ISSUE
21
February 2022
WIE - UC NEWSLETTER IEEE Student Branch of the UC Women in Engineering Affinity Group
WHAT'S INSIDE: Opinion Article on The X-Files - P. 1
Biography of Barbara McClintock - P. 2
Achievement of Sabrina Pasterski - P.3
Curiosity - P.4
Recipes with WiE P.4
ISSUE NO. 21 | FEBRUARY 2022
Opinion Article THE X-FILES The X-Files is a science fiction drama TV show which aired from 1993 to 2002, spanning 9 seasons and 202 episodes. Recently, there was a revival of the series, resulting in an additional season in 2016, and then another in 2018. If you have any interest in science fiction, you have most certainly already heard of the X Files – and for good reason. It is, without a doubt, one of the most influential additions to the genre, inspiring countless others with its gripping story and well-rounded characters. The series follows the careers of two FBI special agents, Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson), as they navigate their assignment to unsolved cases known as the X-Files. Mulder, a talented profiler, is a strong believer in the supernatural and of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. He’s shown to be unashamed of his beliefs from the get-go, a conviction which is driven mainly by the abduction of his sister when he was a child – an event which Mulder is certain was caused by extraterrestrials. Dana Scully, his partner, acts as a foil to Mulder in that she is a skeptic to all things supernatural. As a medical doctor, Scully places most of her faith in science; it’s due to this that she acts as a grounding force to Mulder, rebutting his more outlandish theories with logical, scientific explanations. However, as the series progresses Scully finds herself struggling more and more with finding scientific reasons among their cases – a fact which leads to an extremely compelling character arc. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, it’s almost effortless to put yourself in these characters’ shoes and see the world as they understand it. Mulder and Scully are most definitely strong on their own, but their partnership brings out the best in both of them (mostly). They each help the other ljkrjg
SOURCE: POSTERFOUNDRY.COM
grow and learn, whether it’s Scully showing Mulder that, yes, sometimes science is the answer, or Mulder helping Scully conciliate the disruption of her core beliefs. It’s a friendship built on mutual respect and support, and the show thrived on it. Although some of the special effects are dated, and may take you out of the moment, the stories are always compelling and interesting. In fact, it was this series which introduced the concept of “Monster of the Week” episodes, which may be viewed without knowledge of the central story arc. Some of the creatures take inspiration from popular legends, while others are entirely new, though they’ll all keep you on your toes. A show is only as strong as its characters, and Mulder and Scully are one of the most iconic duos to exist in pop culture. However, let’s take a moment to appreciate lhhhhhhhhh PAGE 1
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the fact that Scully is allowed to exist outside of Mulder’s sphere – she’s a medical doctor, a strong-willed woman with flaws, her own ambitions, her own wants, and though it may seem like an obvious way to write your characters, it doesn’t always happen. Scully is in no way a supporting character to Mulder – she is as much of an integral part of the story as he is.
If you haven’t given this show a watch, I hope this article provided some insight as to why you should! "Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only in contradiction to what we know of it." - Dana Scully
Sarah Holm
Biography BARBARA MCCLINTOCK Barbara McClintock was born on the 16th of June 1902 and died on the 2nd of September 1992. She was an American scientist and cytogeneticist and won the 1983’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In 1927, she received her PhD in botany from the Cornell University, which led to the start of her career as a leader in the development of maize cytogenetics, a topic which was the focus of her research throughout her life. In the 1920’s, McClintock studied chromosomes and how they change during reproduction in maize. During this time, she developed the technique for visualizing Maize chromosomes, and used microscopic analysis to demonstrate many fundamental genetic ideas. One of these ideas was the notion of genetic recombination by crossing-over during meiosis (a process that results in the exchange of information from the chromosomes). McClintock also produced the first genetic map for maize, linking regions of the chromosome to physical traits. Beyond this, McClintock demonstrated the role of the telomere and centromere, important regions of the chromosome in the conservation of genetic information.
SOURCE: NOBELPRIZE.ORG
In 1944, she was elected a member of the Nacional Academy of Sciences. Barbara was also recognized as among the best in the field and awarded prestigious fellowships. McClintock was the one that discovered transposition and used it to demonstrate that genes are responsible for turning kljkjkljlj
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physical characteristics on and off. She developed theories to explain the suppression and expression of genetic information from one generation of maize plants to the next. In 1953, she stopped publishing her data, due to skepticism of her research and its implications. She then began an extensive study of the cytogenetics and ethnobotany of maize races from South America. In the 1960s and 1970s, her research became well known as other scientists confirmed the mechanisms flkjerlkgjrekl
of genetic change and protein expression that was demonstrated in her maize research. After that, she won numerous awards as recognition for her contributions to the field. One of them was the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of genetic transportation. Nowadays, she remains the only woman who has received an unshared Nobel Prize in that category.
Sofia Diogo
Achievement SABRINA GONZALES PASTERSKI
Sabrina Gonzales Pasterski is a brilliant ascending physicist that is inspiring a generation with her work and achievements, which are so significant that Harvard named her as the ‘Einstein of this generation’. Born in Chicago in July 1993, Sabrina Gonzales Pasterski is a theoretical physicist whose studies are focused on particles’ physics. She completed her undergraduate work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with the incredible accomplishment of being the first woman in two decades as the best student in class and now, earned her PhD at Harvard and is a PCTS Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University. Such a brilliant mind, at the age of 14, she projected a single engine by herself, which was taken to MIT and later, at 16, Sabrina was the youngest person in the word to fly a plane by herself.
SOURCE: INSTYLE.COM
With her focus on experimental physics of high technologies, especially on black holes and gravity, Sabrina Paterski discovered the ‘spin memory effect’ which may be able to identify the net of effects of gravitational waves. She also completed the Pasterski-Strominger-Zhiboedov triangle, while collaborating with Andrew’s Strominger and Alexander’s Zhiboedov studies and later, in 2015, published an individual paper about her findings in the project, which as even cited by Steven Hawking in 2016, when George Takei recognized her work on social media.
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Gonzales is a 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 All Star and has received job offers from Blue Origin and NASA. Certainly, Sabrina is such an example of hard work and achievement, which must be followed by all the dreaming girls all over the world.
Maria Andrade
Curiosity of the month... The computer. The genesis of the world behind our screens. The great digital machine. But it wasn't always one. Back in the 19th century, dating to its invention, the computer was an analogical machine. Imagined and designed by English mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage, the Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer. Having the computer invented we’re only short on programmers to work on it! Soon enough came Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician from London and Babbage’s apprentice. Ada’s observations on the Engine are the first known algorithms in History! Let’s dig a little deeper in the life of this bright mind. Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace. SOURCE: COMPUTERHISTORY.ORG Born in 1815, in London, raised by a writer and a mathematician, grown to be both. Ada died tragically at the age of 36 from uterine cancer. njklk However, her accomplishments won’t be forgotten as Ada Lovelace Day is celebrated every year on the second Tuesday of October in the UK.
Mariana Almeida
Recipes with WiE: PANCAKES This recipe is a perfect bookend to any week. It can also be a perfect homemade treat for Valentine's day: add some chocolate chips to the batter, or serve with whipped cream and strawberries. Let your imagination run wild! PAGE 4
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INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp baking powder 2 tbsp cooking oil 1/4 tsp salt 2 large eggs
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined. 2. Add milk, eggs and oil to the mixture, and whisk until combined. 3. Cook pancakes in a frying pan, portioning out the batter with a ladle. 4. Serve with toppings of your choosing, and enjoy!
Sarah Holm
F O L L O W
S T A Y
O U R
T U N E D
A N D
S O C I A L
T O
O U R
M E D I A
T O
E V E N T S
P O S T S !
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DOWN
ACROSS
1. Birthplace of Ada Lovelace
5. Month in which Ada Lovelace day is celebrated
2. Plant which Barbara McClintock based her studies on
6. Genre of "The X-Files"
3. Field of study of Sabrina Pasterski
7. Category of the Nobel prize which Babara McClintock won
4. Middle name of the woman featured in this month's achievement
8. Last name of the female protagonist from the series "The X-Files"
SOLUTIONS 1. LONDON 2. MAIZE 3. PHYSICS 4. GONZALEZ 5. OCTOBER 6. SCI-FI 7. PHYSIOLOGY 8. SCULLY PAGE 6
Happy Valentine's Day!
ISSUE NO. 21 | FEBRUARY 2022