Vol. II Issue No. 2 by Dickinson Science Magazine

DickinsonScienceMagazine

28 April 2016 - Vol. 2 Issue No. 2

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CONTENTS 28 April 2016 - Volume 2, Issue Number 2

Editor’s Choice

Research

Technology

Imposter Syndrome

Hooked: Heroin in America

Earth Science & 3D Printing

Inside Kaufman 124

Apple vs FBI

The Science of Drug Policy

Solar Air Heaters & Biogas Digester: Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

Stigma: Mental Health in America

What a Toad Wants, What a Toad Needs

Bacteria, Oxygen, Pressure: The Adversaries of Wound Healing

Solar Cells: The Energy Source of the Future?

Science News 10

In Brief

World News

History Made in Paris: Climate Talks a Success

30 The Joey Chestnut of Pest Predators

Opinion 36

The Importance of Scientific Literacy

Exercise Helps You Think

Learning to Think Differently for Science

Society of Physics Students’ High Altitude Balloon

Mobile Phone Use and Male Infertility

Optopelectronic Microprocessors Right Around the Corner & What It Means

Drug Discovery Goes Back To School

Features 20 The Case for Individual Be- havioral Changes Towards Sustainability 24

Need For Green: Exploring Dickinson’s New Sustainability Requirement

Entertainment 38

Gattaca: The Future of Identity Theft

Confessions of a Sociopath

Memento

Under the Microscope with Missy Niblock

Crossword Puzzle

Letter from the Editor Hello, Dickinsonians!

ing solutions that are sustainable over time. For example, the problem This is Volume 2 Issue of climate change requires a susNumber 2 of the Dickinson Science tainable solution. This can mean Magazine! My name is Zoe Irons, finding an alternative energy source and this is my first semester as that is clean and renewable, but it Editor-in-Chief. My new executive also means finding a solution that is board (Hannah Hartman as Manag- practical and economically feasible ing editor and Courtney Gamache over a long period of time. Thinking as Executive Layout Editor) and I about sustainability in these broader have worked hard with our section terms can expand sustainability far editors this semester to bring you beyond issues of the environment. this issue for Spring 2016. This spring break, I had the The theme of this issue is opportunity to go to Americus, sustainability. Although the content Georgia as a member of a Dickinson of this issue focuses more on the sci- College service trip. My group of ence of environmental sustainability fourteen students worked with the at Dickinson, the term sustainabilFuller Center for housing to fix up ity can be applied so much more a house for a low-income family. broadly and discussed in many However, the Fuller Center ensures other contexts. the work they do is not simply char For example, last semester I ity. Homeowners are expected worked on Dance Theatre Group’s to pay for the materials required for performance “Movement Matters,” repairs according to a payment plan which featured choreography inadjusted for their income, and conspired by pollution and the effect of tribute in some form to the physical plastic waste on ocean life. Members work that has to be done. This is of DTG danced freely at first, then meant to be a sustainable, longwith plastic bags hanging from their term solution for people in need of arms. Eventually, the bags became housing, teaching them the value entangled in their hair and more of their own work, and the value of bags were blown on stage with their home. People are meant to be fans, covering the stage and imped- inspired to care for their home and ing their movements. Part of the work hard to better their lives. dance was overlaid with images of Through working on the the harms garbage has inflicted on magazine this semester, I have seen animals and the environment. The applications of sustainability far bechoreography by professor of dance yond the sciences– to art, socio-ecoSarah Skaggs was very powerful and nomic issues, and even to everyday the implied weight of the plastic problem-solving. Whether we bags on the dancers brought a hurealize it or not, sustainability plays man element to problems we usua fundamental role in many aspects ally only think of abstractly– things of life and society, and I hope this that happen to animals far out in the issue of our magazine can convey ocean that no one will see. that. Happy reading! I think of sustainability in terms of problem solving. Truly ef— Zoe Irons, ’18 fective problem solving means find4

DSM Dickinson Science Magazine Editor-in-Chief Zoe Irons ’18 Managing Editor Hannah Hartman ’18 Executive Layout Editor Courtney Gamache ’18 Associate Layout Editor Nidhi Charan ’17 News Editor Tom Wegman ’19 Features Editor Eli Kane ’19 Research Editor Sahil Nayyar ’16 Science & Technology Editor Jacqueline Hwang ’19 Science & Entertainment Editor Zach Benalayat ’17 Opinion Editor Nate Scheinberg ’19 Photography Editor Katie Davison ’16 Photographers Maddie Underhill ’19 Executive Copy Editor Bridget Jones ’17 Copy Editors Sarah Dembling ’19 Alexis Scott ’19 Allison Curley ’19 William Boyes ’19 Event Coordinator Janice Wiss Faculty Advisor Missy Niblock Email: scinews@dickinson.edu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ DsonScienceMagazine/ Issuu: http://issuu.com/dickinsonsciencemagazine

Editor’s Choice

IMPOSTER SYNDROME By Justine Hayward ’18

t 2:44 AM on January 5, I woke up in a cold sweat. The topic of my current nightmare was the biology research project necessary to complete my major. Although this quick bout of existential anxiety is usually cured by tea and acoustic folk, this episode proved to be an exception. Through a long Google search binge, I found a few links regarding a sociological phenomenon called imposter syndrome. This is when someone is unable to internalize their

“This is when someone is unable to internalize their accomplishments, despite their competence and proof of success.” accomplishments, despite their competence and proof of success. The populations who suffer with this chronically are high-achieving women and African-Americans. After reading a few articles on imposter syndrome, I realized that I am part of both groups. The imposter syndrome article is reading more like my biography than a psychological phenomenon. The more I read, the more people I know who have expressed these feelings of inadequacy despite being

brilliant. During this quest for more information, I finally found out why this research project was the cause of so much anxiety: I believed I did not deserve every opportunity up to this point. I was worried that someone would discover that I was not intelligent enough and had somehow slipped through the proverbial academic cracks. All of these fears that were objectively inaccurate came to light– any success I have had is a byproduct of the women’s rights movement and affirmative action, I should probably just give up and so someone more deserving can take my spot. As I thought this, the song “Circle of Life” from The Lion King came on my iTunes shuffle. This song was why I became interested in science, specifically biology. This interest in the life cycle led to my passion for healthcare and medicine, and has resulted in this moment of panic about research. I realized that I belong in my life. This is not a clerical error; I am meant to ask these scientific questions and seek answers. As long as I love this, I am more than capable of accomplishing this hurdle of a research project and any other obstacle that lies in my way. As I write this manifesto about my relationship with science and the path that I am on, I realize that my dream is not an impossible one, for it is uniquely mine, and cannot be taken away.

Editor’s Choice

Inside Kaufman 124 By Cheyenne Moore ’18 The Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) occupies a quiet corner of Kaufman Hall. Not many Dickinson students are familiar with the organization and its work, so – what is ALLARM? The Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring, founded in 1986, is a non-profit organization and a program of Dickinson College. ALLARM’s main goal is to educate, engage, and empower communities with scientific tools to assess local stream health. We assist concerned individuals and communities in designing water monitoring plans that they can carry out on their local waterways and provide workshops so that volunteers can collect biological, chemical, and physical data. These volunteers can then interpret and use their data according to their goals – some use the data to work with local municipalities to develop zoning and ordinances to protect local streams, while others use data to report pollution hotspots to the state. In Carlisle, ALLARM works with the Borough to educate about the LeTort Spring Run and what homeowners can do to reduce their pollution footprint; additionally, we are contracted by the LeTort Regional Authority to test the LeTort. ALLARM also works on the regional and national level to collaborate with other volunteer monitoring programs and explore diverse ways to use volunteer collected data for water management and policy purposes. What is the ALLARM lab? As a lab coordinator, I have had the opportunity to become familiar with the lab and all of its functions. In the lab, we receive water samples and provide quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for volunteer water monitors to

verify that they are using their equipment correctly. We do this using the same equipment the volunteers use, as well as more sophisticated, accurate equipment in the lab. For example, a large part of our QA/QC program includes samples from volunteers participating in our shale gas monitoring program. This program was developed by ALLARM in response to monitors’ increased concerns about potential water pollution from fracking for natural gas in the Marcellus and Utica Shale. ALLARM developed a pollution reporting protocol to alert key regulatory agencies in Pennsylvania to stream pollution incidents. The volunteers’ data are verified through the ALLARM lab, so it is seen as data of known quality. Volunteers have had great success in people responding to pollution alerts. What do I do as a lab coordinator on a typical day? Usually there are shale gas samples to test. We keep track of all monitoring information and record results for conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and sometimes pH. After the samples have been tested, they are sent off for barium and strontium testing at a certified lab. Once every two months we go to ten sites along the LeTort Spring Run, from its headwaters to its confluence with the Conodoguinet Creek, and collect data and samples. These samples are also tested for conductivity, TDS, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate-nitrogen, and orthophosphate. Another part of the lab is helping prepare equipment for workshops where ALLARM travels to facilitate volunteer monitoring. There many other project areas of ALLARM that are integral to the organization success as well.

Visit https://www.dickinson.edu/allarm to learn more! 6

Editor’s Choice

Photos Courtesy of Adrienne Brown ’167

Editor’s Choice

The Science of Drug Policy By Anna Murdoch ’18 and Jackson Zyontz ’17

An average of 110 people in the United States die every day due to drug overdoses on legal and illegal substances. While this number is staggering, an understanding of harm reduction, especially on college campuses, is helping pave the way for safer and more sensible drug policies. In October of 2014, Pennsylvania passed a Good Samaritan Law to combat the epidemic of heroin overdoses in the state. The Attorney General has estimated that 40,000 residents of Pennsylvania are heroin users. Pennsylvania’s Good Samaritan Law allows law enforcement officers to carry the drug naloxone, which immediately reverses the effects of opiate overdoses. Dickinson College’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) helped pass a similar policy on campus with help for the Department of Public Safety and the administrative staff. Under Dickinson’s Good Samaritan Policy, students who overdose on illicit substances are able to seek medical treatment without fear of prosecution. SSDP’s mission on campus is to implement harm reduction policies in order to make campus safer for students are in need of medical attention due to drug usage. SSDP has created a harm reduction station at Dickinson’s fall and spring concerts. Free water is available for students who need it as well as student liaisons between students and campus security. SSDP members are also on hand to provide information about drug safety and sensibility. While many people view SSDP’s only focus as legalization issues, the organization’s true purpose on campus is to create a safer space for students.

An average of 110 people in the United States die every day due to drug overdoses on legal and illegal substances.

Editor’s Choice

STIGMA MENTAL HEALTH IN AMERICA By Carol Fadalla ’18

Why is it that when someone has a mental illness, they are told to get over it or just “perk up” as if the power to get better is in their hands, but we never seem inclined to tell people with a broken leg to just “walk it off?” There seems to be a tendency in our society to feel sympathetic towards every part of the body but the brain. One in four Americans are affected by mental illness, but stigma still prevails and we are the ones who continue to reinforce it. Media coverage of shootings has been stigmatizing mental illnesses and creating negative images when, in fact, people with mental illnesses are more likely to harm themselves than others around AMERICANS them. These images push people ARE AFECTED BY away from seeking treatment in fear of how others will view them, and with good reason. Lack of awareness about mental health is a serious flaw in our society that we must work to alleviate. Mental health is a catalyst for many other disadvantages. People with mental illnesses are heavily discriminated against in the workforce and are more likely to end up unemployed or homeless. Since having a mental illness does not qualify a person for disability aid, many people find themselves jobless with no financial or social support. Additionally, prisons in America have ten times more mentally ill individuals than psychiatric hospitals. Unsurprisingly, many leave the prisons

1 IN 4

MENTAL ILLNESS

sicker than when they arrived. The first barrier to getting treatment is lack of services. There simply are not enough resources or personnel to support the need. The second is the high cost of psychiatric and psychological treatment. Many families cannot afford to pay for therapy and insurance does not always cover it (if the individual is insured). So what is the solution? As a society, we need to end the silence and taboo. Schools should educate children from an early age on how to deal with mental illness and we need to make it acceptable for people to openly talk about their illness without being discriminated against. Our prison system needs to focus less on punishment and more on rehabilitation. Although we have made significant advancements in treatments for diseases such as cancer and diabetes, we still have yet to make similar progress in tackling the mental health epidemic in America. The US National Institute of Health gave $5.3 billion to cancer research as compared to the $2.2 billion spent on mental health research. This is not to say that cancer research is not important, but that same focus should be placed on mental health research. Fortunately, with the new developments in schizophrenia research, we may start to see a shift in focus to tackling the hard questions about the cause of mental illnesses and the creation of effective, accessible treatments. Mental illness isn’t something that will just go away. But hopefully, awareness and research can end the stigma and taboo on those affected.

INNOVATIONS IN THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY “Who or what is held accountable when a self-driving car accidentally kills someone? Is it the culprit, the computerized ‘driver,’ or the human inventor?”

EXERCISE AND YOUR BRAIN “Researchers have found there is a direct link between exercise and brain function, and not just for elderly people with dementia...” 10

DICKINSON’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENT “It gives the students an opportunity to have some familiarity and understanding of the issues related to sustainability, which goes beyond simply the environment.”

DICKINSON COLLEGE’S PHYSICS CLUB The High-Altitude Balloon Project ... is looking to be one of the riskiest and most aggressive projects the club has ever attempted.

In Brief an overview of this issue’s content

News

WORLD NEWS By Sarah Dembling ’19

A SECOND “GREEN REVOLUTION?” A recent breakthrough in DNA technology has allowed scientists to complete DNA sequencing for over 3,000 varieties of rice. This new information will allow rice breeders to produce a greater amount of rice under stressful conditions. Scientists view the advancement as a potential second “green revolution” that will increase food security for rice eaters around the world. http://phys.org/news/2016-02-dna-rice-breakthroughgreen-revolution.html

SHARKS STUDIES GIVE INSIGHT INTO HUMAN TOOTH REGENERATION Researchers recently identified a network of genes involved in the formation of dental lamina for sharks. Both humans and sharks have dental lamina, which are a set of cells that allow for regeneration in teeth. However, humans only have two – one for baby teeth and one for adult teeth – while sharks have enough to allow for a lifetime of tooth production. As scientists continue their shark studies, they can create innovatory changes for the dental world and for those who deal with tooth loss. http://phys.org/news/2016-02-jaws-humans-teethshark.html

News

A NEW AND UNIQUE WAY TO TREAT DEPRESSION: VIRTUAL REALITY THERAPY Virtual reality therapy is being explored for its potential benefits in reducing self-criticism and increasing self-compassion in people suffering from depression. During a virtual reality therapy session, patients wear a headset that allows them to view a life-size avatar of their body and thus see themselves from an outside perspective. Further studies may bring forth a unique treatment for depression that provides an alternative to taking pills or talking with a therapist. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160215090140.htm

â&#x20AC;&#x153;PRINTINGâ&#x20AC;? HUMAN TISSUE Regenerative medicine scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have utilized 3D printers to produce living tissue that can replace damaged tissue in patients. So far, the scientists have printed muscle, bone, and ear structures that have developed successfully in animals. As scientists continue to advance these printers, they hope to eventually produce living tissue and other structures that can be used in surgical procedures. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-02-scientists-feasibility-tissue.html

News

HISTORY MADE IN PARIS C L I M AT E

TA L K S

S U C C E S S

By Kate King ’18 On December 12, 2015, history was made: for the first time, delegates from 195 countries agreed on a plan to combat climate change. The agreement, which resulted from the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, incorporates current and future technologies to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by the second half of the century. Countries are to release long term plans by 2020 and reassess these every five years. Previous plans, such as the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and 2009 Copenhagen Summit, fell short, but this time, China and the United States, the two biggest emitters, also agreed to the plan. One key aspect of it, which is different from previous plans, is that developing countries are also included in meeting the goals. Previously, developing countries made the argument that other countries were allowed to go through their industrial revolutions, where they pumped large amounts of carbon into the air, so why shouldn’t they be allowed to do the same? The Paris Agreement allows countries to set their own regulations to meet the overall goal of keeping the global temperature from rising 2⁰ C past the average global temperature of 1800-1950. If warming increases past 2⁰ C, scientists estimate a drastic increase in the effects of climate change. The plan requires all countries to work together to meet the 2⁰ C goal. This includes developed countries providing technical sup14

port as well as $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020. While this was agreed upon, the strategy of the Paris Agreement is to allow the regulations to be bottom up where the countries do what they see fit, not what they are told to do. The theory behind enforcement comes back to reputation. As Neil Leary, Director of the Center for Sustainability Education, phrased it, it is a fish bowl effect – everyone is watching everyone else and no one wants to hurt their egos. While all of the countries agreed to the plan, there is still some opposition. Many small island nations are pushing for a 1.5⁰ C goal. They argue that a goal of 2⁰ C will not be enough to limit sea levels from rising and consuming much of their land. Don Brown, Scholar in Residence at Widener University, is critical of the United States’ level of participation. The US set an initial goal to reduce CO2 emissions 26%-28% below the 2005 level by 2025, but the delegates never said that was the fair amount to help the world reach the overall goal. It is only the best we can do under existing laws. Brown argues that in order to keep below the 1.5⁰ C goal, which many scientists believe is the best place to be, the U.S. has to be carbon neutral by 2040-2060, but its goals do not match anywhere close to that. If we are to have any hope of reaching the goals, citizens need to be actively critiquing the government and advocating for change.

News

EXERCISE HELPS YOU THINK By Eve Giordano ’19 The health benefits of regular exercise are well known: it improves your immune system, reduces your risks for many different diseases and helps you cope with stress. But, did you know that exercise also helps your brain? In his book Brain Rules, John Medina explains in lay terms what is “really going on inside our heads,” and devotes a chapter to discussing the impact of exercise on the brain. He explains that researchers have found a direct link between exercise and brain function, and not just for elderly people with dementia or people suffering from psychological disorders. Medina explains that from an evolutionary perspective, humans just were not built to sit for hours on end. We were meant to move, and not just our bodies. Our brains are also built to work best when we are moving. Researchers have found that the same increase in blood circulation that helps reduce the risk of heart disease among those who exercise regularly also improves the flow of oxygen and energy to the brain. The brain actually uses a disproportionate amount of energy compared with the rest of the body and it gets that energy from blood. Increased blood flow from exercise stimulates growth of blood vessels in your brain, which in turn al-

lows even more oxygen and energy to reach to important parts of your brain, including those responsible for memory, and stimulates neurogenesis, the generation of new brain cells. In applying this information, studies have found that exercise helps brain function of those who have dementia and productivity among middle aged workers. Studies of children have shown that their performance on academic tests dramatically improved just by adding 20-30 minutes of exercise twice during the school day. And they were not doing very rigorous exercise – just light aerobic exercise that gets the blood flowing, such as walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace. Exercise literally helps you think. Given how much thinking we all have to do as college students every day, this is important information. We spend an enormous amount of time just sitting and studying at Dickinson and we rely on our minds to be working well at all hours of the day and night. So, the next time you’re feeling fuzzy-headed, remember that your body was built to move. Take a 20 minute break and rather than chugging a coffee, do some exercise. Your brain will thank you by helping you get through that tough homework faster. Photo Courtesy of Carl Socolow ’77

News

Society of Physics Students’ High Altitude Balloon By Joe Detrano ’19 The Dickinson Physics club is pushing its limits this year with a total of six upcoming projects, each one as exciting as the next. One project calls for the construction of a repeating siege ballista, an upgrade on the club’s existing catapult, combining modern physics with an ancient medieval weapon. Another team plans to design a pool table with a big modification: the table will be elliptical instead of rectangular, and will feature only one hole towards the center of the table. However, one project stands above the rest, and has the club representation to show for it, with a team size of twelve students, around twice that of the average team size for the other five projects. The High-Altitude Balloon Project (HAB), with an ambitious goal and a personal history for the club’s president, is looking to be one of the riskiest and most aggressive projects the club has ever attempted.

“The High-Altitude Balloon Project ... is looking to be one of the riskiest and most aggressive projects the club has ever attempted.”

When considered on a conceptual basis alone, the project sounds overwhelmingly simple: loose a small payload with the ability to record several types of data into the atmosphere. The high-altitude balloon itself, the project’s namesake, is designed to raise the 16

payload until it reaches a certain altitude, at which point the balloon will pop, and parachutes will deploy to allow the payload to float safely down towards its resting point. Upon closer examination, however, the complications begin to add up. For example, the balloon will rise to an altitude of around 35 km above sea level, more than triple the cruising height of a Boeing 747-400. This is more than an impressive statistic; it also presents an unlikely, but potentially devastating risk. The payload will be at this cruising altitude twice during its journey, and a collision between the balloon and a commercial airliner would likely result in the destruction of both crafts. In an effort to eliminate this potential risk, Freshman Mikey Kmetz plans to contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to request clearance along the payload’s expected flight path. A declared physics major and the team leader of the HAB project, Kmetz spoke on the possibilities for the types of data collection on the balloon’s payload; “so far, one concern is looking into what types of data collection are feasible. That includes atmosphere composition, ozone measurements, and we were going to try and find a nice Geiger counter to take radiation readings.” Kmetz continued to say that the payload will be customizable, and will feature a weather-resistant camera that will record video footage of the entire flight. Currently, the club has already purchased most of the physical components required for the project. Although many concerns remain, such as finding a suitable location for balloon launch and the temperature drop experienced at high altitudes, the HAB crew seems to have a solid grasp on things to come. With an estimated launch date of sometime this April, the physics club is scrambling in an attempt to keep hold of all possible variables before the takeoff day arrives.

News

Optoelectronic Micro Processors Are Right Around the Corner & What This Means By Stuart Spiegel ’19 Processors, otherwise known as central processing units (CPUs), have been around for a while now, at least since the late 1950s. A CPU controls all logical input and output operations for a computer, and it is hard to imagine life without them in the modern world. The design of CPUs has changed over the years since their introduction, but the way they operate has remained unchanged until now. Traditionally the ALU (arithmetic logic unit), a digital circuit that performs bit based operations for the CPU regarding binary integers (1 or 0), is the principal component of CPU function. Today’s CPUs are microprocessors, meaning that the functions of the central processing unit are on a single integrated circuit. The integration of a complete CPU on one chip reduces likelihood of failure, increases speeds, and lowers power consumption making microprocessors the ideal nexus for modern computers, until now. Late last year researchers at MIT, the University of California Berkeley, and the University of Colorado produced a working optoelectronic processor which operates as a microprocessor would, but uses light to move information. This change could be huge in the world of modern computing. Optical communication between components of a CPU would decrease power consumption on a large scale and would very likely increase speeds drastically. While the

engineering of this chip may prove difficult due to the involvement of light, no change to the manufacturing process would need to take place. Researchers demonstrated that no change in semiconductor manufacturing would be necessary to create these chips, so they may be seen produced sooner than expected. However, a completely new approach is necessary to design these CPUs. “You have to use new physics and new designs to figure out how you take ingredients and process recipes that are used to make transistors, and use those to make photodetectors, light modulators, waveguides, optical filters, and optical interfaces,” says MIT professor of electrical engineering Rajeev Ram, referring to the optical components necessary to encode data onto different wavelengths of light, transmit it across a chip, and then decode it. All the optical components would need to be created using only the layers of a transistor. “Computer chips are constantly shipping data back and forth between logic circuits and memory, and today’s chips cannot keep the logic circuits supplied with enough data to take advantage of their ever-increasing speed. Boosting the bandwidth of the electrical connections between logic and memory would require more power, and that would raise the chip’s operating temperatures to unsustainable levels.” 17

News

DRUG DISCOVERY GOES BACK TO SCHOOL by Allison Carey ’17

Photo Courtesy of Carl Socolow ’77

News

This past March, Dickinson welcomed alum Dr. Barbara Slusher ’86 to Stafford Auditorium for the second Rush Hour of the semester, in a presentation titled “Drug Discovery Goes BACK to School.” While a student at Dickinson, Dr. Slusher was a Chemistry major, Sociology minor and valedictorian of her graduating class, as well as a leader in multiple extracurricular organizations. She earned her PhD in Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (JHUSOM) while simultaneously receiving an MBA in management. Now, she is a professor of Neurology, Medicine, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience at JHUSOM and the director of the NeuroTranslational Drug Discovery Program at the JHUSOM’s Brain Science Institute. Her accomplishments are many: she has published over 175 scientific articles, is the inventor on 75 issued patents and applications, has spent 18 years in the pharmaceutical industry in various executive positions, directed research labs, and worked on a drug discovery team that produced two blockbuster drugs. She returned to Johns Hopkins in 2010 with a team of about 20 pharmaceutical industry scientists who work with faculty to translate Hopkins discoveries into clinical therapies. The connection between pharma and academia was an important point of her Rush Hour talk, which had a primary focus on the changing ecosystem of drug discovery. Dr. Slusher began by highlighting the money, time, and risk required to get a new drug on the market: about $1-2 Billion, 15-20 years, and an overall <2% success rate. She then explained how the closed business model of pharmaceutical companies is changing to more of an open, synergistic collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and academic research centers. There are now an increasing number of university-associated drug discovery centers that combine the distinct strengths of academia and pharma to work together and provide better results. She noted that taking expertise from both institutions is the way of the future, and that these emerging partnerships will be the best way to bring effective and innovative therapies to people in need. When asked about her career goals and what excites her, she responded, “What really motivates me is the idea that I can be smart enough or lucky enough or creative enough to discover a drug that might ultimately help patients.” She feels grateful to be able to understand this line of work well enough to then translate these discoveries into medicine, and says that

the ultimate goal for young people should be to have something that motivates you in your heart, that aligns with your individual set of skills, and propels you forward in your career. “The education I received at Dickinson provided a solid launching pad for my drug-discovery career, and I feel so fortunate that I chose a career that I am passionate about,” said Dr. Slusher. She largely attributes her well-rounded background to Dickinson and her diverse experiences inside and outside the classroom here that set the tone for the rest of her life. Coming into college, she was interested in both chemistry and social work and says, “At Dickinson I was

WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES ME IS THE IDEA THAT I CAN BE SMART ENOUGH OR LUCKY ENOUGH OR CREATIVE ENOUGH TO DISCOVER A DRUG THAT MIGHT ULTIMATELY HELP PATIENTS.

not only able to pursue both interests but I was really encouraged to take on leadership roles in both areas, and throughout my life I continue to do that.” Outside the classroom she was involved in lacrosse and soccer as captains, held leadership positions in her sorority, and participated in meals on wheels, big brother/big sister, and a community peer program. Today she continues to be invested in social work through her services in Kenya, where she and her family have provided multiple children with the gift of education. Her take home message for current students is to “take advantage of Dickinson’s diverse opportunities” and to believe that, as one professor once told her, “You can do it all.” 19

News

THE CASE FOR INDIVIDUAL

BEHAVIORAL CHANGES

TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY By Brady Hummel, ’17

News

Photo Courtesy of Carl Socolow â&#x20AC;&#x2122;77

News

At Dickinson, we champion sustainability as one of the core tenets of what the school stands for and what we try to instill in those who pass through its walls. We, as an institution, have committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 25% of 2008 levels by 2020, and offset the other 75% to be carbon neutral. We have an administrative office in the Center for Sustainability Education that works tirelessly to further sustainability both in and out of the classroom. We have a number of extraordinary and unique opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with sustainability through the Dickinson College Farm, the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Management (ALLARM), and many more organizations.

WE, AS AN INSTITUTION, HAVE COMMITTED TO REDUCING OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 25% OF 2008 LEVELS BY 2020, AND OFFSET THE OTHER 75% TO BE CLIMATE NEUTRAL.

We have such strong support and infrastructure around sustainability on an institutional level, and while it is important to note and fully commend how much the institution has achieved and continues to achieve, it can only do so much. In order to fully commit to sustainability as a campus and as a community of peers, we need to recognize the importance of individual behavior change to sustainability. It can seem somewhat intimidating to see how one person’s day-to-day routines can amount to anything of note when Dickinson and other colleges, multi-national companies, and countries around the world are 22

also trying to reduce their impact on the environment. Individual behavior change, however, is the cornerstone of sustainability; it is the foundation upon which everything else is supported and enhanced. One “arena” for individual behavior change towards sustainability is in the menial day-to-day actions that have been built into our routines, the things that we do without even thinking because they’ve become so engrained into our modus operandi. Throughout our normal days, there are a multitude of opportunities for us to marginally tweak our behaviors in order to be more sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment. These seemingly insignificant actions, such as turning out the lights when leaving a room, unplugging appliances when not in use, taking shorter showers, composting and recycling, and using cold water for your laundry, can really add up when done consistently. “All of these day-to-day actions are significant because we have complete control of making the choice to consume or not to consume,” said Marina Morton ’18. These decisions are small ones that really have a tremendous impact when they become a part of one’s routine. However, there are a number of “heavy-hitter” decisions that lock in behaviors for a longer term and have a higher impact, on the whole. For example, an individual’s decision to not have a car on campus and to walk or bike greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions over the course of a semester or academic year. Consumption factors are also key to locking in these long-term behavior patterns; buying more stuff contributes to the overall volume of waste that goes to our landfills and to the overall amount of raw materials that need to be extracted from the Earth. Therefore, buying less stuff, repairing and reusing the things you already have, and sharing tools with others around you can have a tremendous long-term effect on the environment, and can also facilitate stronger community awareness and interactions. Sustainability is really a grassroots movement, even though at Dickinson, it has become institutionalized since President Durden signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007. Its main force comes from personal actions and commitments on a large scale, and this starts from and is motivated by learning the facts. Self-education about climate change and sustainability and an individual’s personal carbon footprint can help illuminate areas in one’s life that can be the focus for

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sustainable behavior change. This process of familiarizing oneself with the literature of sustainability can help someone change the way they see both the world and themself. “The ‘self-image’ is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self-image and you change the personality and the behavior.” Dr. Maxwell Maltz was not necessarily talking about individual sustainable behavior change, but his focus on one’s image of themself can easily translate into the realm of sustainability. This is the key to motivating someone to change their behaviors; they need to see themselves as making a difference and “doing their part” in order to really feel invested in what they are doing. When people change their behaviors to be more conscious of their carbon dioxide emissions or their electricity consumption, they are likely to see themselves as someone who cares about climate change and sustainability because of their actions, which will then further the changes to their behavior. “Becoming more sustainable and teaching and sharing with others [through sustainability] has given me a sense of purpose,” said Marcus Welker, Sustainability Projects Coordinator in the Center for Sustainability Education. Although it may seem insignificant, one person coming to see themself in that light is a step forward for sustainability and climate action. Think for a

Photo Courtesy of Carl Socolow ’77

second about the same phenomenon happening to a hundred people, or a thousand people, or a hundred thousand people. When you place one person’s commitments in the context of the larger scope, it is one piece in a much larger mosaic that, as a whole, has an impressive impact. Dickinson’s mission statement is “to prepare young people, by means of a useful education in the liberal arts and sciences, for engaged lives of citizenship and leadership in the service of society.” Given both the quantitative, qualitative, and anecdotal evidence that development cannot continue in the same way as it has historically, we need citizen-leaders who graduate from Dickinson, take what we have learned about sustainability, and apply it in our day-to-day lives beyond the limestone. We need to go further than that, however; we need to be advocates for sustainability to those around us, to show that even one person committing to being more sustainable can be incredibly significant. We need to be leaders and commit to doing all that we can to reduce our impact on the environment and to be more sustainable. This will be one of the hallmark issues of the coming decades, and we, as Dickinsonians, should be at the forefront of addressing it in our lives and communities, one person at a time.

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Need for Green Exploring Dickinson’s New Sustainability Requirement

Dr. Brenda Bretz is the Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Dickinson College. She is an alum of Dickinson, receiving her BA in American Studies. She went on to earn her MA at Penn State, and her PhD at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is passionate about inclusion and social justice.

By William Irving ’19

WILLIAM IRVING: Could you briefly explain the new sustainability requirement? DR. BRENDA BRETZ: Every student entering in the fall semester of 2015, or after, must take a course coded as either S-Con or S-Inv. Those are two categories we had put in place quite a while ago, to identify the courses we were already teaching that would have this focus, for students who were interested in sustainability education. One is related to investigations: S-INV, and the other is related to connections: S-Con. Courses coded as S-Con or S-Inv can have a portion on the syllabus dedicated to sustainability, perhaps just a module of the class. But it gives the students an opportunity to have some familiarity and understanding of the issues related to sustainability, which goes beyond simply the environment. A lot of people think of sustainability in terms of only the environment, but for us it is social, economic and environmental. So you’ll find these courses all across the curriculum. So adding the S-Con and S-Inv in as a graduation requirement was a way to really signal to students, their families, and to the wider world that sustainability is something that is important to us. We had structured a way to be sure that students had some interaction with these issues, intellectually. WI: I know for my chemistry class, they added a lab where we created biodiesel, so that it would fit the new requirement. Is this something that occurred a lot in order to increase students’ exposure to sustainability across the board? 24

BB: Yeah, a lot of folks across the college have modified their courses to add the sustainability aspect to it. Neil Leary is our director of the Center for Sustainability Education, he’s the person we hired when we started our sustainability initiative. He has really grown the program, and has left the real footprint on our campus. He has conducted a lot of workshops with faculty in the summer, helping them think about how they’d develop a module that fit. They can be in French, they can be in English, they can be in Chemistry. So there’s been a lot of support for faculty to do this, and they’ve responded well. WI: So is there an overall goal of having this requirement? BB: Well, when I think about Dickinson, I think about global perspectives, and sustainability. It is a distinctive characteristic of who we are as an institution. Sustainability, and the opportunity for students to encounter these issues and to think about them really began outside the curriculum. We had folks here on campus who were really interested in it, and started thinking about it. So now we have the LEED-certified markings on our buildings, and the biodiesel plant, the farm. We went for a grant to the Mellon Foundation, and received a very large grant which helped provide the support for faculty, and to create the Center for Sustainability Education. I think it’s something that is as important to us as the emphasis on globalism, and now the two are so integrated. It’s our goal to provide students with the opportunity to think about these issues. In my opinion,

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I really do think there are a lot of challenges in our world, whether it’s environmental or social justice issues, or economic issues. It’s up to Dickinson students to address these challenges, and what better training than a liberal arts education to be able to do that?

BB: I do, I do think so. And, I’m glad to see it’s working. We want that, how exciting to have more of you here. The more students who come and question and see these things, the more we will respond and we can do something really powerful.

WI: What have been the responses to this requirement from professors? BB: We did a major curriculum revision last year, and it wasn’t just the sustainability. The sustainability piece was easy, because it was organic. We already had faculty on board, we already had faculty teaching the courses, and we already had students taking the courses, so it wasn’t going to be a struggle, it wasn’t going to require us to make any sort of difficult decision about “am I going to teach this or am I going to teach that?”, because they were just teaching them and students were taking them. So the reaction has really been no reaction. It was all in place, and we just sort of codified it.

WI: What’s the future of the sustainability requirement? Will it be applied to more things like sports or clubs? BB: In terms of the requirement itself, we’ll see. We’re only one and a half semesters in. Will it change and evolve? Probably, everything does. What else will we apply sustainability to? I think a lot more things. I think we can do better. I think I can do better as an individual, I neglect to turn off my lights when I leave my office. However, I do think that as students learn, and see, there will be more things that we’ll be able to do, and more ways we can challenge ourselves on campus operationally, through our daily actions of what we might do. I think it will extend to other areas as well, like sports and clubs and other organizations. I think “how…” is a good question to ask Neil Leary. We did the president’s climate challenge, in which we pledged to become carbon neutral in a few years, and that deadline is quickly approaching. These are things that Neil Leary and his folks are thinking about all the time. So yes, I do imagine that we’ll see more places on a daily basis where we can be more responsible, and reduce our footprint.

WI: How else does this new requirement fit in with a liberal arts education? BB: At a school like Dickinson, it’s not just the content of what you learned as much as the way you learned, the ability to ask questions and to be comfortable with uncertainties, and to feel the challenge from a problem. Not settling. So I think those are kinds of things that you learn in a liberal arts environment, and I think Dickinson is unique in that way. There are other liberal arts schools that don’t have the same kind of environment, the kind of culture that we have here, of allowing students to explore beyond just the breadth of the curriculum. Allowing students to take risks, to try and solve problems, and embracing it when students say “we think this is a problem and we think this is a solution”, and trying it to see, like the Idea-Fund and the Why We Wear Black Movement. That is just what’s so exciting about this place. So sustainability fits with us in the same way that globalism does. Dickinson is not isolationist, we’re not filled with Ivory Tower scholars. We have scholars who bring their knowledge and learning to bear on our lives, and that’s the useful education that our mission talks about. WI: Dickinson is one of the most sustainable schools in the country, and that’s actually one of the reasons I chose to come here. Do you think the school’s dedication to the environment is working to draw more students?

WI: Do you think the commitment that Dickinson is showing to sustainability will inspire students to focus on their individual responsibilities? BB: I would hope so. I would certainly hope so. That’s one of the things you imagine happens with anything that you’re learning. For me, the US Diversity requirement is really important as well, and I would hope that students come into that class open, and will walk away more aware and perhaps changed. It’s sort of the same with the sustainability. Even though it could be a very small portion of the 32 courses that you take, the fact that it permeates campus through the whole notion of sustainability and what we’re trying to do has made students become more sensitive to the issues. I would hope students will also become more aware of their interactions, and I hope they would try to change. Because you guys are going to be running companies, making laws, and changing the world in many other ways.

Research

HOOKED

HEROIN IN AMERICA

By Tony Rauhut PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY

It seems like every day that newspapers in the United States have a story reporting on the problems of heroin addiction, particularly its overdose. The message is clear: more and more Americans seem “hooked” on the drug. Many politicians have acknowledged the problem and called for action. In 2014, the rising rates of heroin use and overdose were a main focus of Vermont’s Democratic governor, Peter Shumlin, in his annual State of the State address. In this year’s annual budget, President Obama has requested additional funds to support drug abuse treatment programs. Yet despite increased attention to the heroin problem, it persists. Why? Why do drug addicts continue to use despite the negative consequences of their 26

habit? Often, drug abuse comes at huge cost to the addict – they lose their job, their health deteriorates, and their relationships fracture, yet they continue to use. Despite repeated attempts, the addict relapses, returning to self-destructive behavior. Why is so difficult for addicts to quit and why does relapse seem inevitable? Many researchers believe that cues in a drug addict’s environment control the addict’s behavior and motivate continued drug use. Just as Pavlov’s dog salivated every time the dog heard a bell that had been associated with food, researchers think that drug addicts crave a drug when around environmental cues associated with their habit. For alcoholics, these environmental cues might be linked to the local bar.

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Cocaine addicts might crave their drug when they see any white powder whereas methamphetamine addicts might experience craving when they see a pipe or syringe. Cues cause cravings, and these cravings motivate addicts to return to their drug of choice. It is only when they return to their drug of choice that their cravings are abated. If cues cause craving, and craving results in

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug and forms a habit in addicts that is very difficult to quit. In animals, methamphetamine increases locomotor activity, an animal behavior thought to be a proxy for drug craving in people. Cues associated with methamphetamine also increase locomotor activity. Again, just like Pavlov’s dog with food, mice will run around a lot in the presence of cues previously associated with methamphetamine – a term called conditioned hyperactivity. Furthermore, if the cues are repeatedly presented in the absence of methamphetamine, then the conditioned hyperactive response will lessen over presentations, a process referred to as extinction. A few years ago, several neuroscience students (Ee-Rah Sung, Kristen Ratner and Sandy Buck) and I examined the effects of injecting mice at different stages of cue-drug memory processing with an antagonist (i.e., SCH 23390) that selectively targets a specific dopamine subtype receptor. We found that targeting this dopamine receptor subtype prior to extinction training facilitated the extinction or “erasure” of the cue-drug memory and suggests that the dopaminergic system may be a good target for novel therapeutic drugs to treat addiction. This study was published this year in the journal Behavioural Pharmacology. Presently, several neuroscience and psychology students (Moriah O’Malley, Giana Toglia, Abby Stasior and Rodney Jones) and I are examining the effects of physical exercise on altering the locomotor-activating effects of methamphetamine in mice. This study will provide a foundation for a subsequent study examining the effects of physical exercise on extinction of conditioned hyperactivity. The results of this upcoming study may provide preclinical evidence supporting the idea that drug relapse, then perhaps “erasing” those powerful physical exercise, combined with extinction, may help cue-drug associations or memories might lessen the “erase” intrusive cue-drug memories and serve as an likelihood that the addict will relapse. In the movie efficacious adjunctive procedure to exposure theraEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the main charpy (the clinical term for extinction-based therapy in acter, Joel (played by Jim Carrey), has his memory of people), reducing relapse rates in addicts. In the end, a painful romantic relationship “erased.” While the we hope that physical exercise, combined with expomovie is science fiction, and such a procedure is not sure therapy, may offer a superior approach compared possible (yet), researchers have begun to understand to traditional pharmacotherapy in the treatment of the brain “signatures” of memory, or the molecular, drug addiction, avoiding the unwanted side effects of biochemical and structural changes that accompany pharmacotherapies. Indeed, physical exercise, comnew learning experiences. To this end, my lab focuses bined with exposure therapy, may not only reduce the on pharmacological and non-pharmacological aplikelihood that the addicts relapses, but substantially proaches to “erase” cue-drug memories. In my lab, stu- improve the overall and long-term health of the indidents and I first teach mice to associate environmental vidual in the process. cues (such as a chamber) with the locomotor-activating effects of the psychostimulant methamphetamine.

JUST AS PAVLOV’S DOG SALIVATED EVERY TIME THE DOG HEARD A BELL THAT HAD BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD, RESEARCHERS THINK THAT DRUG ADDICTS CRAVE A DRUG WHEN AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL CUES ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR HABIT.

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SOLAR AIR HEATERS & BIOGAS DIGESTER TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE GREAT TOGETHER

Photo Courtesy of Carl Socolow ’77

By Sean Jones ’17 If someone told you that at your local college farm, there is a giant simulation of a cow’s stomach, you would probably be slightly put off at the idea of filling it with food waste and manure, and collecting what comes out. However, what comes out of the farm’s digester is something very special indeed: biogas. Our biogas is formed by the decomposition of manure and food waste from dining services, and is over 50% methane. The methane from the biogas can be used for fueling cooking, heating your home, powering a motor, and much more. Now, it turns out that the biogas digester, like a cow’s stomach, is most productive when operating 28

in the range of 98-102 ºF, and as most of us are aware, Carlisle is not normally that hot. That is where the physicists come in. Two physics majors, Emily Whitaker ’17 and Sean Jones ’17, are currently working on getting the digester to stay in those temperatures. By adapting the Solar Air Heater developed by physics Professor Hans Pfister, the two intend on using free solar energy in order to heat air, which then flows beneath the digester to heat it as well. Currently Whitaker and Jones are building the Solar Air Heater, and plan to have it installed and fully operational by March 31 under the direction of Matt Steiman.

What a Toad Wants, What a Toad Needs

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By Mairi Poisson ’16 Have you ever wondered what a toad eats? Well, I have. Since freshman year, I have contributed to ongoing research studying the population of American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) throughout the production fields at the Dickinson College Farm. Early on, we mainly examined the population, its size, numbers of males vs. females, and how they were utilizing the small ponds that had recently been built throughout the production fields. The ponds were constructed to increase the toad population and to encourage the toads to spread further into the production fields. Why did we want to increase the toad population? What purpose do they serve? Toads are insectivores, meaning they eat insects and other small invertebrates. The theory is that if there are more toads in the production fields, they will prey upon the pest insects that eat and destroy the crops. The managers of the Dickinson College Farm, in an effort to mitigate herbicide and pesticide usage, were willing to work with the Biology Department in studying this idea, known formally as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The type of IPM we are using in this case is called conservation biological control. The American toad is a native species to the farm. We simply augmented the farm’s already existing population to generate more activity in areas heavily impacted by pest insects. Four years after we had begun monitoring the farm’s frog population, it was time to see what they were actually eating. In the summer of 2015, Helena Jeudin ’17 and I started sampling stomach contents. Helena worked on the project in the early summer, and I continued with it until September. The idea was simple: make the toads vomit and collect everything that came out. This harmless technique was especially useful because the insects were not fully digested yet, and it can be very hard to identify a bug if one does not have all the parts. Collecting the samples was my favorite part of the research. Most nights, I would strap on a headlamp and walk out into the fields on my own. The peaceful nights were alive with the sounds of crickets and the

constellations lighting up the sky. If I were lucky, Bella, the farm dog, would join me on some of the stroll. The warm air was always pleasant, and there was no harsh sun beating down on my back. Back in the lab, sorting and identifying became my only focus. I found more than 1,200 invertebrates in over 100 samples, and spent most of my fall semester going through those insects and identifying just what they were. Although my analysis is not yet complete, I can Photo Courtesy of Mairi Poisson ’16

say some things with certainty. Toads are generalists, meaning that they eat what is available. It seems that when toads were caught in crop fields with leafy plants like broccoli or kale, they would have more leaf beetles (which are major pests) in their stomachs. But when they were elsewhere on the farm, they might have been eating rove beetles (which are beneficial insects). I cannot say for certain yet of which one they were eating more, or what impact they are having on these populations. 29

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T U N T S E H C Y E O J E TH S R O T A D E R P T S E P F O By Scott Boback PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY & Jeff Forrester PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS

Over one billion pounds of pesticides are ed pest management or IPM for short. In this strategy, dumped on farms in the United States each year. farmers develop a system of measures to proactively Globally this number exceeds 5.6 billion. Many Amer- combat pest problems using a combination of biologicans may feel that washing their veggies removes any ical, cultural, physical, and, as a last resort, chemical potential dangers associated with pesticide tools. treatment. But consider this statistic: You are all aware –or should be– the US Department of Agriculture that the farm produces lots of organic estimates that 50 million people veggies for the campus and local in the US obtain drinking water community. And I bet many of from groundwater potentially you have benefitted from eating OVER ONE BILLION contaminated with pesticides. some of those delicious carrots, POUNDS OF PESTICIDES Unlike their industrial counbutternut squash, and strawterparts, organic farms aim berries in the Caf. But did you ARE DUMPED ON FARMS to reduce our dependence know that the College Farm is IN THE UNITED STATES on these chemicals. While also a living laboratory for scienEACH YEAR. certified organic farms are by tific research? Since 2011, stuno means “pesticide-free,” many dents in the Biology Department organic farmers are attempting have helped to develop the biologito use alternatives to combat pests. cal component of IPM for the college The Dickinson College Farm has imfarm. Part of this research involves the plemented one such option called integratconservation of native animals that have the 30

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potential to eat lots of pest insects, just as Joey Chestnut gobbles on hot dogs at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest! The idea is that a diverse array of native organisms could benefit both the farm, by hosting pest predators, and the organisms themselves, by providing them a place to live. To support one such pest predator, students, faculty, and staff designed a system of ponds, called hub ponds, that would act as breeding grounds for the American toad, a native amphibian that eats insects. Each hub pond is relatively small, about three meters across, but still large enough to allow toads to breed and lay eggs. By interspersing these ponds throughout the farm, we might facilitate the presence of toads in the production fields, the areas where they could provide the most assistance. So far we have captured and marked over 800 toads on the farm and are beginning to analyze the locations of these captures. We can think of the college farm spatially as a two-dimensional grid (ignoring elevation) and examine questions regarding the interactions of the toads with this environment. The farm includes features important to toad biology, such as ponds, places to hide during the day, and places they can easily find insects, as well as human structures and other environmental modifications. We use GIS data collected on farm landmarks and toad captures to analyze the encounters through employing various statistical tools designed for exploring spatial data. Kernel density estimates are an important class

of tools for analyzing such data. They allow the researcher to approximate the probability of capturing a toad over different geographical regions of the farm and can help answer questions about the toads’ physical distribution. For example, are there regions of the farm correlated with natural or man-made landmarks that affect toad movement or capture probabilities? How far from the nearest source of water is a toad likely to venture? The analysis can be stratified by size, sex, and other variables of interest such as season or time of day. In addition to the toad encounters’ spatial distribution, we are relating the toads’ diets to other variables recorded at the time of capture. Toad stomachs can be (non-lethally) flushed and the contents separated and analyzed. The insects found in the stomachs can be broadly classified as having a positive, negative, or neutral effect on the general health of the various crops planted at the farm. The proportions of the insects in these categories in the toad diets can be examined for important differences across spatial, temporal, and population-based variables like toad size and sex. Ultimately, we hope to understand how toads might benefit the farm by reducing pest populations and how we can better support these important, native amphibians. Who knows, the American toad might just become the Joey Chestnut of pest predators!

TO SUPPORT ONE SUCH PEST PREDATOR, STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF DESIGNED A SYSTEM OF PONDS, CALLED HUB PONDS, THAT WOULD ACT AS BREEDING GROUNDS FOR THE AMERICAN TOAD: A NATIVE AMPHIBIAN THAT EATS INSECTS.

Technology

EARTH SCIENCE & 3D PRINTING By Jorden Hayes PROFESSOR OF EARTH SCIENCE

My own interest in 3D printing started on a backpacking trip across California’s Channel Islands. While expressing my frustration over a clumsy portable stove system, my husband – an electrical engineer – suggested, “If we had a 3D printer, we could just print a better base support.” The rest of that five-day journey was spent dreaming of ways we could use a 3D printer and a few months later we built our first delta-style 3D printer. Eventually we needed a larger and more flexible printer and we purchased a Lulzbot Taz. Since starting this 3D printing adventure, my eyes have been opened to all the new and innovative ways this technology is impacting geoscience. Earth scientists heavily depend on spatial reasoning to understand earth processes. Therefore, perhaps the most obvious use of 3D printing technology is to print topography. Outside of printing test objects, my first “print” was a relief map of my study area in the mountains of Wyoming. This print opened my eyes to how little topographic variability my surveys had covered and caused me to rethink my strategies! I have since printed a variety of relief maps for my research and for educational purposes. For students, it is much easier to compare the U-shaped valleys caused by glaciers with the V-shaped valleys caused by rivers when they can literally put their fingers on scaled representations. 32

Geospatial models are not the only ways geoscientists are using 3D printing technology. The GeoFabLab at the University of Iowa has been producing 3D printed replicas of rock samples to understand how fluids (e.g., groundwater, hydrocarbons, and gases) move through porous systems in Earth’s subsurface. Paleontologists have been using CT scans to 3D print fossils with hopes of improving our understanding of the anatomy and physiology of ancient creatures. In these ways, 3D printing is going beyond utilitarian tool making and opening doors for scientists to answer new, exciting questions. Earth scientists have just started to explore 3D printing and many are learning how they might embrace this technology. Fortunately it has never been easier to use 3D printers: new printers are coming on the market, tutorials from the Maker Movement are constantly being updated, websites are hosting open source object files, and (for those like me who are terrible at freehand drawing in more than one dimension) free software to design objects has been released. Moreover, new plastics (e.g., with biodegradable and flexible properties) are being created that increase the vast number of ways 3D printing can be applied. I predict that we have only begun to see the ways 3D printing will inspire innovation in science and beyond.

Technology

APPLE VS. FBI By Andy Guo ’18

Hardly anything can match the speed of development in technology. While the speed is advantageous to the advancement of knowledge, behind every new innovation lies uncertainty and liability. For instance, who or what is held accountable when a self-driving car accidentally kills someone? Is it the culprit, the computerized “driver,” or the human inventor? On the other hand, innovation is crucial in this era of technology and demands a secure cyber environment in which to develop.

Innovation is crucial in this era of technology and demands a secure cyber environment in which to develop.

Recently the FBI and Apple had an open battle on cyber security, as Apple refused to unlock the San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone in order to facilitate a legal investigation. The task Apple was ordered to perform is not about breaking encryption. Contrary to expected beliefs, Apple was not ordered to break the

phone’s encryption but rather asked to override the “Erase Data” setting to ensure that the phone does not erase its data after ten failed password attempts. However, performing such task is equivalent to hacking Apple’s own security, or essentially going against what Apple stands for. Moreover, as more technology implements artificial intelligence, Apple argues that its software has its own viewpoint, capable of expressing ideas. This supports Alan Turing’s belief that machines have the potential to think. Apple’s iOS and Siri prove that machines can very well imitate human behaviors by making predictions and giving intel-based results as they are being used. However, one may claim that the programmed code is merely the ideas of the human programmers. Hence, code written to specifically figure out the password would be the same as a speech said by someone under duress. Tech companies, such as Facebook, have shown support to Apple, while Bill Gates has specifically expressed his disappointment in Apple’s decision. On the other hand, a poll conducted by Pew Research Center shows that more Americans are standing on the same side as the FBI. It would be interesting to see how the case unfolds, which may then play an important role in the course of tech development. It is indubitable that the abovementioned iPhone may contain some information about the case, but should Apple be held accountable for the crime? If so, why is the mother company, or the technology per se, affiliated to a crime it had not committed? If not, is it then reasonable to ask Apple to do something against its principles? Is there still privacy, if one could simply break it by claiming a “special case?” Does the concept of privacy disappear under “special circumstances?” 33

Technology

BACTERIA, OXYGEN, PRESSURE

THE ADVERSARIES OF WOUND HEALING By Sadie Signorella ’18 Undoubtedly everyone has once fallen off a bike and scraped a knee, gotten a paper cut, or received some minor wound. “Oh just rub a little dirt on it and you’ll be fine” people say nonchalantly, perfectly encapsulating how common minor cuts are and how they usually clear up on their own. However severe wounds are not as easily brushed aside. According to Swisher et al., about $25 billion is spent on chronic wound treatment in the United States. Because chronic wounds are a common ailment in hospitals, scientists and health professionals have been hard at work to develop new bandages to improve wound care. Researchers in the United Kingdom lead by Professor Toby Jenkins of the University of Bath have developed a prototype for a bandage that detects bacterial infection. A seemingly hidden invasion of the body, but often deadly, infections can be the worst nightmare for a patient with a chronic wound. People rarely think about it, and with the advent of antibiotics the mortality rate and general aggressiveness of infections have been greatly reduced. However, this bandage could allow for earlier detection, swifter treatment, and more efficient monitoring. At a high enough level of population, the bacteria begin to produce toxins that attack nearby cells. Capsules inside the bandage are made of a film that resembles a cell membrane; thus, toxins puncture this membrane releasing the florescent dye held inside, turning the bandage florescent to the human eye and alerting of bacterial infection (MIT Technology Review). In another aspect of wound care, Dr. Conor L. Evans, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a scientist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Wellman Center for Photomedicine, has lead a team in developing a bandage that detects oxygen levels. During healing, cells surrounding a wound require high levels of oxygen in order to meet the energy demands necessary to repair tissue. The bandage is liquid that is painted directly onto the skin, maximizing bandage to skin contact. It is then is covered with an outer film so that internal molecules do not react 34

to the oxygen levels in the air. Certain molecules in the bandage naturally glow a red color, however upon contact with oxygen they lose their phosphorescent nature. An oxygen poor area beneath the bandage would cause the inner film to glow red, because these red glowing molecules remain unhindered by oxygen molecules. However an oxygen rich area would glow the green color of the reference dye, for oxygen would hinder the red glow. Thus scientists can take a picture of the bandage and compare the ratio of green to red to determine oxygen levels. Currently electrochemical analysis is the most quantitative way to track oxygen levels in wound healing. However this process requires sticking electrodes into the wound itself to determine oxygen levels, a process that is painful for the patient and can hinder tissue repair. Thus the advent of this new bandage is a great step toward more noninvasive wound care. Michel Maharbiz, head of the smart-bandage project at UC Berkeley, works with a team on a bandage that actually prevents skin damage. Patients with long-term illness that renders them bed bound have high risk of developing bedsores. These sores come from pressure on tissue after long hours in one position. Currently constant vigilance and periodic movement of the patient by nurses or hospital staff are the only ways to prevent these sores; however, this new bandage can actually detect the early start of these sores before they develop. The bandage contains tiny electrodes that detect cell death in the skin. When a cell dies it releases energy, thus these electrodes can recognize this slight change in energy and monitor the cell death in the area, alerting health care providers of pressure on tissue that could lead to sores if left untreated. While there are many prototypes in the making, most of these bandages are not commercially available yet. However, keep a look out, because BandAids just got a whole lot cooler.

Technology

Solar Cells

The Energy Source of the Future?

By William Boyes ’19 As the need for environmental consciousness has become more apparent in recent decades, scientists and engineers around the world have been toiling to make sustainable living a feasible and cost-effective reality. In 2014, a team led by Michigan State University’s Richard Lunt successfully completed research on developing a technology that would contribute to paving the way towards complete reliance on only clean energy sources. His team’s contribution was a fully transparent solar concentrator.

Their invention functions similarly to a usual photovoltaic solar cell, but instead of directly absorbing sunlight, including visible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared (non-visible) light is absorbed by components in the panel and then redirected to strips of visible solar cell on the panel’s edges. This new technology faces a wide range of practical applications, from use as windows in buildings to screens on our mobile devices. Buildings may soon become their own power generators, using clean sources that are subtle and efficient. 35

Opinion

The Importance of Scientific Literacy By Dana Wohlbach PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY “Science literacy is a vaccine against the charlatans of the world that would exploit your ignorance” – Neil DeGrasse Tyson We live in a world where scientific discoveries and technological innovations increasingly affect our daily lives. The way in which we discover scientific information is also diversifying: from social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook, to traditional media like television and print sources. But how can we be responsible consumers of this information? By fostering scientific literacy. Scientific literacy is not about how many esoteric facts you know about a particular scientific subject; at its most fundamental level, scientific literacy is about how you think, or rather whether you

think. Extreme skepticism is not the answer. Rather than disbelieving everything, a scientifically literate citizen asks why and how we know something: what is the evidence supporting a set of facts? Not only does a scientifically literate person ask these questions, he or she goes on to evaluate the quality and the validity of the found scientific information. So what can you do? You do not have to be a science major to be scientifically literate; a liberal arts education teaches you to think broadly. The next time you hear a story about the latest health trend or environmental issue, track down the original study that inspired the story. Learn about the biases of both the scientists doing the study and the people reporting the study. Most importantly, engage in conversation with those around you.

LEARNING TO THINK DIFFERENTLY FOR SCIENCE By Maya Beresi ’19

Education enables us to speak the language of complex thinking. However, for scientists to make discoveries in the 21st century, they must not only think critically, but they must also think farther outside of the box than ever before. Despite our immense advances in the world of medicine, the most qualified scientists are still stumped by some mysteries about the human body. For example, there is still no definitive cure for depression. There are treatments and ways to suppress depression, but no permanent cure currently exists. How is it that such a common condition does not have a cure? If you ask David Perlmutter, we must approach the problem from a different angle. Dr. Perlmutter is an American physician and researcher who is known for advocating a functional 36

and holistic approach toward treating brain disorders. Through his research, he has made significant discoveries about how gut bacteria affects the human brain. According to Dr. Perlmutter, “Whether it’s Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro or any of the other common antidepressants, these medications simply treat symptoms, not depression itself. We need to focus on understanding the cause of mental illness, and it has now become clear that what’s going on in the gut determines, to some degree, what happens in the brain.” Could the cure for depression be found by studying gut bacteria? Only time will tell, but one thing remains certain; in order to make progress in science, we must begin thinking more creatively and considering more varied perspectives.

Opinion

MOBILE PHONE USE & MALE INFERTILITY By Pentti Hanlon â&#x20AC;&#x2122;19

In the last 30 years mobile phones have become a type of indispensable accessory. As popularity soared, producers raced to develop the latest and greatest technologies while we purchased them at an equally feverish rate. Being the reckless consumers that we are, we forgot that mobile phones as a whole are not only a very recent invention, but also one that is still developing. By the early 2000s, mobile phones gained significant traction and found their way into households globally. Around this same time, scientists became aware of a sudden decrease in male sperm count. A number of studies were published in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s suggesting that sperm count had fallen as much as 50% in the past 25 years. These studies

generally surveyed men with different geographic, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, meaning that there must be a common environmental factor effecting all of them. Attention immediately was directed towards mobile phones, and more importantly, the placement of mobile phones on our person. Most phones are designed to fit into pants pockets; this means ease of access but also dangerous proximity to reproductive organs. In order to function, cell phones emit small amounts of radiation which has been linked to altered sperm morphology in men. My intention in writing this is not to prove that cell phones are culpable in the case of male infertility, but to encourage the reader to do some research of their own.

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY FOR MORE INFORMATION Earth Science & 3D Printing, pg 32 1 http://www.public.iastate.edu/~franek/gfl/gfl.html 2 https://www.newscientist.com/article/ mg21728996-500-3d-print-a-fossil-with-virtual-palaeontology/ 3 http://formlabs.com 4 http://makezine.com 5 http://www.thingiverse.com/ 6 http://www.openscad.org/

GATTACA

Sci & Entertainment

THE FUTURE OF IDENTITY THEFT

By Hannah Hartman ’18 At the intersection of futuristic genetic engineering and class inequalities, the 1997 sci-fi thriller Gattaca explores a society which thrives on the guaranteed genetic superiority of its members. In the notso-distant future, every baby is chosen by prescreening the parents’ gametes for the best possible genetic structure, creating a baby based on compatibility for desired traits, such as hair color or complexion, and eliminating any chance for a child prone to defects, such as predispositions to heart defects or alcoholism. This has lead to a society that classifies people based on genetic superiority or inferiority, referred to as “genoism.” Vincent Freeman (played by Ethan Hawke), is not the product of genetic screening, and is therefore termed by society as a “God-child,” meaning that his traits were left to chance at birth rather than preselected for superiority. Additionally, he suffers from a heart condition that limits his physical abilities. Despite this, Vincent dreams of working for Gattaca, a futuristic version of NASA, as an astronaut. Although Vincent spends the majority of his life improving his physical fitness and studying space, because he is a “God-child,” he will always be passed over for “more qualified” applicants. To accomplish his dream of entering space, Vincent seeks the help of less-than-legal businessman who helps the genetically inferior achieve their goals. The man helps Vincent assume the identity of Jerome Morrow (played by Jude Law), a genetically superior Olympic swimmer, who lost his ability to walk in a car 38

3.5 out of 5 Stars accident. This mutually beneficial deal allows Vincent to pass as a member of the genetically superior in order to achieve his dream, while saving Jerome the public humiliation of acknowledging his disability. To accomplish this identity change, not only must Vincent change his physical appearance, but he must be continuously supplied with biological samples – from the traditional blood and hair specimens to elaborate recordings of his heart beat – in order to pass identification testing. Their relationship helps illustrate how discrimination hurts everyone, and the immense amount of pressure upon the genetic elite. Both characters evoke sympathy and the tension is palpable as Vincent goes about ensuring nobody catches on to their arrangement. Gattaca offers an imaginative glimpse into how advancing knowledge of the human genome and sequencing technology could affect human society and discrimination with well-realized characters and compelling storytelling, even though some of the science is outdated. Modern science has already advanced one step ahead of Gattaca with new genetic editing techniques such as the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system, which could ultimately be used to replace undesirable genes, such as those that lead to disease, with the functional version. Still, for the time period, not only was Gattaca scientifically ahead of its time, but it also provided insight into how we discriminate and the harmful ways racism harms everyone regardless of class.

Confessions of a Sociopath By Michelle Jordan ’17 M. E. Thomas, a pseudonym for the author of Confessions of a Sociopath, describes in her riveting memoir, the life that created this self-ascribed sociopath. She uses intelligent and reflective prose, creating a work that offers an accurate description of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM V). But is her account believable? Many think so, but there are still some lingering doubts. Nonetheless, she has polarized her readers in the accounts of her exploits and thought processes: some are appalled by her callous disregard for morality, ethics, and lack of conscience while others applaud her unrestrained and unapologetic narcissism. She delights in her deceptions, ruthlessness, recklessness, and manipulations. Thomas gives us an intimate, very personal look into her world. One in which people are pawns to be played, either for personal gain or simply for the fun of it. The traits that must be present to diagnose APD are in the vividly described, self-reported behaviors she confesses to. She does this with a healthy dose of self-aggrandizement and ego-centrism, peppered with a snarling contempt for “empaths” (people with a conscience, who stay within moral societal constraints), equating empathy with weakness. She can control her sociopathic impulses, so tension arises out of which impulses she feels are necessary to control. She does not think that breaking major laws would be wrong per se, but does not want the inconvenience of going to jail, so she stays under the

Sci & Entertainment

4 out of 5 Stars radar of the law by not following through on her more destructive impulses – at least not without a foolproof plan. Her destructive interpersonal relationships demonstrate an absolute lack of compassion and intimacy for her partners. She uses people to fill any need, no matter how base. She has sex with anyone, using deceit, coercion, intimidation, and sometimes violence to satisfy a desire, or for personal gain. She can be remorselessly sadistic. Thomas believes genetic components compounded by environmental factors caused her disorder. She links a genetic connection from herself, to her father and paternal grandfather, all of them highly intelligent, abusive, impulsive, manipulative, remorseless people with strong narcissistic traits. She describes her parents as distant, cold, and physically and emotionally abusive. This book could provide readers with insight into the mental processes, behaviors and impulses that drive a person with APD. To those who believe they may be in a relationship with someone they suspect of having this disorder, this memoir may provide awareness of the risks in continuing the relationship. M.E. Thomas supposedly penned this work to find advocates and hopes to remove the stigma associated with those with APD. In my mind ,those goals failed. This book cannot rehabilitate a sociopath, but it may help readers to identify those traits in other people, even if successful treatment is unlikely.

Sci & Entertainment

MEMENTO By Madeleine Kashlun ’16

Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, was based on a short story written by Jonathan Nolan about a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia, Leonard. He is tracking down his wife’s killer, but he appears unable to keep memories for more than seven seconds after hitting his head on the night of her murder. To remember everything from what his car looks like to suspicions about the people he meets, Leonard has systems in place: captioned Polaroids to capture images, and tattoos to remember the killer’s true name—John G.—and his motivation for hunting him. The scenes are presented in an order which mimics the experience of constantly meeting people for the first time, every day a new jarring introduction to the world. The film is presented in a jumbled order, with only the last lines of a scene giving context to the next. Scenes taking place in the past are shot in black and white to emphasize the lack of solid knowledge Leonard has about the circumstances of his wife’s murder. Scenes shot in the present are in color, but follow in reverse chronological order, with two timelines meeting as one at the end. Together, these effects create a fairly accurate depiction of anterograde amnesia, and some experts recommend this movie for family members of people with anterograde amnesia in order to help them understand their experiences. While his system for evidence is rational and detailed, Leonard is strongly ruled by emotion. His inability to form new emotions keeps the death of his wife fresh in his mind, forcing him to relive it constantly. This emotionality and uncertainty leaves the audience’s knowledge so hazy that when the man presented as the murderer twists the story, it is impossible 40

4 out of 5 Stars

to tell whether he is telling the truth or manipulating Leonard, as other characters do throughout the film. During the course of his investigation, Leonard commits actions that may leave viewers uneasy and wondering if his actions were noble after all. The film has one notable issue: Leonard can always recall that he has anterograde amnesia without the assistance of his Polaroids or tattoos. In anterograde amnesia, the hippocampus is damaged, permanently destroying the capabilities of short-term memory and making new memory storage impossible. It follows that when Leonard’s head was hit, every memory up until that moment would remain, but the hospital afterwards would be forgotten. For the sake of convenience, Leonard’s knowledge about his disorder can be forgivable as it makes for excellent dramatic tension. Additionally, Leonard writes down the names of his destinations, but not directions to get there. In a time before portable GPS became popular, Leonard would be completely lost, and would have to rely on others for assistance. Toward the close of the film, when Leonard’s memory of his wife’s murder is called into question, flashes of images reveal memories created after his head injury, suggesting that perhaps his own anterograde amnesia is psychosomatic. When taking this possibility into account, the aforementioned plot holes fall perfectly into the plot as “slips” on the part of Leonard’s mind. It was an excellent subversion of audience expectations and Memento does a wonderful job of translating the effects of anterograde amnesia into a film.

Sci & Entertainment

Under the Microscope with Missy Niblock

Professor of Biology

Professor Missy Niblock graduated from University of Richmond in 1992 with a degree in Psychology and Biology, and she earned her PhD in Neuroscience in 1998 from Wake Forest University. She has been teaching at Dickinson College since 2007 and is Chair of the Neuroscience Department and Associate Professor of the Biology Department.

Madeline Gardner: What is the basis of your research? Dr. Missy Niblock: My interest has been in how the brain regulates breathing in response to changes in blood gases. For example, when you have elevated levels of CO2 in the blood, how does the brain modulate breathing so that you breathe more to get rid of excess CO2? The context in which I’ve studied that is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). One of the ideas behind the “Back-To-Sleep” campaign, which was initiated in 1994 and reduced sudden infant death by about 50%, was that babies sleeping face-down in covers are rebreathing CO2. If a baby fails to increase its breathing, and is unable to roll over and get out of the covers, it might have something wrong in the brainstem, and the baby dies. The process itself is called central chemoreception; there are cells in the brainstem that can sense increased levels of CO2 and increase breathing. There’s some evidence that babies who died from SIDS don’t have those cells. I’m interested in where those cells are located, how they function, and differences between the sexes, because boys are more prone to SIDS than girls. MG: How does this relate to your current research at Dickinson? MN: We are now looking at the role of chemoreceptor cells in exercise. One really interesting phenomenon is that if you’re a trained athlete, something that happens before you begin to exercise is that your body prepares. Before going on a run, your heart rate increases and you start to breathe deeper. You are trained and your body knows that there will be an increased demand to get rid of CO2. What we want to do in the lab is find out if those same chemoreceptor cells are responsible for breathing during exercise. We use a mouse model in the lab, and we figured out which areas [of the brain] are activated in a mouse which has been running for several nights, like a training regimen. Then we have the mice run for a longer term, say for an 42

entire month. Every night they would be running and become essentially trained athletes, like cross country runners. Then what we would do is take the mice and instead of letting them run the very last night, we would euthanize them immediately and look to see what areas of the brain were activated prior to the anticipated exercise. MG: When did you decide to become a scientist? MN: I’ve always loved science. Definitely by 8th grade, I wanted to be a scientist and in AP Bio I wanted to be a molecular biologist. I’ve always loved teaching too. I used to teach to my stuffed animals at home! MG: What is on your bucket list? MN: To retire in the mountains of New Hampshire! And I definitely want to visit Alaska in order to experience the long daylight period. MG: Describe the most interesting place you have ever been. MN: As a scientist, the coolest place I’ve ever been is Cold Spring Harbor Lab in Long Island, New York. I went there for a course in graduate school and it was like camp for scientists. For three weeks, all we did was experiments. We had one Saturday break but every other day, all day long we did science. It was an in-situ hybridization course, so we were doing all kinds of things to look at gene expression with RNA and DNA. We did electron microscopy to look at DNA. We did fluorescent in situ hybridization, all with cells. It’s founded by James Watson, of Watson and Crick, so I got to meet him too! MG: What do you like to do in your free time? MN: I like to run. I like to do anything with my son, like going to soccer games or baking. His name is Bodie and he is 10. I also like to kayak or paddle board, and swim.

Sci & Entertainment

Across

3. Neil DeGrasse Tyson deems this crucial for society 5. Barbara ____ ‘86, director of the Drug Discovery Program at JHU 6. Book by John Medina detailing the mental benefits of exercise 8. Security group trying to crack the iPhone (abbrev.) 11. The “M” in IPM 12. National organization concerned with air travel (abbrev.) 13. This is damaged if a person suffers from anterograde amnesia 14. Models made by geologists with 3D printers 15. What American toads eat 17. Inability to internalize one’s accomplishments

Down

1. Addictive drug, like methamphetamine, that affects the CNS 2. Confessions of a ____ 4. What many people with mental illness have to face 5. New academic requirement at Dickinson 6. What’s being produced from methane at the College Farm 7. Danger of drug abuse 9. Typical stick-on for wounds 10. Greenhouse gas 16. Professor Niblock studied CO2 and breathing regulation in the context of this (abbrev.)