you have to decide if it is in fact what you want out of life / career. There a many ways to help people, many ways to make money, many ways to do good in the world -- becoming a doctor is a long journey, but a worthwhile one if you're doing it for the right reasons.

Thanks for your input, doc! Got a comment for Dr. Shen? Post them below! Want to hear from other professions? Write down your questions, post them, and I will see what I can do!

Volcanoes in Antarctica?!?

Check out this photograph from photojournalist George Steinmetz. Steinmetz specializes in photographing remote (far away) and harsh places. For this assignment, he traveled all the way to Antarctica to take photographs of an active volcano, which appear in the December issue of the Smithsonian magazine.

If you think about it, volcanoes in Antarctica are not all that implausible. Recall from Earth Science that volcanoes typically occur in one of three places: 1) convergent plate boundaries, 2) divergent plate boundaries and 3) hot spots. (Here's a quick refresher on plate tectonics and volcanoes) So Antarctica is probably situated near the boundary between these tectonic plates or near a hot spot.

Antarctica is not only place where you'll find a warm oasis caught in a winter wonderland. Iceland is a volcanic island found on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Even though it's fairly cold all year round, Icelanders take advantage of their geographic location by using hot springs and geysers to provide geothermal energy and year round outdoor bathing!

"Dat" is a Hoax

When we were learning about genetics in November, Tiffany, Carlos and a few other students brought up an article in the NY Post about a cat giving birth to puppies. "Cool," I said, "but highly unlikely."

A little research confirmed my suspicion. According to the NY Daily News, blood tests show that a cat had not given birth to puppies. Sorry ladies and gentlemen, there's no such thing as a "dat" or "cog."

Don't believe everything you see, hear, or read about. A good scientist will be skeptical of information that is not supported by evidence!

At least we still have ligers, tigons, mules, and hinnys (hinnies?)! A liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion Panthera leo and a female tiger Panthera tigris. A tigon is a hybrid cross between a male tiger and a female lion. To my knowledge, these crosses have only occurred in captivity and not in the wild. These hybrids make more sense, because they share a similar evolutionary history and even belong to the same genus Panthera.

What is a mule and a hinny? First person to correctly identify these hybrid crosses (using the proper scientific terms) wins a sweet prize! Submit your answer in the comments section at the bottom right hand corner of this post.

Ublach, Not Oobleck

Ms. Carmody noted that the term "ublach" closely resembles the quasi-scientific term "oobleck."

Oobleck is a mixture of 1 part water to 1.5-2 parts cornstarch, and the play stuff of elementary and middle schools everywhere. It's fun to play with because it's a non-Newtonian fluid. Non-Newtonian fluids don't act like typical solids, liquids, or gases. For example, oobleck normally behaves like a liquid, but when it's stressed (e.g., squeezed between your fingers), it behaves like a solid.

A foreign TV show filled a small swimming pool full of oobleck, and filmed people running across the pool. If the participants move quickly, the oobleck acts like a solid and people can run across the pool. If they take too much time getting across, however, the oobleck acts like a liquid. What do you think happens to these unlucky participants? See for yourself who makes it across the gauntlet.

Also, check out what happens when people put oobleck on top of a powerful speaker and blow air at it. The strange patterns are a result of the sound waves moving through the fluid.

Oobleck is a particular type of non-Newtonian fluid, known as a dilatant or shear-thickening fluid (STF). These fluids have many applications. For example, scientists are trying to use dilatants or STFs to make body armor. Normally, the body armor is gel-like, but when a bullet strikes the armor, it instantly becomes bullet proof.

If you're interested in oobleck, make a batch of it yourself at home (don't worry, it's fun and easy to make...just be sure to clean up the mess). If you want to learn more about strange and fun materials, read this article in the New Scientist (disclaimer: this article is intended for advanced students). Let me know how it goes.

Bathing Ape Hoodie

Those of you who have been around me enough know that I've been jonesing for a cool hoodie for some time. I think I finally found a brand I like: "Bape" or "A Bathing Ape."

Here's the description from Bape's myspace: The company was started in 1993 by Nigo as a T-shirt brand, originating in the Harajuku area of Shibuya in Tokyo, becoming one of the first Japanese streetwear brands. Bape's logo and themes are derived from the original Planet of the Apes movies, while the brand's name is based on a common Japanese saying, "bathing in lukewarm water", describing the willingness of Japan's youth to follow popular trends.

Sounds cool, n'est-ce pas? Thanks Shana for the tip.

I don't think I'll actually pay the $100-200 to buy one though. First of all, I'd rather spend that money on something I actually need, like food. Second, I know that once I start wearing something, it becomes un-cool. Third, "Mr. Wu" + "urban streetwear" are two phrases I just don't feel comfortable mixing. I think I'll stick to hand-me-down clothing from my brother and friends.

Links: NYT article on Bape's SoHo store, Wikipedia article on Bape.

Career Day

A few weeks ago, Victor suggested that Mott Hall 3 hold a Career Day, inviting speakers to come in and talk about their jobs. While I think that's a fantastic idea, it may be a bit difficult to organize. So, instead, I thought that we could interview some of my friends via email, and post these responses on my blog. Luckily, I know a few people who probably wouldn't mind taking 10 minutes out of their day to answer a few questions for you all.

Off the top of my head, here are some careers I know people involved in: architect, author, banker, biologist, chemist, child advocate, computer engineer, consultant, dentist, drum instructor, economist, emergency medical technician, engineer, entrepreneur, graphic designer, journalist, lab technician, lawyer, medical doctor, nurse, performance artist, pharmacist, professional athlete, professional poker player, teacher, writing instructor.

If you're interested in another career, let me know and maybe we can find someone to talk to.

Choose a career that you're interested in. Do some research about it on the internet, and then come up with some questions you want to ask a person in this field. If you do a good job, I'll forward the email, and hopefully we'll see some interviews published on this blog in the next few weeks!

iPhone

The new iPhone sure has a beautiful interface, and it's a touch screen to boot! Check out Jeff Han's cool work on touch screens at NYU and his presentation at a TED Conference. Anybody want an A in science? Do what you got to do...

Beautiful Photos of Insects

Check out 2,000+ pics of insects in this photoset on Flickr.

Blackalicious' Alphabet Aerobics

An amazing anthem, bet yr bottom u can't compete w/ da distinct elevated flavorings of Gift of Gab.

Jayvon's Virus vs. Bacteria Skit

Listen to the skit, Virus vs. Bacteria.

The assignment was to write a funny skit about a virus and a bacterium debating which one is better. Include comments about their appearance (structure, size, etc.), abilities (good and/or bad), and anything else that they can boast about.

Dr. Tyson on The Colbert Report

Last year, Neil DeGrasse Tyson appeared on the Colbert Report after the IAU classified Pluto and three other round objects in the solar system as dwarf planets. Both Dr. Tyson and Stephen Colbert were not happy about the IAU's decision.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Did you know that one of America's most famous astrophysicists grew up in the Bronx? You may have seen him hosting the PBS series "Origins," or appearing as a guest on "The Colbert Report," explaining the International Astronomical Union's decision to "downgrade" Pluto's planetary status.

Dr. Tyson is currently the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. I had the great fortune of hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson speak to a group of teachers (on several occasions) and he is even more "cool, classy, articulate, and brilliant" in person then he is on TV.

Learn more about Dr. Tyson on Wikipedia or check out his autobiography, The Sky is Not the Limit.

More evidence of evolution -- bubble-sniffing noses

When star-nosed moles are exploring, they release a stream of bubbles and suck them back into their noses. Why? Dr. Kenneth Catania believed that these mammals were making air bubbles to sniff the water -- odors could cross from the water and into the air bubble. To test his hypothesis, Dr. Catania made two paths, one leading to food. When the moles used air bubbles, they chose the path leading to food 85% of the time. When the moles couldn't use air bubbles, they chose the correct path only 50% of the time.

So what's this got to do with evolution? These noses are an example of how evolution works -- instead of reinventing a nose that could sniff odors in water, the star-nosed mole adapted its terrestrial nose to function in water. Certainly not perfect, but far better than not being able to smell in water at all.

Read the article by Carl Zimmer in the New York Times. The photo above is copyrighted by Dr. Catania

A Useful Website for Your Bacteria Projects

Microbe World has a list called "bacteria of note." Click here to check out the list (on the right hand column of the page). For pics, go to Google, put in the scientific name of the bacterium, and click on images.

BACTERIA OF NOTE

Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, a deadly disease in cattle and a potential bioweapon against humans.

Brucella abortus causes breeding losses in livestock.

Cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae) live in water, where they produce large amounts of the oxygen we breathe.

Escherichia coli (a.k.a. E. coli) lives in the gut, where it helps digest food and produces Vitamin K. The "bad" strain of E. coli O157:H7 causes severe foodborne sickness.

Lactobacillus bulgaricus helps turn milk into cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products.

Bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis, a major killer from the past that has recently resurged with the advent of AIDS.

Rhizobia convert free nitrogen into a form that the plants can use in order to grow.

Staphylococcus (a.k.a. staph) can cause serious infections and is one of the most drug-resistant bacteria.

Streptococcus pneumoniae causes strep throat, meningitis, and pneumonia.

Streptomyces griseus makes the antibiotic streptomycin.

Thermus aquaticus is a heat-loving bacterium from which scientists got the enzyme Taq polymerase that makes routine DNA fingerprinting and gene sequencing possible.

Human Ear + Mouse = Creepy + Cool

A few weeks ago, I mentioned in class that scientists were able to insert a segment of human DNA into a mouse genome in order to produce a human ear. Okay, I lied...scientists did not insert the ear gene (a rather stupid assertion on my part, because it's unlikely the ear is coded by just one gene -- it probably takes several genes to code for an ear, making it a polygenic trait), but actual cartilage cells. Cartilage is the squishy connective tissue that makes up your ears and nose. The cells underwent mitosis (cell division) inside of a mold to form the ear. There's a cool picture of the mouse in this article on the BBC Web site (Warning: not for the squeamish!). For a more complete explanation of this process, check out this post at madsci.org.

How's this for pure creativity?

Mr. Rogers talks to the US senate

It's about time...

to start my own blog. Watch out!