TABLE OF CONTENTS Lifestyle & Spirituality
4 Tips to feel awake in the morning Did you know? List of cool facts & common myths 8 Traveling backwards in geological time 10-11 Amnesia in a bottle 22 Yoga
History & Technology
5 Elixer of mortality 12 Eco-technology of the future 20 Stroke of genius! 23 This month in history 26 Cutting edge
Arts & Culture
6 The silent sounds of stillness and slumber 14 Cool photos in science 15 Daydreams and danger 21 Video gaming today
Current Events
9 First baby born from a transplanted womb 13 Deleting HIV 16 India’s Mars orbiter mission 17-19 Noble discoveries 24-25 Spread of Ebola
Editorial
7 Life not as we know it 27 Talking with Prof. Tom Haffie 28 Book and film reviews 29 Tasty recipes 30-31 Meet the editorial team
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Editor-In-Chief Igor Angeloveski website westernssc.ca/current twitter twitter.com/thecurrent_ssc facebook facebook.com/thecurrentssc youtube youtube.com/user/thecurrentful blog thecurrentssc.wordpress.com
The Editors Copy Editors Milly Embaye, Nicole Lam, Eugene Leung, Stephanie Philpott, Bobo Qiu, & Nick Sequeira Compilation Editors Jonathan Hwang , Jameera Mohamed, & Bethia To Creative Editors Sophia Wen & Tianyi Yan Feature Editors Eshana Ghuman, Robert Nanni & Aruthy Pathmarajan
Image Editor Akshay Sule Column Editors Rigya Arya, Jacek Orzyłowski, Grace To, & David Zhang Marketing Manager Evelyn Bray Blog Manager Mathura Thiyagarajah YouTube Manager Winnie Ong Media Editors Shaily Brahmbhatt & Elise Gabriele
Disclaimer: ”The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. Its contents do not reflect the opinion of the University Students’ Council of the University of Western Ontario (“USC”). The USC assumes no responsibility or liability for any error, inaccuracy, omission or comment contained in this publication or for any use that may be made of such information by the reader.”
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Fellow Mustangs, it’s been quite an eventful year so far. Midterm exams have come and gone just as autumn colours make way for the winter winds. And yet, amidst the stress of meeting academic requirements, we always find a way to triumph in the end. It can at first be quite difficult to imagine yourself graduating with a university degree, when it feels like only yesterday that your postsecondary education began. The time you spend in these memorable years of your life will eventually pass, but the experiences, relationships and insights gained exist ad infinitum. This is precisely why it does no good to infect your very mind with fearful projections of failure, guilt or worthlessness. Such notions are a misunderstanding of experiences
that don’t go according to plan, appearing to contradict our goals and desires. In truth, the personal journey is one of self-discovery, and both positive and negative experiences are necessary to knowing our place in the Universe. You may have noticed our new Editorial Team for 2014-2015, which I am pleased to say was selected from nothing short of the finest Western students. It is definitely reassuring that I’ve been given the opportunity to work with such passionate, young individuals that share my enthusiasm for The Current magazine, in addition to the wonderful Science Students’ Council. I can’t help but express excitement for the issues to come, which without a doubt, will showcase the creative and unique perspectives of such dedicated team members. For this reason, I trust we will be able to fulfill a purpose of The Current I admire greatly: to enlighten you about the many aspects of the natural world in a manner that is informative, cohesive and engaging to the reader. The sheer scope and fascination that involves conveying the universe of which we are a part means there is no shortage of stories that cause one to question the meaning of reality. It stands to reason that just like the metamorphoses often observed in nature, we must adapt in
order that we may prepare ourselves for the next chapter of our existence on this planet. Such transitions are at the core of who we are, encompassing everything from mutating genes to oscillating frequencies. But the natural changes around us are nothing to fear, rather they are to be embraced. For if there is one thing I have learned from observing the nature of reality, it is that everything is dynamic, constantly vibrating between short-lived states. And in order to progress forward in our lives, it is necessary for us to observe and emulate the energies we wish to experience. Whether it be respecting the altruistic connections between the cells of your body or understanding each other’s perspectives as valid, our sanity relies on how well we are able to adjust to the shifting in our lives. In this way, we find the courage to overcome hurdles and ultimately evolve into who we were meant to be. Be at One, Igor Angelovski
“There is only One of us here, experiencing reality from many unique perspectives.”
4 LIFESTYLE & SPIRITUALITY Getting up and feeling awake for morning class can be a struggle for many students. However, getting a good start to your day can have an effect on everything from your productivity to your mood. So here are a few tips to help increase alertness early in the day:
#3: Take a cold shower! Not only is this great from an environ-
mental standpoint, but it also helps you feel refreshed. The cold temperature causes vasoconstriction and thus blood flows at a higher pressure, improving circulation. A cold shower stimulates your senses and washes away tiredness..
#4: Have a nutritious breakfast! Apples, being a good source of both vitamin C and fiber, are especially helpful in providing a boost of energy in the morning. Foods that are high in proteins, like eggs, are also great to have for breakfast. Having a healthy breakfast ensures you have enough energy to get through your day. .
#1:
Stimulate your brain! Take time to read about current events, complete a cross-word puzzle, or read a book. These can be any quick 10 minute activities that get you to start thinking critically or creatively. This will improve your ability to focus and help you to be more alert during the day.
#2: Exercise! This can be as simple as doing some push-ups in your room or as fun as hula-hooping or skipping rope. Doing physical exercises gets your heart pumping and increases blood flow; it will rid you of your grogginess and have you feeling awake in no time.
#5: Sleep! Although it can be difficult to find the time for eight hours of sleep every night, it is important to keep in mind that there are many positive health benefits associated with sleep. In fact, sleeping has been shown to help with learning and retaining new information as well as increasing concentration. - Rigya Arya
26 Really Cool and Totally Useless Facts Everyone Should
Sometimes trivia can come in handy. You can use it to start a really interesting conversation with that really attractive girl that you’ve been wanting to talk to for the past three weeks, or use it to end off a conversation that you just don’t want to be in (the best way to beat a weird conversation is to point out something that is even weirder). To help you out a bit, here are my “Top 26 Really Cool and Totally Useless Facts That Everyone Should Know”.
1. If graced with an average life, the heart will pump out nearly 200 train cars worth of blood. 2. There is a legitimate reason for hating Mondays: you’re more likely to have a heart attack on a Monday, than any other day. 3. To save some time and airfare, you can drill a hole right through the Earth and find yourself at the other end in 42 minutes and 12 seconds. 4. A single red blood cell takes about 60 seconds to make a full circuit of the body. 5. An average hurricane produces enough energy for 8 000 one megaton bombs.
6. The gas cloud Sagittarius B contains a billion, billion, billion liters of alcohol. Just a heads up for when you decided you want a new house. 7. The average person will consume approximately 430 insects each year of their life. Yum. 8. Butterflies taste with their feet. 9. The deepest part of the Earth’s oceans is more than 25 Empire State Buildings deep. 10. The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body.
By: Shaily Brahmbhatt
11. If you joined all of your blood vessels, end to end, you’d be able to wrap them around the Earth more than twice. 12. “Gourmand Syndrome” is a syndrome in which the patient is obsessed with thinking and eating fine foods. Stay classy. 13. When you blush, your stomach turns pink with your cheeks. Now that’s a bromance. 14. The American state that is closest to Africa is Maine. Plan your trips accordingly.
15. It hails diamonds on Saturn and Jupiter.
16. In terms of cross-sectional area, Russia is larger than Pluto. 17. Most amniotic fluid is simply sterile urine that the fetus expels
while in the womb. 18. An arrangement of carbon atoms in a honeycomb shape makes up the strongest structure on the planet. 19. Due to the large amount of vitamin A, you will die if you eat a polar bear heart. 20. Dead people can get goose bumps. 21. It is false to say that blind people see pitch black. In fact, they see nothing at all. 22. If the world lost oxygen for five seconds, the inner ears of each of the world’s 7 billion people would burst. 23. Female black widow spiders eat their husbands after mating. 24. An average person sheds about 40 lbs. of skin during their lifetime. 25. Due to genetic variation, it is nearly impossible for there to ever exist another human with the exact same genome as you to ever exist. 26. And now you are 26 facts smarter.
HISTORY & TECHNOLOGY 5
y t i l a t r o M f o r i x i l E The
T
he alchemists of Ancient China had their priorities straight. Instead of chasing after pumpkin spice lattes, their ultimate goal was the development of the elixir of immortality. Like all proper alchemists, their search began with looking at the world’s basic metals. Our budding scientists were particularly interested in metals that had paradoxical properties. It was common knowledge that gold didn’t tarnish, so maybe if one ingested gold, their insides wouldn’t tarnish either. However, it seemed that blinged-out organs only brought the reaper around faster – presumably because he was envious of such style. Mercury was also a curious substance. Since it was both a metal and a liquid, maybe ingesting this would lead to an invincible body plated in metal. Sadly, these alchemists’ heroic foray into becoming the first cyborgs instead descended into mercurial madness. Ever optimistic, the next substance on trial was sulfur, a rock that could, oddly enough, burn. This sulfur was mixed with saltpeter and honey, and the results were explosive for both the scientific and physical worlds. Saltpeter, known today as potassium nitrate, is a potent oxidizer, and one of the first explosophore-containing substances discovered. Sulfur is a desiccant, a hygroscopic substance that dried the honey, creating an inadvertent fuel source. More importantly, sulfur reduces ignition temperatures. This lovely chemical mixture, when ignited, created intense flames and smoke. As the more chemically or irony savvy of you might have guessed, the Chinese quest for immortality led to the development of gunpowder. Gunpowder was originally used to delight and distract as pyrotechnics or fireworks. Only later did more aggressive minds think to encapsulate the reaction and create a pressurized explosive. This history would repeat itself about 1000 years later, when the explosive properties of the humble yellow dye trinitrotoluene were discovered. Gunpowder joins the serendipitous halls of accidental scientific breakthroughs, taking its place proudly beside penicillin and LSD. Unfortunately, it fails abysmally as an elixir of immortality, unless you believe devoutly in an eternal afterlife. - Jacek Orzylowski
6 ARTS & CULTURE
THE SILENT SOUNDS OF STILLNESS AND SLUMBER ROBERT NANNI
School is a stressful place; I’m certain we can all agree on that, and sleep isn’t always the most prominent in these times. As such, we crawl out of bed each morning and into the lineup at our local Tim Horton’s (or Starbucks, for you upper-class insomniacs) and swipe a cup of Joe to get through the day. Tonight will be better, you tell yourself – you’ll finally get 6 hours of good rest. You know you’re wrong, and that this false sense of security will trap you in yet another slumber that’s more characteristic of an extended nap. Whether you’re worrying about academics, furiously swiping on Tinder, or trying to get past level 100 on Candy Crush, sleep escapes the best of us. But what if I told you there was a better way to fall asleep each night? Let me introduce you to the best song ever – no, not that lively tune by One Direction – which has been scientifically proven to be the most relaxing song in existence by Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy. Without the need for a glass of warm milk and an Ambien, this 8 minute trance-inducing track is bound to knock you out. Entitled “Weightless” by English band Marconi Union, sound therapists claim that this tune’s continuous rhythm of 60 beats per minute forcefully synchronizes your heartbeat and brainwaves. As your heart rate matches the sound, a process called entrainment occurs within the first 5 minutes of the song, and that experience is in itself calmingly melodious. This reduction in heart rate results in a lowering of your blood pressure. While all of this occurs, there are particularly chosen gaps between notes, called harmonic intervals, which create a euphoric and comforting atmosphere. The
melody of the song changes continuously, allowing your brain to relax instead of attempting to predict the upcoming notes. The song is composed of low, whooshing sounds and chimes, which are wholly reminiscent of Buddhist rhythms. These noises entrance the mind and soul, contrary to high tones which would stimulate your inner workings. There are no lyrics, simply sounds, which was decided by the band in accordance with the aforementioned sound therapy academy. To clear the air, the song hardly came about by chance – this tune is backed by science. In 2011, scientists from the sound academy had 40 women complete challenging puzzles to induce a notable level of stress, then had their vitals (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and brain activity) monitored as they listened to compositions by Mozart, Coldplay, Adele, and finally Marconi Union. Studies found that “Weightless” was 11 per cent more relaxing than any other song, and even made many of the participants drowsy while in the lab. There was a reported 65 per cent reduction in anxiety, bringing the women to a level 35 per cent lower than their normal resting rates. So if you’re stressed out over everything you have to do and can’t sleep, download this tune on your iPod and give it a listen. As I write this, it’s playing in the background and I can totally understand the hype over it. It’s definitely *yawn* worth a shot … *zzz*
EDITORIAL 7
LIFE NOT AS WE KNOW IT BETHIA TO
New Zealand Glow-worms
The Corpse Flower
(Arachnocampa luminosa)
Similar to strands of LED string lights, glow-worms found in New Zealand and Australia cast trailing bioluminescent threads along the ceiling for of the cave, lighting it up like a starry night. As deceiving as its name may be, glow-worms actually are actually the larval stage of a small group of carnivorous fungus-gnat. At this stage, they are about the size of a mosquito (16mm). Usually
found in on damp, sheltered, over-hanging walls, this species shines a blue-green light from its tail to entrap insect prey on the sticky surface of the strand. An airbag that surrounds the light organ supplies the oxygen required for the chemical light reaction to take place. Fungus gnats glow throughout all stages of life (excluding the egg), but emit the brightest light as larvae.
(Amorphophallus titanium)
What’s that smell? At first glance, this giant unbranched flowering plant may seem pleasant at first, but the odour it releases says otherwise. Its scientific name, Amorphophallus titanium, was given due to the plants characteristic aroma of rotting meat and is commonly known as the “corpse flower.” This Indonesian plant has the world’s largest known inflorescence, which is a cluster of flowers arranged on a central column. Over three meters tall in height, the corpse flowers’ distinctive smell comes from the combination of several fragment compounds such as phenol and dimethyl disulfide. The smell attracts bees, beetles and other insects to ensure pollination
Okapi
(Okapia johnstoni) It’s a giraffe! It’s a zebra! It’s a … wait… okapi? Only discovered by scientists in 1901, the okapi stands at 1.5 meters tall in dense tropical rainforests of Northeastern Zaire. Although the okapi’s long neck and facial structure highly resembles those of their giraffe cousin, they also have zebra-like white and black striped legs. The unique patterning of their skin allows them to blend into the dense vegetation in which they reside. As herbivores, okapis’ regular diet consists of fruits, buds, leaves, twigs and other vegetation. Related to the
giraffe family, okapis also have a four-chambered stomach that aids in the digestion of tough plant matter. On occasion, they are known to eat mud and clay found by rivers as a method of consuming the salts and minerals necessary for survival. An okapi can live for about 30 years in captivity. Their lifespan in the wild is unknown like many other facts, as little field research can be done due to the inaccessibility and reclusive nature of their habitat.
of the plant. As such a large plant, it stays dormant for about 4 months until it stores up enough energy for the flowers to bloom once more.
Nomachi, Kazuyoshi. “Salar de Uyuni.”
8 LIFESTYLE & SPIRITUALITY
Iacomino, Francesco R. “The Wave.”
Place of interest: Sarlar de Uyuni Lake, Bolivia The world’s largest salt desert is Salar de Uyuni, located in Bolivia. With an area of 10, 582 square kilometers, this salt flat was once a part of Lake Minchin, a giant prehistoric saline lake. When these lakes dried up about 40 000 years ago, their high concentration of salt content remained, leaving behind the thick salt crust that blankets the region today. When the salt desert is covered with shallow rainwater, it causes a stunning effect and creates an immense natural mirror.
Necoechea, Oscar. “Cueva de los Cristales.”
Place of interest: The Wave, USA The Wave, a sandstone formation close to the Arizona-Utah border, is one of the most photographed places in America. These troughs were formed by water erosion, which started all the way back in the Jurassic age. As the flow of water gradually stopped occurring, the formation of sandstone continued to be sculpted by wind through the troughs. After some rain, the puddles at the bottom of the trough reflect the surrealism of The Wave.
Sain, Todd. “Eye of Sahara.”
Necoechea, Oscar. “Cueva de los Cristales.”
Place of Interest: Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania This formation of circular rocks caused by erosion can be found in a desert in Mauritania and is easily spotted from above ground. With a diameter of about 25 miles, this natural phenomenon was formed when Pangaea broke up about 100 million years ago. This landscape also contains various types of igneous and sedimentary rocks. After all the years of circular wind erosions, the entire natural structure bears a resemblance to a bull’s-eye. Sahin, Ahmet. “Cotton Castle.”
CURRENT EVENTS 9 Place of interest: The Great Blue Hole, Belize From the evidence of stalactites in the underwater caves, about 150,000 years back, the Great Blue Hole once existed above ground. After the melting of the last Ice Age, it flooded and collapsed the cave, giving way to the giant sinkhole that is found today. From its impressive diameter of 1,000 feet and depth of 400 feet, many underwater explorers declare this as the best destination to go diving and snorkeling.
Place of interest: Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland Over 60 million years ago, these igneous rocks were formed from the solidified lava of volcanic activity. As the lava came into contact with the air and the sea, it hardened into layers of basalt columns. The pressure experienced by the basalt over time shaped them into polygonal patterns of stepping stones. These basalt columns were finally revealed after millions of years of erosion and fluctuations of sea level. Today, there are more than 40,000 beautiful basalt columns in the Giant’s Causeway.
Place of interest: Giant Crystal Cave, Mexico This mysterious cave, found about one thousand feet below the Chihuahua Desert of Mexico, contains massive crystals that are up to eleven meters in length. Formed millions of years ago from filtered groundwater saturated in calcium sulphate, the minerals started to precipitate and form the large crystals. The crystals resemble icicles, suggesting that the interior of the cave is very cold, but the temperature is actually around 45°C and has about a 90 to 100% humidity.
Place of interest: Pamukkale, Turkey Both a geological and historical phenomenon, these hot springs plateaus are the result of calcium bicarbonate deposits over long periods of time. The “Cotton Castle” is formed by all the limestone thermal springs in the area, as the run-off of the calcium-containing water leaves behind the fascinating texture. This is a great tourist attraction in this region of Turkey; many can go for a swim in these sacred pools from ancient Turkish times. - Grace To
First Baby Born from a Transplanted Womb
I
n early September, medical history was made without the star even knowing. Vincent, a squishy little newborn, was born to two Swedish parents after his mother had received a womb transplant. The mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, was told by doctors that she was infertile when she was 15 years old. Last year, she and eight other women received a womb transplant while participating in a trial. Seven of the nine women were able to successfully develop an embryo, and Vincent was the first to be born. The research project, conducted by the University of Gothenburg, began in 1999 with the goal of allowing women who did not have a womb or lost it during their life to be able to carry children. Naturally, such a drastic and medically new procedure would be fraught with risks; two of the nine women were unable to develop a healthy embryo. Prior to these individuals, womb transplants were done on women in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but no live births had occurred. A significant component to this transplant was that the uterus was given by a live donor—a 61-year old family friend. While the 36-year old mother was born without a womb (a condition known as absolute uterine factor infertility), she did have healthy ovaries that were able to produce eggs, which were then fertilized in vitro. After receiving the organ, the woman had to take several medicines to prevent her body from rejecting the uterus. The baby was born during its 32nd week via a caesarean section, since an abnormal fetal rate was detected and the mother developed preeclampsia (a condition that is characterised by severely high blood pressure in pregnant women). Her preeclampsia was most likely attributed to the fact that she had one kidney, and that the condition is common for IVF babies. Professor Mats Brännström, who delivered the baby, explains that the procedure went as expected, and that the baby is developing normally, without complications. Critics argue that a procedure that may require a womb to be taken from a live donor is unethical. There is still quite a bit of controversy surrounding this procedure, but it is worth following the other cases to see how safe and practical it is. For now, the parents are just wrapping their heads around what used to be impossible, and couldn’t be happier that they can start a life with little Vincent. - Akshay Sule
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/10/07/1412704826515_wps_26_Vincent_the_first_baby_bo.jpg
10 LIFESTYLE & SPIRITUALITY
AMNESIA IN A BOTTLE If there was a pill you could take to erase a bad memory, would you take it? GRACE TO Sometimes, it feels like your mind has a mind of its own. Picture this: You’re talking to some of your buddies, or watching a movie, or you’re just about to fall asleep. And then you remember that embarrassing moment that happened years ago, making you mentally cringe. You agonize why you still remember that one time when you accidentally called your fifth grade teacher “mom”, or that time you didn’t notice you had pit stains the size of Lake Nipigon during that job interview. You think, “It’d be great if I could just erase those tiny bits of memory,” so you wouldn’t be haunted by those shameful flashbacks every time something triggers them to re-emerge. Well, there’s good news for you, Charlie Brown, because the development of a memory-wiping drug has been underway for a few years already. With the intent of treating patients with post-traumatic
stress disorder, researchers and scientists are trying to develop a drug that can target specific memories, leaving the rest of the brain unharmed. Patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder often experience difficulty concentrating, frequent irritability, inability to sleep at night, and anxiety attacks after exposure to trauma. The research to develop a drug that effectively treats PTSD patients has been underway for a while. The ultimate goal is to terminate the memory responsible for causing the emotional distress, eliminating the symptoms of PTSD.
LIFESTYLE & SPIRITUALITY 11
Studies have been conducted on mice to show that it is possible to develop such a drug that can target these traumatic memories. Research has shown that, contrary to the popular belief that memories are formed and maintained, memories are actually formed and then rebuilt each time they are recalled. This explains the slight differences in the recounts of stories of the same event told by the same individuals after some time has passed. In the studies conducted by scientists, mice were trained to fear a mildly painful electric shock as a loud sound is used to signal the incoming treatment. After a while, the mice were able to associate the loud sound with pain. The next step in the studies for the scientists was to find a way to have the mice forget about this association in the brain. To do this, drugs are used to suppress the immune system, inhibiting protein syn-
thesis of PKMzeta at a specific moment, which would induce the loss of that memory. The timing is the most crucial aspect as new proteins are produced upon recall of a memory. One of these drugs used in these studies that was found to be effective in wiping out memories is used primarily to treat multiple sclerosis, called fingolimod. In the studies, when the drugs were administered at the correct time, the mice no longer associated the sound with pain, but the rest of their brain seemed to be unaffected as they were able to learn and form new memories after the treatment. The possible usage of these drugs in the future to cure disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias, by eliminating the painful memories and the associations in the brain brings about a round of ethical discussion. Once treatment has been successfully performed, some speculate whether los-
ing memories are equivalent to losing a part of one’s identity. Versions of these drugs have not been tested on actual humans yet either. The possible emotional and mental effects on humans cannot be properly inferred from the studies conducted on mice. The benefits presented with the development of such drugs may not completely outweigh the risks associated with the human treatment. The brain is a complex organ. Memory-wiping operations may have the potential to treat those who are suffering from the traumatic events of the past, but the list of probable damages is still unknown. The accessibility for this type of treatment is unlikely to be readily available in the near future. But even if it was, I’d think many would hesitate before signing themselves up for a case of amnesia.
12 HISTORY & TECHNOLOGY
ECOTECHNOLOGY
FUTURE OF THE
- David Zhang
7.125
billion. 1.2 percent. 74.91 trillion USD. The numbers themselves may come off as insignificant, but realize these are the statistics of our world population, population growth, and GDP in 2013. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been surging through the world, reproducing, and creating tons of new humans in the ongoing cycles of generations. Since the 19th century, technology has rocketed our quality and method of living. In this new digital era of convenience, comfort, and peace (relatively), our population growth is not looking to slow down in the next 50 years. However, as the number of people continue to increase, the energy consumption and waste increases accordingly. When will we reach max capacity? Well actually, we have since long ago already reached Earth’s carrying capacity. Although, scientific advancements and technology have allowed us to maintain our current status without immediate consequences, we are reaching a divide where our population and overshoot and collapse, or sooth into a “sustainability era”. Of course, one of the predominant concerns is population stability. Consider this, our current population in 2014 is over double that of in 1967. With this exponential bloom, is our population growth really sustainable? Will we run out of space, time, and energy? Maybe, but that’s why eco-technology is a new expanding field aimed to solve these issues. You might have already heard of Tesla Motors, an American company that designs electric cars. They look sexy and can accelerate as fast as a Ferrari, but the Tesla Models are not your run of the mill sports car. These big guns are huge on energy consumption efficiency, and may single-handedly mitigate the potential oil and gas shortage by revolutionizing our transportation. In addition, scientists are working on artificial photosynthesis, using an artificial substitute to
mimic the functions of a leaf. This new “artificial leaf” would convert the sun’s energy to a hydrocarbon fuel, which could be used as an oil substitute. With our oil barrels estimated to run out in 40 years, what will we be using when it’s gone? To all my Chinamen homies and those who have been to the urbanized cities in China, you know how it feels when you step out of the airplane into scorching humid air; it’s hard to breathe. Even as a world super power, most cities in China sure look like a page from the industrial revolution! Consumption is high, production is high, and smog is high! With the ongoing concern of global warming, the sustainability idea of the future is “supertrees”. These trees have already been built in the Marina Bay area of Singapore, embedded with functions like photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy. Moreover, the skin of a supertree also serve as a habitat for plants, which are watered using a reservoir system, allowing the trees to be self-sustainable. Super what? Supertree! We have gone from nomadic, to settlement, to civilization, but what’s next? Every generation faces the problems of its time. In the past century we have been fighting wars across the globe and have raced to build the most devastating weapons of MAD. Not mad as in “umad”, but “Mutually Assured Destruction”. After entering this new era of peace, as our tuition and selfies take flight, we are soaring to extend the gap between our human population and max capacity. As eco-technology takes its stance, it’s also up to us to be aware of the global sustainability issue so that our generation can have its next generation.
CURRENT EVENTS 13
F
or decades, HIV has been an incurable and potentially fatal virus. The symptoms can be treated, but once diagnosed as HIV positive, the patient will remain HIV positive forever. These effective medications are not cures; they will simply lower the likelihood of transmission, decrease the chances that HIV will develop into AIDS, and prevent the progression of the HIV virus. Scientists have recently started studying the possibilities of completely deleting HIV from the human genome. By using CRISPR, they have been able to rearrange the genome in order to fix the cell from HIV. HIV is a retrograde virus; it uses reverse transcription to intertwine itself into the host cell’s DNA. As a result, after it has infected a patient, the cell is infected till it dies. If left untreated, there is a high likelihood of the virus becoming AIDS. CRISPR are DNA locations that contain short sequences of bases. As of 2013, scientists have been able to use the CRISPR/CAS system for gene editing –adding, removing, or rearranging specific genes. Using this system, scientists have removed the 5’ and 3’ ends of the virus, also known as the long terminal repeats (LTR), from several human cells, including microglia, and T-cells. LTRs are repetitive sequences of DNA that are located at the ends of the HIV virus. These enable HIV to insert itself within the host’s genome. Targeting these ends allows for the entire virus to be excised from the cell. Furthermore, by operating in the same cell, copies of the HIV virus in different chromosome have been removed from the cell. One drawback to this method of curing HIV is that through the process of gene ed-
iting, it is possible to unintentionally alter a part of the gene that was meant to remain untouched. Checking for these anomalies can be done through whole genome sequencing – by analyzing the entire genome for irregularities, scientists will be able to ensure the ability for CRISPR/CAS to remove only the intended portions of the gene. The major difficulty that comes with this system is in the delivery. Not every cell is latently affected. It may be difficult to create a program that could identify these affected cells, and this increases the challenges that scientists must face in determining which cells to modify. Using the CRISPR/CAS system seems to be a promising cure for HIV. However, at the time being, it is quite far from being suitable for human clinical trials. - Deifilia To
HIV infected T-cells
14 ARTS & CULTURE
By: Jameera Mohamed
ARTS & CULTURE 15
DAYDREAMS AND DANGER: THE FUTURE OF BIOTERRORISM JACEK ORZYLOWSKI
Disguised as a CDC employee, I manage to get to the BSL-4 level, housing the most dangerous and vile biological agents known to man, excluding Taco Bell’s menu. They took a long time to obtain, but I use the authorization codes to bypass the myriad airlocks and security measures. I shouldn’t make any contact with the pathogens, since they’re hermetically sealed away, but I should be careful nonetheless. This is not the place for accidents to happen – those come later. I approach the storage vault. To my surprise, there is an electronic lock to the vault I did not know about. None of my collaborators mentioned anything like this. Just past the security monitor with the keyboard, I see the greatest enemies of humanity: smallpox, Ebola, Marburg, and Lassa. I’ve come too far to stop now. I type in the first passcode I think of: ‘password123’. The vault opens. I would laugh, but I’m a bit too nervous standing here without any of the necessary safety gear. I reach for my target, a small vial of A-HIV, the deadliest of the bunch. I cradle it in my hand. Ever since HIV mutated – as it likes to do - to become airborne in 2031, this has been the bane of human existence. But after decades of immunizations, courtesy of the UWO research labs, it has been
deemed ‘eradicated’, like smallpox before it. But the greatest scientific minds of the century decided it would be better to keep a vial around for research, just in case something similar ever pops up. I doubt they expect the exact same virus to ravage the planet, otherwise they wouldn’t use the same password they have for their Facebook profiles. Instead, when the entire population of Earth no longer carries any resistance to the virus, I swoop in, like a sneaky science-thief, and steal the vial for a hefty sum of money. With this heist, I can finally retire to a quiet cottage somewhere far away from whatever plans these bioterrorists are hatching. They’ll pay me, and the first thing I’ll buy will be a plane ticket to Mexico, or maybe Costa Rica. I’ll get myself a lovely hoverboard, a nice VR cinema, save up for some space shuttle fare, maybe even My reverie is interrupted by the intercom blaring up for some announcement. I look around the lab wildly, startled. I see a hazmat suit on the wall and jump sky-high, thinking it’s another employee. I hear the tinny sound of glass breaking. I look down at my hand to see the vial missing. Oops.
16 CURRENT EVENTS
INDIA’S MARS ORBITER MISSION Exploring Mars and inching closer to becoming Martians.
S
ince the 1950’s, humans have begun space exploration through man-made objects launched into space. There are so many questions about the world beyond the Earth that leave us with a feeling of fear, but mostly curiosity – and so, the race to space began. The very first satellite to make it successfully into space was Sputnik 1, launched in 1957 by Russia. Fifty-seven years later and we have only explored a tiny corner of the universe. It gives you a sense of perspective doesn’t it? Lately, space exploration has been focused on Mars, the fourth planet from the sun. The potential of Mars to support human life has been the main driving force for this exploration. The U.S., Russia, Europe and India all have probes in orbit around Mars or on the planet itself. But why has India made such big news with its newest satellite that’s been put into orbit? Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, was launched by India on November 5, 2013 and inserted into Mars’ orbit as of September 24, 2014. Getting an object into space is definitely a victory, but building it and launching it at a cost of one tenth of the Maven spacecraft (a space probe put into Mars’ orbit by the U.S.) calls for more celebration! At the cost of only $74 million dollars (as opposed to the $671 million cost of the Maven spacecraft and the $100 million cost of the movie “Gravity”), India has made getting to Mars a little more cost efficient. Unlike the other countries that
currently have probes on or around Mars, India succeeded on its first try. The satellite completed its 666, 000, 000 km journey in just 10 months. So now that India’s amazing satellite has reached its destination, what is its mission? The satellite will study and scan the surface of the planet for chemical methane, morphology, mineralogy, and Martian atmosphere. All of the spacecrafts studying Mars are leading to the future of humans being known as Martians. It’s crazy to think that it’s only a matter of time before humans will be moving and populating Mars. While the thought is scary, it’s quite magnificent to think about how far humans have come and how knowledgeable we’ve become as a species along the way. Cool facts • Expected life: 6 months • Weight: 1350 kg (2980 lbs), including 852 kg (1878 lbs) of propellant • Electric power: Generated by 3 solar array panels of 1.8 m x 1.4 m • Propulsion: By a liquid fuel engine with a thrust of 440 Newtons for orbit raising and insertion into Mars orbit • Extra Propulsion: 22-newton thrusters for altitude control - Jameera Mohamed
CURRENT EVENTS 17
NOBLE DISCOVERIES:
THE 2014 NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS IN SCIENCE MATHURA THIYAGARAJAH
18 CURRENT EVENTS Nobel Prizes have often been regarded as one of the highest accomplishments a person can achieve. They are associated with prestige, $1.1 million USD, a gold medal, and a side serving of controversy. Arguably, the highest honour comes with being mentioned in course lecture slides and the subsequent relief when students are assured that the winners’ names need not be memorized. Interestingly enough, Nobel wrote the awards into his will upon reading an obituary mistakenly written for him titled, “The merchant of death is dead.” Fearing that his only legacy would be as the inventor of dynamite, he made an effort to change his mark on the world. The awards were established in 1895 to celebrate contributions to the world in the sciences, economics, literature, and peace. Three Swedish committees select the recipients of the awards with the exception of the famed Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. In all seriousness, the Nobel Prizes are a reminder of the ever-evolving nature of science, the hard work and perseverance of its recipients, and the discoveries that can change the lives of many. Here are the winners of the 2014 Nobel Prizes in Science:
Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 Isamu Akasaki (1/3) | Hiroshi Amano (1/3) | Shuji Nakamura (1/3)
Akasaki, Amano, and Nakamura won the Nobel Prize “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.” The three scientists created blue LED lights by using gallium nitride to emit the blue colour and adding aluminum and indium to achieve efficiency. Gallium nitride was successful due to its large band-gap energy associated with UV light. Blue LEDs were an important discovery because while red and green LEDs had long been discovered, the final colour needed to create white light was proving difficult to attain for 30 years. This invention has made incandescent light bulbs near obsolete in favour of this more environmentally and economically friendly device. FACT: LED lights waste far less heat, reduce energy by 80%, and last over 25 times as long as incandescent light bulbs.
CURRENT EVENTS 19 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014 John O’Keefe (1/2) | May-Britt Moser (1/4) | Edvard I. Moser (1/4)
Betzig, Hell, and Moerner were awarded “for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.” They were driven by the passion to overcome the once accept O’Keefe, Moser, and Moser were recognized “for ed limit of object differentiation of 0.2 µm (the diffraction their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning sys- barrier) for an optic microscope, which is too large to distem in the brain.” In 1971, when studying rat hippocampi tinguish certain proteins via microscopy. Hell was motito gain insight on memory production, O’Keefe discov- vated to create an imaging technique allowing for higher ered something more: the existence of “place” cells that resolution images. He developed STED (“stimulated emisfire when an indision depletion”) vidual is in a cerin 2000, which intain location. The volves striking a cells created a sort sample of interest of spatial map in (such as a nuclethe mind to help us) with a laser navigation in the beam to stimulate environment. fluorescence. To achieve such high In 2005, the Norresolution, anothwegian couple er laser beam is Moser and Moser used to cancel out built on O’Keefe’s dis- left to right: John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser, Edvard I. Moser any fluorescence that is covery by identifying not occurring at a naanother type of nerve cell involved in the brain’s “inner noscopic level. Several images of the nucleus are taken a GPS.” “Grid” cells are located near the hippocampus in the nanometer apart. entorhinal cortex. They fire at particular locations that cre- Separately and years later, Betzig established the “sinate a spatial firing field of a triangular grid. If a rat moves gle-molecule microscopy technique” by capitalizing on freely in a given space, its nerve firing clusters will form Moerner’s work of controlling the green fluorescence of at certain points certain prothat can be conteins. Betzig nected to form achieved high this triangular resolution by grid. These cells superimposhave implicaing many imtions in Alzheiages of the mer’s patients same sample who start to with the fluolose their memrescence of difory of getting to ferent proteins and from places turned on and that were once off at comfamiliar. mand. These two imaging FACT: Moser and methods are Moser worked used today to for two years as study proteins post-doctoral fellows in O’Keefe’s lab in the 1990’s. implicated in various diseases. FACT: Betzig claims chemistry was his worst subject in high school. Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 Eric Betzig (1/3) | Stefan W. Hell (1/3) | William E. Moerner (1/3)
20 HISTORY & TECHNOLOGY
Rosalind Franklin and the race for the
Double Helix P
lagiarism. As a university student, it’s a scary word, to say the least. We are reminded time and time again to properly cite our sources and to honour academic integrity. However, every now and then we tend to get tired of the incessant and dull process. In situations like these, one name comes to mind – Rosalind Franklin. On July 25, 1920, the Franklin family welcomed their daughter Rosalind. Clever from childhood, she knew at the age of 15 that she desired to be a chemist, despite it being a relatively difficult career path for women at the time. Nevertheless, Franklin proved to be as determined as she was intelligent. She earned her PhD in Physical Chemistry at Cambridge University when she was 25. Franklin then moved to Paris to perfect the skill of X-ray chromatography under the watchful eye of crystallographer Jacques Mering. After spending a few years in Paris and falling in love with the city, she realized that she needed to return to London to further her career. Through a good friend, Franklin found a job at King’s College as an assistant to Maurice Wilkins. Their job was to use the X-ray equipment available to analyze (and hopefully understand) the structure of DNA. While they shared a lab there was tension between the two scientists, and so they rarely interacted with one another. Wilkins began to spend much of his time with his friend Francis Crick and his partner James Watson – the Watson and Crick who would later be renowned for their discovery of the DNA structure. Franklin, on the other hand, was on the verge of a breakthrough. Her images of DNA became increasingly more definitive and she discovered two forms which produced different images – the wet and the dry form. The wet form produced two clear helical strands; however Franklin decided to focus on the dry form. She filed away the wet form image as “Photo 51.” This is where things get a bit messy. Because they were such good friends, Wilkins showed Watson and Crick Photo 51. The image supported all of their theories – theories which Franklin had once deemed pure conjecture. It was the final piece they needed to solve the DNA structure riddle. Watson and Crick’s work was published in the April 1953 issue of Nature, without directly citing any of Franklin’s work as a noticeable contribution. They later went to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (shared with Wilkins.) Franklin was not eligible for the award, since it could not be shared with more than three recipients and because she had passed away in 1958 due to ovarian cancer (possibly caused by the nature of her work.) Now we could go on and on about whether or not what happened was truly dishonest or if it was a simple misunderstanding, but I choose neither of those paths. Franklin’s role in the discovery of DNA structure is undeniable and her ability as a scientist is undisputable. After King’s College, she went on to lay the foundation of structural virology while also writing over a dozen papers on coals and carbons. Rosalind Franklin may have lived a short life, but it was nothing short of brilliant and successful.
- Aruthy Pathmarajan
ARTS & CULTURE 21
G
aming has become ubiquitous. There is a hilariously high chance that the last person to gun you down in Call of Duty/ Titanfall/ Battlefield was a doting grandmother. We have reached the point where society might be filled with noobish little brothers and leet retirees. Many of us spend a lot of our time (if not too much) with our faces buried in our phones, enjoying a different world. And now, gaming has dived a little closer to the world of reality with the Oculus Rift. The Rift is the supposed epitome of immersion, with an actual screen wrapped around your eyes. The image boasts excellent resolution, field of view and very low latency head tracking. You are plunged into the most realistic worlds developers have made to date, and sent on your way. Many other virtual reality systems are circulating the military and scientific communities already. VR has been found to be an excellent therapeutic device for PTSD, and carries other potentially significant roles in health or training. However, the Rift cuts back on the prohibitive costs of other VR headsets – some of which exceed $20,000 – and is built by gamers, for gamers. If the Rift is built first for gamers and for fun, then it needs games. Without games, the system is doomed to fail – not unlike the PS Vita. To appeal to the current gaming population, many modern classics are being brought to the system, be they Minecraft, Titanfall, or Team Fortress 2. However, developers are looking to fully take advantage of the Rift’s immersion, exploring the murky depths of horror and suspense, with games such as Outlast or Dying Light, both of which are certain to send your heart racing. For the more fear-averse, the massive Kickstarter-funded world of Star Citizen will be making its way to the system as well. And for those of you who are still 12 at heart, Runescape will be receiving similar support. For all the attention given to the Nintendo Wii or the Kinect, it seems the interest in motion controls will be understandably drowned out by the myriad applications of VR, and especially by the fun hidden behind the visor of the Oculus Rift. I look forward to piloting a spaceship through sci-fi worlds in Star Citizen with a VR headset strapped over my eyes. I’m not sure I will be able to distinguish between the two worlds anymore. - Jacek Orzylowski
22 LIFESTYLE & SPIRITUALITY
YOGA:
THE SCIENCE OF
SPIRITUAL HEALING
I
t is believed that the basic principle of spiritual healing is being at complete ease with one’s body and soul. It is believed to work wonders when all modern medicine have seemed to fail, and is believed to cleanse you of any sort of ailment by developing a stronger connection with what is said to be your “spiritual self�. These healing techniques have been practiced since ancient times, and one of the most widely practiced techniques is yoga. Yoga is believed to have come into existence around 26,000 years ago in India. The earlier form of yoga was largely focussed on singing hymns to gods and performing other religious ceremonies to make a connection beyond the human mind. It had sprouted from the religion of Hinduism, but in progressive years, it was incorporated into Buddhism and focused largely on meditation and concentration. During the classical period (second century), a man named Patanjali introduced his principles to yoga, including meditation, tolerance and asanas (physical exercises). He held the belief that each person was made of matter and spirit, and that it was important to separate the two in order to achieve enlightenment. During progressive areas, yoga also came to include the idea of
maintaining a proper diet along with proper exercise, relaxation and meditation practices. Yoga is no longer confined to a particular religion, but rather it has gone on to become an international and widely-followed discipline. It is not so much about trying to please God than it is about finding inner peace and being content with oneself, while making the body physically healthier and stronger as well. In the past years, yoga has proved to provide multiple health benefits. It is known to improve the mental health of those suffering from depression and bipolar disorder, and provide a psychologically healthier state of mind. Recently, researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Bethesda mapped the brain activity of yogis and discovered their brain had more grey matter and the regions in their brain involving attention span and stress reduction were enlarged. Meanwhile, researchers have also deemed that yoga can change gene expression related to stress levels and concentration. Children who do yoga regularly are also said to have better mind alertness and an overall better development. - Eshana Ghuman
HISTORY & TECHNOLOGY 23
THIS MONTH
IN HISTORY: NOVEMBER GRACE TO November 5 Robert Hooke was officially appointed Curator of Experiments to the Royal Society, London in 1662. An English physicist, Hooke is best known in the physics classroom for his law of elasticity, dubbed as Hooke’s Law in his namesake. Hooke was elected as a fellow the year following this major discovery and has been credited with many other ideas and impressive experiments in a multitude of fields.
November 16 In 1945, the two most recently discovered elements, americium and curium, were added to the periodic table of elements. These two radioactive elements were discovered in the labs of the University of Chicago by Glenn Seaborg, Ralph James, Leon Morgan, and Albert Ghiorso. They were able to produce americium by blasting neutrons that were high in energy at isotopes of plutonium. The element curium was a by-product of americium and was named after physicists and chemists, Pierre and Marie Curie.
Robert Hooke
First untethered hot air balloon flight of 1783 November 24 On this day in 1859, the revolutionary paper, On the Origin of
Species by Means of Natural Selection, was initially released in
England. Written by Charles Darwin, famous naturalist and geologist, this publication presented Darwin’s observations during his well-known journey on the Beagle. Darwin’s concept of a gradual evolution paired with natural selection is now widely accepted in the scientific community, and remains an interesting topic explored in biology classes.
Americium and curium November 10 Two groups of scientists from MIT and Berkley discovered the subatomic particle known as the “charmed quark” in 1974. The discovery of this particle was announced as the November Revolution to the world of physics. The leaders of the two groups, Samuel Ting and Burton Richter, were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics two years later.
November 21 In 1783, pioneers of hot air ballooning Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and Marquis François Lau- Charles Darwin’s famous publication rent d’Arlandes were, the first two men who successfully achieved a November 27 manned free flight. After flying al- At the University of Chicago Hosmost 6 miles in half an hour, there pital, a group of doctors successwas enough fuel remaining for fully implanted part of a woman’s further flight, however the bal- liver in her daughter. Occurring in loon risked catching on fire. Due 1989, this procedure marked the to the danger, King Louis XVI had first successful liver transplant originally planned to have crimi- from a live donor. Dr. Christoph nals pilot the first hot air balloon, Broelsch was the leading doctor but these two excited men were of the team and was later credhappy to transfer the risky hon- ited with the development of a our to themselves instead. surgical technique for living donor transplantation.
24 CURRENT EVENTS
SPREAD OF EBOLA EUGENE LEUNG
December 6, 2013 Primary literature suggests that it was a two year old boy in the Nzérékoré Region of Guinea who was Patient Zero for this outbreak and died.
March 24, 2014 Médecins Sans Frontières launches an emergency response in the wake of the Ebola outbreak.
August 2, 2014 Dr. Kent Bradley is the first American infected with the disease and is flown to Atlanta where he was treated. August 5, 2014 An American missionary, Nancy Writebol, is infected and airlifted to Atlanta as well. July 27, 2014 Liberia closes its borders.
August 21, 2014 Dr. Bradley and Nancy Writebol are treated with ZMapp, an experimental Ebola drug, and released from hospital.
August 11, 2014 The World Health Organization allows the usage of unapproved drugs and vaccines to combat Ebola. July 29, 2014 Dr. Khan is the first doctor that dies due to the outbreak.
March 31, 2014 Initial cases of Ebola in Liberia are found and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) send a five person team to Guinea to help contain the outbreak. February 10, 2014 A healthcare worker who contracted the disease and spread Ebola to various parts of the Nzérékoré Region of Guinea dies.
July 14, 2014 The first case of Ebola is present in Sierra Leone.
CURRENT EVENTS 25
September 25, 2014 Spain announces their first death, Brother Viejo, due to Ebola in hospital. Patient was quarantined.
October 6, 2014 A Spanish nurse, Nurse Romero Ramos, working with Brother Viejo tests positive for Ebola. October 10, 2014 Nurse Romero Ramos’ dog was euthanized due to court orders resulting from fears that he was a reservoir for Ebola. October 13, 2014 The first vaccine for Ebola starts human testing in the US. October 14, 2014 A Sudanese patient earlier airlifted to Germany earlier has died due to Ebola. October 15, 2014 Another nurse treating Eric Duncan tests positive for Ebola. October 17, 2014 Senegal is confirmed cleared of Ebola.
October 17, 2014 The CDC with Frontier Airlines searches 600 passengers who were on the flight with Eric Duncan. August 29, 2014 Senegal has its initial case of Ebola.
October 15, 2014 Death toll of Ebola is now 4477, according to the World Health Organization. October 14, 2014 A suspected Canadian Forces member in Belleville, Ontario tests negative for Ebola after having a fever and being isolated in hospital.
September 30, 2014 First American case of Ebola is confirmed.
October 12, 2014 First case of infection from an Ebola patient happens; Eric Duncan’s nurse tests positive for Ebola. October 8, 2014 The first case of Ebola in the US, Eric Duncan, dies due to Ebola.
26 HISTORY & TECHNOLOGY
the EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE of ADHD
A
ttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder associated with constant controversy, debate, and shifting opinions. First described in 1902, researchers are still unclear about its cause and continue to argue over treatment methods. However, a genetic component of ADHD is likely, as indicated by twin studies. Affecting approximately 2 to 5 % of the adult population, ADHD is a very common disorder, suggesting that its traits may have been favoured by natural selection. Then what are the advantages associated with hyperactivity? One gene associated with risk-taking, curiosity, and restlessness is called DRD4. People with a certain variant of this gene (DRD4-7R) are more likely to take risks and explore. 7R has been found more frequently in populations with ancestors who migrated farther after leaving Africa. It has also been associated with greater success in nomads; in the African Ariaal tribe, people with this gene tend to be stronger and have higher bodymass indexes. In village dwellers, however, the 7R variant gives no advantage, and was instead linked to poorer academic performance. The cause of ADHD cannot be reduced to one gene, but evidence from studies on DRD4-7R suggest that its value lay in hunter-gatherer societies, where risk-taking and constant activity may be crucial to survival. Unfortunately, in today’s settled world, those very traits may be responsible for the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder. - Sophia Wen
EDITORIAL 27
TALKING WITH PROF. TOM HAFFIE TIANYI YAN
Like many other science students at Western, I have had the opportunity to be taught by Tom Haffie in my first year. I had the chance to interview him recently, and he answered some questions that I probably should have asked when I was in first year, as well as some general questions about being a professor. As a little foreword though: despite how much I complain about his exams, Prof. Haffie was actually one of my favourite professors. His lectures are engaging, interesting, and if you pay attention, you’ll definitely learn a lot. I believe what stands out the most between different professors is how interested they are when they’re teaching and Haffie is a professor who loves to teach. He says that one of his favourite things about teaching is having, “an opportunity to have a positive impact on a lot of people on a daily basis”. For anyone that’s never had him as a professor, Haffie is infamous for having “multiple-multiple” questions on his exams; they’re the multiple choice questions that give you four options and ask you to choose between different combinations of the options as the correct answer. It’s pretty much the bane of every second-guesser’s existence. On the other hand, they do come with the added benefit of partial marks and – as Haffie has informed me – they don’t have a higher miss rate than any other exam questions. I’ll admit that I was always a bit anxious before every biology exam, and I may or may not have jokingly brought plastic drinking straws to one of my exams in hopes of turning them to gold. However, if anyone is panicking about first year biology, there are always options. The professors welcome anyone who wants
Courtesy: www.biology.nelson.com to learn to their office hours, and as Haffie puts it, “[we’re] there to help people who need help.” If office hours are too daunting to go alone, bring a friend with you, post to the forums, or form study groups. Considering the midterms are worth 16%, it’s too early to give up on doing well in the course. Anyway, for those of us who are no longer in first year, something new this year that the first year biology professors have implemented was a group section on the exam. How it works is that at the end of the individual section – basically a regular exam out of 30 marks – all the students are split into groups wherein they’ll work on 20 questions identical to the ones on the individual portion. They discuss the answers, agree on one, and then scratch it off on an answering card. The answering card has the options ABCD, and scratching the correct answer will show a star. The students scratch answers for each question until they see the star, and then move onto the next question – yielding a maximum of 3 marks for each question depending on how many wrong answers are scratched
per question. The exam is weighted either 100% individual, or 85% individual and 15% group depending on which method is more beneficial to the individual students. “The whole function of the group part … is that the exam is also a learning opportunity and not just an exam,” Haffie said, “if the question asks you something and you get confused in the moment, you’ll leave the exam with that connection made in your head… It’s an immediate feedback assessment technique so that you can know right in the moment if you’re wrong.” Haffie said that the most important thing for his students to take away from his class was, “increased awareness of how their minds work when they’re learning”. I think if I’ve learned anything from taking first year biology – besides biology – it’s that you should never fool yourself into thinking you understand something perfectly and always keep tabs on what you really know.
28 EDITORIAL What If? Answers to Questions You Never Knew You Had
W
Book Review
e’ve all had those moments. You sit down, space out, and let your mind drift. You wonder something crazy like, “What would happen to the world if there were no moon?” You’ve pondered about how the Earth could possibly come to an end or how fast you could hit a speed bump without putting yourself in any real danger. Everyone’s had these thoughts – but only very few actually have done the calculations to find the answers. Those answers, can be found in Randall Munroe’s What If?: Serous Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. I’m sure all of you have heard of the cyber phenomenon that is XKCD. If you haven’t, I’m here to fill you in. XKCD is a web comic series written and illustrated by the brilliant, former NASA roboticist, Randall Munroe. Concerning its subject matter, the header of the website really says it all – “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.” It’s essentially Munroe’s quirky take on life; which he expresses through graphs, charts, and interactions between stick-figured versions of himself and his friends. The series is widely popular and has a strong “nerdy” following. Munroe’s humour and insights really resonate with people. The comics are very witty and often involve some scientific background to them. This led to Munroe’s creation of a “What If?” blog where fans send in absurd questions he would attempt to calculate the answer to. The questions range from deadly and frankly, a little bit concerning (“What is the probability that if I am stabbed by a knife in my torso that it won’t hit anything vital and I’ll live?”) to innocent and bursting with curiosity (“Can I make a bridge crossing the Atlantic Ocean out of Lego?”) What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is a compilation of the answers to these
Children of Men
Film Review
The Quiet Apocalypse
W
hile waiting for Disney’s new Star Wars to come out, featuring Mickey Mouse The Jedi, why not sit down with Children of Men, starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine? This excellent science fiction piece, adapted from the novel and directed by Alfonso Cuaron, revolves around a near-future vision of our world, wherein every human has been infertile for 18 years. Our protagonist, played by Clive Owen, is pulled into a massive web of competing factions and characters while escorting a refugee girl, who is more than she seems. Whereas most sci-fi is either too obtuse in the ideas it portrays (think 2001: A Space Odyssey) or too concerned with appealing to the audience with explosive action, Children of Men straddles that balance perfectly. Humankind knows its end is upon it, and it is fascinating seeing how the myriad characters deal with the prospect of extinction. Whether it’s the rebel terrorist groups fighting against the overly oppressive UK government for a better life, or the live and let love attitude of the hippie character of Michael Caine, each personage brings a unique perspective to the very philosophical question of: what do we do when we know the whole species is destined to disappear?
insane queries in book format. Munroe’s illustrations and footnotes oozing with sarcasm make the read both captivating and hilarious. I honestly believe that anyone studying a field in science should look this book up. Often while studying, the material becomes very “memorize and regurgitate” oriented. I tend to forget that the true purpose of science is posing interesting questions and more often than not finding even more interesting answers. What If? brings back the very childlike wonder I once had with regards to the unlimited scope of science. That being said, Munroe’s humour can often be quite dark (and so are some of the conclusions he reaches), so perhaps childlike wonder isn’t exactly the correct phrase. It’s a sort of a, “Why is the sky blue?” book for the snarky adults in the world – a scientific Calvin and Hobbes, if you will – which to me, is a perfect blend of whimsical and cynical. In a nutshell, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It drew me in with its humour and wit and managed to quench my thirst for answers to questions I didn’t even know I cared about. It’s a quick and easy read, and most certainly not one to miss. - Aruthy Pathmarajan
Courtesy: www.amazon.com
Not that you will have too much time to reflect on these deep societal implications when jumping from one tense action sequence to the other. Between car chases, stealthy escapes, or full-force gunfights, and the occasional dark humour, you will be entertained, I guarantee it. Impressively, the action flows in near-perfect accordance with the progression of the plot, and the excellently constructed fictional world. Do yourself a favour, and watch humanity refusing to go out with a fizzle, and watch them go out with an intelligent bang instead. - Jacek Orzylowski
Courtesy: www.ign.com
EDITORIAL 29
ACROSS: 3) First invented by Alfred Nobel, this material contains peanuts as an ingredient. 7) This spacecraft is the farthest human-made object in the universe. 9) The only rock that floats in water. 12) Often called the most expensive substance in the world, this element usually sells for $68 million per gram. 15) Even bigger than the planet Mercury, this is the largest moon in our solar system. 16) One of these is believed to be present in the centre of every galaxy, including our own Milky Way. 18) Having an incredibly low melting point, this metal can turn from solid to liquid in the palm of your hand. 20) This important forest produces twenty percent of the world’s oxygen supply. DOWN: 1) The surface area of this bodily organ in humans is approximately equal to that of a tennis court. 2) Each of these natural phenomena is 3 three times hotter than the surface of the sun. 4) The largest cell in the human body, specifically females. 5) At a rate of two feet per day, this is the fastest-growing organism on Earth. 6) Small and simple freshwater animals belonging to this genus never get old and can potentially live forever. 8) Almost three times taller than Mount Everest on Earth, this volcano is the largest in our solar system. 10) This Asian lake contains more water than all the North American Great Lakes combined. 11) Since mosquitoes are attracted to this important hormone, more women are bitten by these insects on average than men. 13) Comprising the seemingly solid world around us, each of these particles contains about 99.9999% surrounding space. 14) A key ingredient for life, this molecule in organisms is flame retardant. 17) These predatory aquatic animals have teeth literally as hard as steel. 19) This familiar celestial object is one million times drier than the Gobi Desert.
The Cinnamon Challenge
By: Winnie Ong
Chocolate, Honey, and Cinnamon ‘Risotto’
Prep Time: Less than 30 mins Cooking Time: 10 to 30 mins Serves 1
Ingredients 100 g basmati rice 250 mL milk 2 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp cocoa powder A generous pinch of cinnamon Icing sugar to dust
Preparation Method 1. Place the rice and milk into a heavy-based pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the honey, cocoa powder and cinnamon and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the rice is tender. 2. Spoon the 'risotto' into a small cup, packing it in tightly. Invert the cup onto a plate and remove the cup. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Has your self-control ever been tested as you strolled through the part of the mall dominated by the sweetly-scented of Cinnabon? The distinct aroma associated with cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), has been attributed to the naturally-occuring aldehyde groups found in the oils found of this spice’s bark-like structure. Whether consumed or not, Cinnabon can have a therapeutic effect, which can be explained by cinnamon’s abilities to reduce headaches, drowsiness, and irritability.
30 EDITORIAL
MEET OUR 2014-2015 EDITING TEAM
Milen Embaye (Copy Editor)
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – R.W. Emerson
Stephanie Philpott (Copy Editor)
“My eyes already touch the sunny hill, going far ahead of the road I have begun” – Rilke
Nicole Lam (Copy Editor)
“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi
Boyang Qiu (Copy Editor)
“The only limitations you’ll ever have are those that you place upon yourself.”
Eugene Leung (Copy Editor)
“Life’s a journey; sometimes, it’s just good to hang around and let life guide you to where you belong.”
Nicholas Sequeira (Copy Editor)
”The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
Jonathan Hwang (Compilation Editor) Jameera Mohamed (Compilation Editor) “Infinity - nothing. Our soul is cast into the body where it finds number, time, dimensions.” - Blaise Pascal
Sophia Wen (Creative Editor) “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” - Mark Twain
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. - Anthony J. D’Angelo
Tianyi Yan (Creative Editor) “Yes I know they lost, it’s fine. :) ”
Bethia To (Compilation Editor)
“Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion.” - Stephen Hawking
Eshana Ghuman (Feature Editor)
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.”- J.K. Rowling
EDITORIAL 31
Robert Nanni (Feature Editor)
Aruthy Pathmarajan (Feature Editor) “Remember, you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” – Snow White
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” - Robert Byrne
Rigya Arya (Column Editor)
Jacek Orzylowski (Column Editor)
Grace To (Column Editor)
“If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.” - Albert Einstein, maybe; me on lab reports, definitely
“There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.” - Andre Gide
David Zhang (Column Editor) “Swag.”
Winnie Ong (Youtube Manager)
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” - Albert Einstein
“Live every week like it’s Shark Week”
Evelyn Bray (Marketing Manager)
“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” - Raymond Lindquist
Shaily Brahmbhatt (Media Manager) “Honey, you should see me in a crown.” – Jim Moriarty, BBC’s Sherlock
Akshay Sule (Image Editor)
“It’s always partly cloudy here.”
Mathura Thiyagarajah (Blog Manager) “Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it’s such an interesting world.” - Lucy Maud Montgomery
Elise Gabriele (Media Manager)
“To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction” -Sir Isaac Newton