October 17, 2012

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 131, number 95

wednesdAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012

Using big science to find tiny clues for life on Mars UC Davis doctoral candidate works on Curiosity science team

News iN Brief

Activities Fair today The UC Davis Center for Student Involvement is hosting the Activities Fair today, an annual student organization showcase that will include information from various campus service projects and programs. Over 180 clubs will be present to recruit new members.

According to the Center for Student Involvement, this will be the largest Quad event of Fall Quarter.

“This is the best way early in the year for groups to recruit members, give demonstrations, perform and let the campus community know who they are and what they have to offer,” the official event page states. “Come out to the fair and get involved!”

The event is taking place on the West Quad today, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

— Muna Sadek

EC presents ‘Dark Knight Rises’ at Science Lecture Hall Madison Dunitz / Aggie

Fourth-year Tasslyn Gester looks through the telescope at the event on Oct 4. The event highlighted recent developments regarding Mars.

By OYANG TENG Aggie Science Writer

For 10 days out of the month, UC Davis graduate student Amy Williams gets to wake up on Mars. Along with the several hundred other members of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team, Williams synchronizes to the rhythm of the Curiosity rover’s workday

as it scours the surface of Gale Crater some 140 million miles from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s mission control center in Pasadena, Calif.

Williams, who spends the other 20 days of the month as a doctoral candidate in UC Davis’ geology department, says that the chance for students to participate in this kind of “big science” is closer than many might think.

“I have to say that even though we’re in an economic downturn, there are still great opportunities for young scientists to participate in projects like this, especially graduate students,” Williams said. “If you find a project and say, ‘That’s really cool and I want in on that,’ the faculty, especially at Davis, are really

See MARS, page 4

Safety Day on West Quad The UC Davis Fire Department, along with various other campus safety units, held a Safety Day event on the West Quad Tuesday at 11 a.m. In addition to informational presentations and demonstrations on tips to help stay safe, the Quad also hosted stationary fire trucks and a medical helicopter.

Students were invited to try on firefighter gear, participate in a fire hose spraying challenge and meet resident firefighters. Students who participated in a survey on the Fire Department’s services received free UC Davis Fire Department t-shirts.

— Muna Sadek

Michelle Tran / Aggie

ASUCD Entertainment Council is holding the first movie screening of the year with the 2012 blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises. Doors open tonight at 7 p.m. at Science Lecture Hall 123, with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. EC will also be raffling off a pair of Morrissey tickets at the event. Admission is $2.

— Andrew Russell

Governor speaks at Prop. 30 rally Gov. Jerry Brown spoke at a rally yesterday at UCLA’s Bruin Plaza on behalf of Proposition 30.

The proposition is estimated to have a direct impact on CSU and UC student tuition.

“Our public colleges and universities are a pathway to the California Dream and ensure that we have the creative talent to succeed in an increasingly complex world. Join me in saying ‘yes’ to Prop. 30, so we can stop the cuts, stop the tuition hikes and invest in a strong economy for the next generation,” Brown said during the rally.

The rally also featured words from students, the California Federation of Teachers president Joshua Pechthalt and others who work on the UCLA campus.

The event was part of a statewide UC Day of Action, supporting the proposition and the first stop for Brown in a tour of higher-education events.

The Aggie and various other UC campus newspapers participated in a conference call with Brown, during which he was asked about various issues of concern to students, including Prop 30. A full article detailing the conversation will follow.

— Muna Sadek

AT&T activates LTE network in Sacramento, Davis Network will be largely built up by end of 2013

By CLAIRE TAN Aggie City Editor

Bijan Agahi / Aggie

AT&T activated its LTE network in August. The LTE network is about 10 times faster than the 3G network already in place.

Today’s weather Sunny High 91 Low 54

Forecast Try to work on your tan today, but remember to wear sunscreen!

Written by Allison Ferrini Weather Report Courtesy of www.weather.com

Thursday

Friday

Sunny

Sunny

High 90 Low 54

High 84 Low 53

On Sept. 17, AT&T turned on its fourth generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) network in Sacramento.

Davis’ LTE network was turned on in early August, but its activation was announced the same day as Sacramento’s.

Over the wireless LTE network, smartphone users can download five to 12 megabytes per second (Mbps). It is also about 10 times faster than the third generation (3G) network. Currently, it is available in most major areas of California, such as the Bay Area, San Diego and Los Angeles.

According to an AT&T press release, the carrier has the nation’s largest 4G network, reaching 275 million people with 4G technology. “[Smartphone users] like to multitask and love the speed,” said John Britton, spokesperson for AT&T. “The LTE network is all about speed.”

Britton said because of the faster download speeds, people can have a much more fun, more efficient experience on their smartphones and tablets.

“With LTE, these screens are materializing fast,” he said. “Everybody wants wireless connectivity these days because we’ve become a mobile lifestyle, a mobile population.”

Since college students are constantly on the go, they are a prime target audience.

“College students are a target audience for several reasons. First, they are in that age group and demographic where everybody is embracing that technology,” Britton said. “They’re a mobile population; a lot of college students may not live at home, they live in the dorms or off campus and don’t spend a lot of time

See AT&T, page 4

Everyone’s going to be talking about last night’s debate...hopefully you watched it or at least know who was performing! written by Allison Ferrini

page two

2 wednesday, OCTOBER 17, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY

THURSDAY

The Enchanted Cellar

Education Abroad Info Session

All Day 17 Wright Visit the Enchanted Cellar for Halloween Costume Rentals at UC Davis. There is a 50 percent discount for UC Davis students, faculty, staff and affiliates. The Enchanted Cellar will be open until Oct. 31. Appointments are preferred. Call (530) 752-0740 or email rcfemling@ ucdavis.edu for an appointment. For more information, go to theatredance.ucdavis. edu.

Noon to 1 Education Abroad Center on Third and A Street Attend this info session to learn more about the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Program in Taiwan (Spring 2013).

Study Abroad EAP Info Session

Provost’s Undergraduate Fellowship Info Session

Noon to 1 Education Abroad Center, Third and A Street Learn about the hidden gems of Semester and Year-Long Study Abroad Programs and about the benefits of immersing yourself, doing a research project or an internship.

Science Café: How Plants and Animals Use Chemicals for Survival and Defense 5:15 to 6 p.m.

Wyatt Deck (rain location: 146 Environmental Horticulture) Professor Chris Jeffrey, Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, will speak on chemical communications between plants and other organisms, or “chemical ecology.” Co-sponsored by Professor Jared Shaw and the Chemistry Department, this program is funded by the National Science Foundation. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

Circle K International Third General Meeting 6 to 7 p.m.

6 Olson If you are interested in doing community service, developing leadership skills, and gaining friendships then see what this club has to offer you.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Rd. Free yourself from excess weight and/ or obsessional thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Meetings are open and free to the public. Go to foodaddicts.org for other meeting locations.

Global Business Brigades 7 to 8 p.m.

119 Wellman The Davis chapter of Global Business Brigades is now recruiting members. If you are interested in global development, business and volunteering abroad, go to the info night to learn more.

Vet Aide Club Meeting 7 to 9 p.m.

1003 Giedt Learn about the club, internship and gaining hands-on experience with animals and veterinary medicine.

Shinkoskey Noon Concert 12:05 to 1 p.m.

Yocha Dehe Grand Lobby, Mondavi Center Listen to this free solo performance as Tanya Tomkins plays baroque cello.

12:10 to 1 p.m.

Undergraduate Research Center, 2300 Student Community Center Learn about research funding opportunities for undergraduates through the Provost’s Undergraduate Fellowship. The fellowship provides funds for undergraduates to pursue research projects or other creative activities under faculty supervision.

SSFAAC Second Meeting 3 to 4 p.m.

61 Mrak UC Davis’ Student Services Fees Administrative Advisory Committee is the only student-run committee mandated by The Regents of the University of California and serves as the primary agency for channeling student input into decisions regarding the level and use of Registration Fees on the Davis campus. Students are welcome to attend.

Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Seminar Series 4:10 to 5 p.m.

1005 GBSF Listen to Victor Rodgers, Ph.D., in his seminar entitled “Protein Osmotic Pressure for Diagnostics and Therapy.”

Marketing and Business Association 7:10 to 8 p.m.

106 Olson Learn about the workshops and professional development opportunities that our club has in store for members this year during our second general meeting. The guest speaker will be the Executive Program Director from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

For more information, go to www. ucdmbaclub.com.

Poetry Night Reading Series 8 to 10 p.m John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First Street Attend this Poetry Night with Emily Hughes and Traci Gourdine. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat, and to sign up for a spot on the open mic list.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, email dailycal@theaggie. org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.

Accuracy The California Aggie strives to ensure that all of its facts and details are accurate. Please bring any corrections to our attention by calling (530) 752-0208.

Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief

Zenita Singh Opinion Editor

Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor

Joey Chen Copy Chief

Jonathan Wester Business Manager Caelum Shove Advertising Manager

Brian Nguyen Photography Editor Janice Pang Design Director

Muna Sadek Campus Editor

James Kim Asst. Design Director

Claire Tan City Editor

Amanda Nguyen Night Editor

Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor

Allison Ferrini Asst. Night Editor

Devon Bohart Features Editor

Irisa Tam Art Director

Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

David Ou New Media Director

Hudson Lofchie Science Editor One Shields Ave. 25 Lower Freeborn, UCD Davis, CA 95616 Editorial (530) 752-0208 Advertising (530) 752-0365 Fax (530) 752-0355

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although — according to California’s Field Research poll — it has a 25 percent margin of support amongst citizens.

“Sodomy,” in this case Katelyn defined as oral or anal Ringrose sex between any two consenting people, was criminalized in every state until 1962. This was changed when individual states were granted the right to choose their own method of punishment for “homosexual behavior.” Some states chose to abolish the ueer Prom was unfair laws, but others, amazing. I kissed like Idaho, placed those several girls (Katy engaging in “sodomy” in

Perry style but prison for life. with more tongue), lost It wasn’t until 2003 that my shoe (like Cinderella the Supreme Court debut more inebriated) and clared “sodomy laws” unskinny dipped in my unconstitutional. So rejoice! fortunate neighbor’s pool Your sexual activities will (a situation unique to me). remain private unless you Most of all, I laughed with choose to use a vibrator in friends and cried when I Alabama, have sex with a learned they live fish were leaving in MinnQueer pride is a powerful emotion esota soon after graduation. because it suggests a refusal to or have I have oral bow in the face of hatred ... made friends sex in and memoIndiana. ries in Davis’s LGBT comThen you may be fined. munity that I will have for Queer pride can change a lifetime. the course of history, but it This year at UC Davis, hasn’t yet guaranteed total queer pride is at an allequality. time high. We have a won- In February 2010 the derful new LGBT Resource Ninth Circuit Panel of the Center, located in the Supreme Court ruled the Student Community ban on gay marriage, Prop.

Center, and many events 8, unconstitutional. planned.

Twenty days after the But life isn’t perfect.

Supreme Court decision, When UC Davis was when I was a gallivantfounded in 1905, homoing young freshman — like sexuality was defined as a many of you readers, fresh psychological disease. At and full of life — the old the time, psychiatrists per- LGBT Center was vandalformed electroshock ther- ized. The 2010 hate crime apy in order to “cure” howas committed by people mosexuality, and the powho were both extremelice raided locations of ly rude and terrible with “homosexual activity.” spray paint. The center did Queer pride is hard to not immediately remove feel when someone has the vandalism and instead outlawed it. fought to bring attention In the 1950s, to the fact that, even here Eisenhower and U.S. in our small town of Davis, Immigration barred and hate crimes do happen. banned the immigra According to tion and employment the National Youth of anyone who was hoAssociation, more than mosexual. Today, reguone third of LGBT youths lations from the Clinton have attempted suicide, Administration’s DOMA, and nine out of every 10 the Defense of Marriage LGBT youths have faced Act, continue to negatively harassment at school. affect the immigration sta- Queer pride is a powtus of trans* peoples and erful emotion because it same-sex couples. suggests a refusal to bow Under Eisenhower, in the face of hatred and federal employees were discrimination. forced to undergo a “loy I hope feelings of pride alty pledge,” promising will determine the future that they were neither gay rather than emotions of nor communists. This ex- shame, fear or hatred. ecutive order, protecting I’m hoping that the only the American people from police who will bust a a fictitious threat, was not queer party will be carryrepealed until 1975. ing enormous boombox In order to combat es — if those still exist in feelings of negativity, San the future — and wearFrancisco’s Pride Parade ing next to nothing unwas first held in 1970. derneath their revealing This annual celebration costumes. The laws will has now been attendguarantee equality, and ed by Congresswoman spray paint won’t be used Nancy Pelosi and the inout of fear, but rather, famous Lady Gaga — will come in rainbow colwho arguably holds more ors that carry messages political sway. If you of pride. want to show your pride But until that time, conhere on campus, our own tinue to feel and express Pride Week begins midyour queer/ally pride!

April.

Attend Crafternoons at It wasn’t until 1999 that the LGBT Resource Center California’s same-sex cou- from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., ples were granted leslap an equality symbol on gal rights. This came in your car/bike, understand the form of the Domestic the acronym LGBTQIA Partnership Act where and vote! two people could vow to pay taxes together, share KATELYN RINGROSE is interested an income and own joint in attending Queer parties (of the aforementioned breed), so please email property. California still directions to knringrose@ucdavis.edu bans same-sex marriage,

Queer Prom

Q

The california Aggie

It’s what I’d want. Oh, but you have to post it on my Facebook wall first before you actually smoke in my honor. It wouldn’t be right any other way.

Andrew The same kids that were Poh putting statuses up proclaiming things like “Life is so short, live every day like it’s your last, RIP,” would reappear literally a minute later on my feed commenting on some picture with “LMFAO!!!!! Last night was so wild hahahaha <3.”

It was as if their mourning hat people do on suddenly withered away afFacebook confuses ter posting their condolencthe shit out of me. es on Facebook. “Well now Always has, always will. that I’ve posted this status, Last Sunday at 12:45 I think I’m due for my good a.m., a high school classkarma this week.” mate of mine died in a mo It’s a unique age we’re livtorcycle accident on the 110 ing in. Never before has Freeway. According to news there been a medium like reports, he was involved in Facebook. You couldn’t post a solo accident in which he on someone’s wall after probably lost control and they died. There was nevfell off of er a soapbox his mofrom which Can you see yourself using you could torcycle.

Moments Facebook twenty years from express your later, sadness to a now? Forty years? while lywide-ranging on the ing audifreeway, he was hit by a car ence, to broadcast to them going 70 mph. your extreme mental an I’m nearly 100 percent guish and suffering. certain that I had never It begs the question: even spoken a word to this Where does your Facebook man in the entire four years go after you die? we went to high school to “It just stays there.” gether. I wasn’t even his No shit, Sherlock.

Facebook friend, which I meant in a more metasome would demarcate as physical sense. Does one’s the lowest form of “knowspirit continue to watch ing” someone. over their Facebook?

It was actually through Eagerly awaiting the next Facebook that I found out red flag to pop up in their about his death. In fact, it notifications? was probably only through “Fuck, Vanessa didn’t Facebook that I would have write on my wall after I died. been able to find out.

I’m going to haunt that After all, his death didn’t bitch.” make a splash in the broad In another sense, the er media spectrum. We’ve got Facebook wall could be akin bigger fish to fry on the news to portraits in Harry Potter, front with topics like the in which characters can looming presidential elecspeak to the deceased. Or tion, college girls getting abmaybe it’s the Resurrection ducted and subsequently Stone? killed and a space shuttle roll- Facebook stands as the ing down the streets of L.A. last bastion. The one final, What fascinated me “real” connection felt beabout this entire episode tween a person and their wasn’t the lack of media dearly departed. coverage, nor was it the sud- Thus, despite my misgivdenness of his death. ings about Facebook, I think It was the Facebook com- I’m going to have to keep ments plastered all over his it until I breathe my last wall. breath. Who knows what Naturally, upon findthe longevity of Facebook ing out about his death, my will be, though? Can you morbid curiosity led me to see yourself using Facebook his Facebook page. There, twenty years from now?

I skimmed over the comForty years? ments that his friends and Should Facebook die, I’m loved ones left for him. sure there will be a new me “Too soon bro.” dium that will allow peo “You were a chill guy.” ple to leave me nice, flow “I’ll pack a bowl for us to- ery thoughts in the wake of night homie.” my death. And who knows, “Imma smoke a blunt in with the rate that technolyour honor.” ogy has been advancing, It went on and on in a maybe there will be a way to similar fashion. A collection communicate with the dead of expertly-crafted, pithy sometime in the future. one-liners mixed with tear Think about it: I’d actually jerking promises of getting be able to see you smoking high to celebrate his life. I a blunt in my honor! was touched.

Upon my own death, I’d ANDREW POH wants to know what the kids in like to request here, formal- Harry Potter used to talk to dead people, so if ly and in writing, that all my you’re a Potterhead, let him know at apoh@ ucdavis.edu. bros light one up for me.

A blunt in your honor

W

Ask Doc Joe and Katy Ann Doc Joe is a psychologist and attorney who has consulted with and advised people of all ages. Katy Ann is a licensed marriage and family therapist, who, like Doc Joe, has counseled and advised people of all ages.

The discussion and advice offered in their column is not offered as a clinical recommendation or as a substitute for clinical treatment. Rather, Doc Joe and Katy Ann’s comments are intended to stimulate thought, often with a sense of humor. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t. So, read on…

Dear Doc Joe and Katy Ann, I am a junior, transfer student from a community college in Southern California. I’m now attending college in Oregon. The hardest part of going to my new school was that I had to leave behind my boyfriend, “Paul.” Paul and I have been dating for two years, and the relationship has generally been smooth. However, just before I left, we had a big argument which had a lot to do with both of our insecurities about the relationship. We both got very angry and said some things that we didn’t mean. Prior to that argument, I had thought that Paul and I would be together, always.

And, now, to complicate things, a cute guy, “Glenn” in my psychology class, asked me if I’d like to go to a movie with him. So far, I’ve been making up excuses, but I’m sort of interested.

I do miss Paul a lot, and I’m not sure if it would be unfair to that relationship if I go to a movie with another guy. It’s not really a date if we just go to a movie, is it? What should I do?

Suzanne in Oregon Dear Suzanne, Katy Ann: Are you clear about your feelings for Paul?

Do you have an understanding about being exclusive, versus dating other people? Going to a movie is a date.

Doc Joe: You’re big on loyalty.

Katy Ann: You bet I am. It’s about faithfulness and devotion to a person!

Doc Joe: Here’s another thought: I find that young people are too ready to give up on a relationship just

See ASK, page 5

The california aggie

Science &Technology

wednesday, october 17, 2012 3

Commemorating Niels Bohr Scientist, teacher, game-changer

by ALAN LIN

Aggie Science Writer

Great intellects always exist.

However, it is far more seldom when those intellects extend far enough to shape history — far enough to execute and articulate logic to the degree that the rules of the game have to be rewritten. For a great deal of time, the Earth was flat, and then human reasoning concluded that it was spherical. For another period, the Earth represented the center of the universe with the cosmos orbiting around it, and then human reasoning concluded that it is not. These shifts in thought were brought to light by observations made by the great intellects of their day.

One such intellect was a Danish physicist by the name of Niels Bohr who, if alive today, would have enjoyed his 127th birthday on Oct. 7. Unfortunately, he died in November of 1962.

Bohr, a young physicist at the University of Copenhagen in 1921, closely explored the works of some of his contemporaries, like Max Planck and Albert Einstein. Based on Einstein’s ear-

lier research regarding the quantum nature of light energy and electrons, Bohr proposed a gamechanging model for atomic structure. Bohr’s model of the atom won him a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922, and to this day, serves as the accepted model for the structure of the atom. “[Bohr] established the principles that allowed for the making of a periodic table…a success of quantum mechanics,” said Manuel Calderon de la Barca Sanchez, an associate professor of physics at UC Davis.

His model described electrons orbiting the nucleus of the atom at distinct energy levels, or orbitals. This means that the behavior of atoms can be quantified and predicted. Bohr’s work served as a conceptual foundation for modern chemistry, providing a set of rules that could be used to predict the nature and outcome of chemical interactions on the atomic level. “[Bohr] explains the fundamentals of the nucleus which set a foundation for all of nuclear physics,” said Daniel Cebra, a physics professor at UC Davis.

After receiving his Nobel

Prize, Bohr went on to found the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Copenhagen, which housed great minds like Werner Heisenberg, best known for his work on the uncertain nature of subatomic particles, known as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

“The position and the momentum of a particle cannot both be known at the same time, though either can be measured with as much accuracy as you desire,” said John Conway, a physics professor at UC Davis and an off-site researcher for the Large Hadron Collider at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), which Bohr cofounded in 1954. “Quantum reality [is] a strange place indeed.”

Heisenberg was a great researcher and a close friend of Bohr. He was conscripted by the Third Reich to aid in Nazi Germany’s development of nuclear weapons. In 1941, Heisenberg called for a meeting with Bohr to discuss the implications of the project and the risks Bohr faced, being of Jewish descent.

According to Cebra, Heisenberg cautioned Bohr that if Bohr re-

See BOHR, page 7

Niels Bohr

courtesy

Proteins gone wild Nobel laureate speaks at UC Davis

Stanley Prusiner

courtesy

By OYANG TENG Aggie Science Writer

Thirty years ago, Stanley Prusiner had a heretical idea: that proteins, the complex

molecules involved in virtually all cell functions, could go bad and set off deadly brain disorders — such as mad cow disease — which, at the time, were thought to be caused by viruses. He called these mutant proteins “prions.”

Fifteen years later, his heresy was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. Today, Prusiner continues to try to understand the molecular basis of prion formation, its possible role in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s and how they can be treated. He shared some of his findings at Freeborn Hall on Friday while delivering the UC Davis Veterinary School’s Robert Dyar Memorial lecture, titled “Football players, soldiers, and Alzheimer’s patients: What do they have in Common? Brain injuries.”

The function of proteins depends largely on the specific ways they fold into three-dimensional structures. When proteins occasionally misfold, quality control mechanisms in the cell usually step in to quickly dispose of them. But under certain conditions which are still not exactly clear, they can morph into forms that are not only highly resistant to destruction, but which can set off a chain of self-propagating mutations in neighboring proteins.

UC Davis Veterinary School professor Philip Kass says this is the kind of sce-

nario once envisioned only in stories like the Andromeda Strain, where a pathogen spreads without the conventional genetic replication mechanisms of DNA or RNA molecules.

“The idea that this could happen is fairly radical,” Kass said. “[Prusiner] took something that sounded like it came from science fiction and showed that it could happen in animals and humans.”

Prusiner, who directs the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at UCSF, believes that prions are implicated in virtually all neurodegenerative diseases, which involve the progressive loss of brain function. He said that the apparent connection between repeated head injuries of the type sustained by football players and soldiers and delayed effects in the form of neurodegeneration years later have given him a new focus for his work in the last several years.

“This is a huge problem and it's just going to grow and grow and grow,” Prusiner said.

For the most part, the news is bad.

There are currently no drugs proven to stop or even slow neurodegenerative diseases, which are on the rise among aging populations worldwide. Prusiner also called claims that the risk of Alzheimer’s can be mitigated by lifestyle choices, like diet, “total nonsense.” Meanwhile, he is behind an ambitious effort to “get to

the fundamental degenerative process” in such diseases from his laboratories at UCSF, where he said he is assembling the largest group of chemical biologists in the world to synthesize the molecular arsenal needed to effectively target prions.

This came as welcome news to Nancy Stoltz, who drove from Sacramento to see Prusiner’s talk. Stoltz said she was recently diagnosed with cognitive impairment from a brain injury sustained during an automobile accident.

“It actually hurt my brain to listen to [the lecture],” Stoltz said. “But it was very interesting to hear that he’s trying to do something besides just treat the symptoms. It never occurred to me that you'd try to cure the cause.”

When the good news comes, it will likely be years in the future, given how intractable prion-related diseases have proven. Prusiner said his effort itself is also controversial, since the exact role of prions in diseases such as Alzheimer’s is still disputed.

“What I'm telling you is not generally accepted,” he told the audience. “People have been working in a different paradigm and it's extremely hard to shift.

What we're seeing is something fascinating, and I see it as a revolution in medicine and biology.”

OYANG TENG can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

photo of the week

While exploring the campus my first few weeks at Davis, I came across Meyer Hall. The framing of the shot was what caught my attention. I took the photo with my Canon 60D and the 18-135mm IS lens. I edited the photo with Adobe Lightroom extension for Photoshop.

— Bijan Agahi

4 wednesday, october 17, 2012

The california Aggie

Boutique-style classes offer students unique perspectives on specialized topics Small classes popular among students

By NATASHA QABAZARD Aggie News Writer

Boutique-style classes offer specialized coursework and a smaller classroom experience for those interested in specific subject matters.

Classes such as Introduction to Beer Brewing (FST 3), Field Equipment Operation (ABT 49) or Introduction to Butchering (ANS 49G) are considered boutique-style classes because they are highly focused on a certain skill set and are typically smaller in class size.

However, some critics are opposed to such classes because they believe they are a waste of time and money and don’t offer a real-life skill set.

“It definitely offered me a life skill because for anyone who enjoys hunting, there’s a lot of useful information on trim-

ming meat. Unlike most classes, it offers a concrete work skill. It also makes UC Davis more attractive when it tries to compete with other UCs that are located on the beach,” said Colby Anderson, fourth-year international relations major who took the introduction to butchering class.

Students are also invited to start their own special-interest class. Such classes have to get approval from the Academic Senate. The Committee on Courses of Instruction is responsible for authorization and supervision of courses of instruction. It must go through a 12-step process that includes proposal, approval, organization and proper description.

Many students find the merit in these specific classes.

“I don’t think it significantly taught me any life skills, but I definitely do not think

it was a waste of time or money. I do believe the class was very useful in helping me understand industry basics and the many career opportunities it has to offer,” said Joaquin Viramontes, a fourthyear managerial economics major who took the Introduction to Beer Brewing class.

These same sentiments are shared with Nate Kane, a third-year viticulture and enology student and TA for Field Equipment Operation.

“Skilled labor is something the government is seeking because there has been a slow decline in that sector,” Kane said.

ABT 49, otherwise known as “that tractor driving class,” has been at UC Davis for over seventy years. It has grown so much in popularity that even a Saturday lab class is now being offered.

Mir Shafii, instructor of ABT 49, has

been teaching the course since 2009 and said that he often receives emails from alumni that recall the class as being their favorite during their time at UC Davis.

The class now hosts a full enrollment of 96 students.

“This is no boutique-style class. It’s a type of course that gets you hands-on experience. Tractors are different; it’s not like driving a car. You actually need to operate a piece of machinery. This course is also directly geared toward a career in agriculture,” he said.

Shafii explained that the tractors used in his course are lent to the school by various tractor companies in exchange for using UC Davis land.

ABT 49 is being offered this fall quarter and spring quarter 2013.

NATASHA QABAZARD can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Campus commemorates Veteran’s Day Quad to be decorated in yellow ribbons in support of veterans

By Danielle Huddlestun Aggie News Writer

Beginning on Nov. 5, the Veteran’s Center, along with student veterans, will be tying yellow ribbons around the trees on the quad in honor of men and women currently serving.

“Last year Veteran’s Day fell on a Saturday, so the week prior one of the student veterans put up yellow ribbons. Instead of doing it just around one tree, we decided to do it all around the quad, as a way to educate the UC Davis community about veterans. It lets the community members know that there are service members of all ages

mars Cont. from front page approachable; scientists are approachable and there’s an incredible payback to your investment in that research.”

The biggest paybacks expected from Curiosity are yet to come, as its primary mission is to deliver a detailed picture of Mars’ geologic history and habitability over the course of a two-year mission. But even in its first two months, the rover has allowed the NASA team to do what Williams called “amazing science” on Mars.

Williams shared some of the early highlights, including closeup pictures of an ancient stream bed, in a slide show presentation on campus on Oct. 4. She also detailed some of the advanced instrumentation on the rover, including the ChemCam laser that can vaporize samples of rock for molecular analysis.

“It’s like we sent a ray gun to Mars,” Williams told the audience. “So we don’t have to rove all the way up to a rock to study it, we can zap it like a true Martian with a ray gun.”

The event, hosted by the UC Davis chapter of the international student organization The Triple Helix, also included an introductory talk by UC Davis professor David Osleger, who outlined key features of the Martian environment as revealed by the orbiters and rovers which have preceded Curiosity.

doing things we couldn’t imagine,” said Victor Garcia, the Transfer/Reentry Adviser in the Transfer Reentry and Veteran (TRV) Center which is located in Dutton Hall.

Last year, it was one of the student veterans who decided to begin this project, with the help of his fraternity. According to the TRV Center, many assume the ribbons are for cancer, especially because it is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.

With roots in the song about “The Yellow Ribbon,” the yellow ribbons around the tree are intended to honor those who are currently serving.

“Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon/ She wore it in the springtime/ In the

“Mars is very difficult to get to,” Osleger said, noting that little more than half of the attempts to reach the planet over the past 40 years have succeeded. Those that did have revealed a planet whose landscape today seems largely unforgiving, but which bears the unmistakable signs of a wet — and potentially habitable — past, and one that could yet harbor microbial organisms beneath its surface.

For Williams, the chance to study that geology up close came by way of her thesis advisor, UC Davis geobiologist Dawn Sumner, and an acid mine drainage site in Northern California, called Iron Mountain, where Williams conducts her doctoral research. Sumner is a co-investigator on the MSL camera team, a member of the mission’s Long Term Planning group and a co-chair of the mapping group.

Iron Mountain harbors minerals thought to have formed in similar conditions on Mars, as well as unique, filamentous mineral formations created by bacterial communities.

“We don’t know whether or not there was life on Mars, and we don’t know what types of biosignatures might be present if life existed,” Sumner wrote in an email.

“Since we don’t know the answer, we have to go with our best guesses, based on what we know from Earth. Amy’s work on Iron Mountain helps us ‘guess better’ because it provides insights into how bacteria on Earth influence

merry month of May/ And if you ask her why the heck she wore it/ She wore it for her soldier who was far far away,” the song states.

The yellow ribbons are also intended as a symbol of hope for a safe return and a gesture of gratitude.

“These are not for veterans, but for service members who are still in harm’s way,” Garcia said.

The Service Flag design is also tied into the concept, with stars either yellow, gold or blue.

“When a star is blue, it means that someone is currently serving and if they die, the star becomes gold,” Garcia said.

rocks.”

New advances in imaging technology and geobiology have increased the probability that Curiosity will be able to detect mineral signatures on Mars that unambiguously originated from living organisms — if they exist.

“By quantitatively measuring the morphology of the filaments in Iron Mountain research, we’re taking it well beyond just looking at something, and saying, ‘That looks like life,’” Williams said.

“The abiotic world can mimic life and vice versa, and that’s the real subtlety in the work...being able to tell the two apart. We’re at the point in our knowledge base where we’re pushing the boundaries of how you can find life based on morphology.”

As Williams settles in to her next 10-day shift in Pasadena, however, her focus will be entirely on the data streaming back from Curiosity, which has to be evaluated and incorporated into the constantly evolving mission plan for each working day on the Martian surface.

“It’s great to focus all of my energy on the Mars research, to really immerse myself in the Mars science and experience,” Williams said. “It’s a different way of doing science than I’ve done before, and it’s a really exciting way to do science. Because every day you wake up on Mars, and that’s pretty cool.”

OYANG TENG can be reached at science@theaggie. org.

At&t

According to a student employee of Veteran’s affairs, the main goal of the TRV Center is to provide educational benefits to veterans and eventually transfer them to UC Davis.

“We act as a liaison between veteran’s affairs at the school. We serve all branches, and are a neutral place for other veterans from other departments.”

Ribbons will be tied around trees on the quad during the week of Nov. 5.

“It is a very sombrous and sobering realism that sets in. That is what we are trying to do with the yellow ribbons,” Garcia said.

NATASHA QABAZARD can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

network increased by 20,000 percent.”

AT&T is working with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over spectrum. Britton likened spectrum to the blood of the wireless network. “[Spectrum] is being used up quickly as people use bandwidth,” Britton said. “Streaming video is bandwidth intensive and that’s what college kids probably do a lot.”

Britton said back in 2007 when smartphones were just appearing, there wasn’t as problematic of a bandwidth situation since people used their phones for email.

“When we get faster networks, more people are tuning into YouTube, streaming videos and eating up resources,” Britton said.

Britton said what’s increasing is contact via social media and text messages. Voice calls are on the decline and more people are going to Twitter and Facebook to connect.

“We continue to see demand for mobile internet skyrocket, our 4G LTE network in Sacramento and Davis responds to what customers want from their mobile experience — more, faster, on the best devices,” said Terry Stenzel, AT&T’s Vice president and general manager for Northern California and Northern Nevada, in a statement.

Cont. from front page on the computer at home.”

Consequently, college students demand connectivity even more so than a lot of other people, Britton said.

There are two types of 4G networks: the 4G HSPA+ network and the 4G LTE network. The HSPA+ network stands for Evolved HighSpeed Packet Access and is four times faster than 3G. “In the last couple years, we’ve had five speed upgrades on the HSPA+ network,” Britton said.

“We’re constantly updating the network.”

The AT&T press release said the LTE network provides not just faster speeds, but also new devices, faster response times and a more efficient use of spectrum.

With more users, there needs to be more capacity on the network. Thus, AT&T said it adds more carriers, which adds more spectrum. The added spectrum creates more bandwidth so that more people can use it. However, because spectrum is finite, it’s a challenge for carriers to accommodate their users’ need for speed.

Britton said AT&T is constantly expanding, optimizing and improving the network to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband.

“Mobile broadband is unbelievable,” he said. “In the last five years, mobile data on our CLAIRE TAN can be contacted at city@theaggie.org.

RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE

SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES DO NOT WORK

The california Aggie

Wednesday, OCTOBER 17, 2012

5

Runners have strong performances in split-squad weekend Aggies race at NCAA Pre-Nationals and Bronco Invitational

By Matthew Yuen Aggie Sports Editor

The UC Davis cross country teams split up its squads this weekend, sending some runners across the country while others stayed closer to home.

Whether the Aggie runners were down in Santa Clara for the Bronco Invitational or over in Louisville, Ky. for the NCAA Division I Pre-Nationals, it was an encouraging weekend for UC Davis. Both races were run on Saturday.

On the 6k course hosted by the University of Louisville, junior

Sarah Sumpter turned in a time of 20:15, which was good for 12th place in the strong field of the NCAA Pre-Nationals.

Junior Alycia Cridebring placed 29th overall with a time of 20:42.8.

This strong showing for the Aggies in the group of 265 runners led UC Davis to 10th place with 320 points.

The field was littered with some of the top college teams in the country, including Florida State, the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

“We beat some good teams today to take home a 10th-place result, but we fell short of the goal

with which we approached this meet,” said head coach Drew Wartenburg.

Sophomore Katie Fry was the third Aggie to finish, with a time of 21:15.9 that put her in 68th place overall. Senior Lauren Wallace and freshman Christine Hoffman were the next two UC Davis runners to finish, coming in at 104th and 107th place, respectively.

As for the runners in Santa Clara, UC Davis sent the rest of the women’s team along with the men’s traveling squad.

Sophomore Trevor Halsted continued his string of strong performances with a 24:09.2 sixth-place

finish and Grayson Hough recorded a time of 24:18.9 to finish in 11th place.

“Trevor has raced consistently each time out and Grayson put together the type of effort that we have been looking for,” Wartenburg said. “[It’s] a good step in the right direction of this group and we will carry some positive momentum forward as the men continue to develop and gain experience.”

The UC Davis men’s runners finished in second overall with 158 points, which was a product of a 24:41.92 average time over the 8k course.

Junior Shannon Harcus finished the women’s 5k course at the Bronco Invitational in 17:48.8 to pace the Aggies with a 28thplace finish.

The Aggies finished in eighth place as a team, with an average time of 18:09.4 over the top five runners.

The Aggies will get a couple weeks off before the Big West Championships, which will take place at the UC Riverside Ag/ Ops Course in Riverside on Oct. 27.

MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at sports@theaggie. org.

campus CHIC.

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

Elizabeth Godkin, first-year pre-landscape architecture major The Aggie: What are you wearing?

Godkin: “Lace-up ballet flats from Urban Outfitters, a skirt and lace biker shorts from American Apparel, a crop top from The Orphan’s Arms, a scarf from World Market, a red knit cardigan from Urban Outfitters and a bag from Wasteland in San Francisco.”

How did you decide what to wear today?

“I looked up the weather and picked something that I’d still be able to bike in.”

Where do you find inspiration?

“I guess when I see guys wearing lots of black. I don’t know why. And Free People.”

What pieces are you looking forward to wearing this autumn?

“Buying a nice, giant, oversized red coat and wearing it all the time.”

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Stephanie Nguyen / Aggie

ask Cont. from page 2 because they had a fight with their mate.

Arguments are part of relationships, even the good ones. Just ask anyone who hangs out with a red-haired, blue-eyed, gorgeous Irish woman…

Katy Ann: Hey, wait just a…

Doc Joe: So, you need to figure out if your argument with Paul was the problem. If so, get over it. If you have other doubts about your relationship with Paul, resolve those issues before you start going out with other guys.

Katy Ann: Well said, but what was that reference about red-haired…?

Dear Doc Joe and Katy Ann,

Here’s a tough one. I am a 30-year-old graduate student in genetics. Jenny, my wife, and I moved from New York to California, so that I could get my Ph.D. Jenny is very close with her parents and four brothers and sisters, all of whom lived near us. Jenny had initially refused to move far away from our families in New York, so I promised her that I would agree to move back to New York after I get my Ph.D. Well, I have finished my dissertation, and will be graduating at the end of the month. To complicate matters, I have been offered a desirable post-doc position here at the university. So, I’d like to stay on for at least two years. Meanwhile, Jenny began packing some moving boxes, saying: “We agreed.” She says that “staying here any longer will break my heart.”

I love my wife, but I can’t imagine turning down this opportunity.

Stephanie Nguyen / Aggie

What should I do?

Tim, 30 Berkeley, CA Doc Joe: A contract requires an offer, acceptance and consideration. Your agreement was a contract. You offered to move the family to California, with return to New York after the Ph.D.; she accepted this offer.

You received the move and the Ph.D.; she received the return to her family with a Dr. Husband. Sounds like a contract to me.

Katy Ann: You think that she should sue him?

Doc Joe: Mmm…Not a bad idea. I think that she should enforce the contract.

Katy Ann: Legal mumbo jumbo…Tim and Jenny need to consider what’s best for the family. What if the post-doc gets Tim a great job?

Doc Joe: Okay, I’ll try again. Tim says he

loves Jenny. Love is lovingness. It’s what you do, not merely how you feel. Do you think that breaking that agreement is lovingness?

Katy Ann: Love is a two-way street. Tim and Jenny need to consider their goals and opportunities, as well as the importance of being with family members in New York.

Doc Joe: Tim, help her pack. Broken hearts don’t heal well.

Katy Ann: Tim, lay it out clearly. But, I agree with Doc Joe — Jenny gets the final say. If she still wants to go back to New York, start applying for post-docs there. It’s easier to change jobs, than wives.

Doc Joe: So true.

If you’d like to get Ask Doc Joe & Katy Ann advice, please contact us at: askdocjoeandkatyann@aol.com. Include your name, state of residence and your question, along with a brief description of the situation.

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6 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012

The california Aggie

Tuesday’s puzzle solved

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Study hard.

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The california Aggie

wednesday, october 17, 2012

7

Religious affiliation drops in the U.S.

By Seamus Doyle

The Marquette Tribune (Marquette University)

One in five Americans no longer affiliates with an organized religion, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.

The study, “‘Nones’ on the Rise,” released Oct. 9 through the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, says that “one-fifth of the U.S. public — and a third of adults under 30 — are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling.”

Some, like Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., are disappointed with the study’s findings. “(There is a) tsunami of secular influence that has swept across the cultural landscape,” Wuerl said at the Synod of Bishops, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vatican II and attempting to make the Catholic Church more relevant to the 21st century.

However, other individuals have celebrated the decline in religious affiliation.

“We’re seeing a marked shift in the re-

ligion bias of our country,” said David Silverman, president of the New Jerseybased American Atheists, in a statement.

“Many atheists are ‘coming out’ and openly declaring their non-belief to friends, family and co-workers. The prejudice still exists, but the statistics prove that the stranglehold of religion is quickly fading away and being replaced by a more tolerant, secular society.”

According to the Pew study, the rise of the religiously unaffiliated does not signal the rise of the godless.

“One-third of the unaffiliated say religion is at least somewhat important in their lives. Two-thirds believe in God (though less than half say they are absolutely certain of God’s existence),” the study said.

Thus, just because there are people considered to be “nones” (they have no religious affiliation) by the study, they are not necessarily atheists. In fact, while the religiously unaffiliated make up about one fifth of Americans, atheists only make up two percent of the American population.

So, while the percentage of Americans who identify as nonaffiliated has risen almost five percent in five years, the percent of Americans who consider themselves atheist has not even risen a full percentage point (0.8 percent) in that same period.

The decline has been most severe amongst Protestant Christians.

Over the long term, Protestantism has declined, from 62 percent of Americans identifying as Protestant in 1972 to 48 percent in 2012, marking the first time that Christian Protestants have not made up the majority of Americans.

Catholics, on the other hand, have been less affected by the trend, the study said.

Over the past 40 years, the percentage of Americans who identify as Catholic has only fluctuated by one percentage point, staying between 26 and 25 percent.

While the study did not focus on nonChristian religions, it did find that other religions, including Judaism and Islam, have grown two percent in the past five years in comparison to the decline in Christianity of five percent.

The Pew study also examined the political effects of the rising “unaffiliated” demographic.

“The religiously unaffiliated are heavily Democratic in their partisanship and liberal in their political ideology,” the study said. “In the 2008 presidential election, they (the unaffiliated) voted as heavily for Barack Obama as white evangelical Protestants did for John McCain.”

The religiously unaffiliated are much more likely to support legalized abortion and gay marriage than their affiliated counterparts, yet they remain split on their beliefs about the size of government, according to the Pew study.

Another point the study made was not that faith and morals in the U.S. are gone, but rather that many Americans have become disillusioned with organized religion.

“They are much more likely than the public overall to say that churches and other religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules, and too involved in politics,” the study said.

Affirmative action not best for diversity, study suggests

By Jasper Craven

The Daily Free Press (Boston University)

Affirmative action plans based on class — not race — might provide more diversity to the nation’s universities than affirmative action, a Century Foundation report released on Wednesday suggests.

“If college admissions officers want to be fair — truly meritocratic — they need to consider not only a student’s raw academic credentials, but also what obstacles [he or] she had to overcome to achieve them,” wrote Richard Kahlenberg, the main author of the report.

The report noted that U. TexasAustin managed to create even

higher levels of minority representation in 2004 using classbased affirmative action than in 1996, when schools considered race as a factor.

The report notes universities in nine states that have created an admissions process attentive not only to racial and ethnic diversity, but also to class inequality.

Seven states have banned affirmative action, an issue likely to face the Supreme Court and add debate to the upcoming elections.

Kahlenberg wrote that admissions officials should pay attention to “strivers,” students who overcame obstacles and succeeded despite socio-economic impediments.

The most economically disad-

vantaged student is expected to score 399 points lower on the SAT math and verbal sections than the most advantaged student, according to the report.

“Unlike race-based affirmative action, class-based preferences compensate for what research suggests are the more substantial obstacles in today’s world — those associated with socioeconomic status,” Kahlenberg wrote.

Boston U. students said affirmative action is a complex issue, but a diverse student population is necessary to create a well-balanced institution.

“Diversity is important,” said Katie Strelitz, a BU junior. “But diversity means more than just race, background and financial

Researchers discover “fat switch”

By Zohra D. Yaqhubi

Harvard Crimson (Harvard University)

A new breakthrough in cellular biology has revealed a biological “fat switch” that could help in the fight against the worldwide obesity epidemic, according to a study published by scientists at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute last week.

The “switch” — a channel-shaped protein that sits in the outer membrane of human fat cells — can help prevent insulin resistance and obesity when it is blocked.

Senior author Bruce Spiegelman, a professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, said the implications of this research are far-extending.

“The fact that there is a pathway [...] that is potentially druggable that controls these aspects of biology opens up a pretty clear possibility to develop therapeutics,” he said.

According to co-author Jun Wu, an instructor at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, one-third of the world’s population suffers from obesity, but there are still no effective drugs in the United States capable of helping reduce metabolic rates.

In any animal, a high calorie diet can lead to obesity or insulin resistance — and

BOHR Cont. from page 3 program, he could face relocation to a concentration camp. Obviously, the meeting placed a huge stress on the friendship.

During the war years, Bohr used his status and estate in Copenhagen to protect and house Jewish refugee scientists from Germany. In 1943, during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Bohr learned of his approaching arrest, and with the help of resistance forces, fled the country. Bohr took residence in Sweden and then England before leaving Europe for the United States.

Upon arriving in America, Bohr met with President Roosevelt to discuss the wartime potential of weaponized uranium. This audience played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Manhattan Project in Los

commonly both. The diseases, especially when coupled, lead to greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease, type II diabetes and stroke.

The fat switch protein these scientists studied is predominately found in “brown fat cells” — a type of fat cell that is especially good at using chemical energy to generate and dissipate heat. This heat dissipation functions to prevent insulin resistance, distinguishing it as a “good” fat cell, according to Wu. Through five years of experimentation, Spiegelman, Wu and their colleagues found that mice who had blocked fat switch proteins in their brown cells had an increase in their energy expenditure and decrease in insulin resistance compared to mice that did not have this block, even without putting the mice on a low-calorie diet.

Spiegelman said that the fat switch protein is from the same family of proteins as capsaicin, a protein that can be blocked by drugs to prevent the taste of spice — evidence that the fat switch could be manipulated to produce an effect in humans in a similar way.

The “druggable” potential for the fat switch, Spiegelman added, was one of the most exciting finds of his work.

Alamos, N.M., where Bohr acted as an advisor.

After the war, he truly believed that the U.S. and Britain should share their technology with Russia. In an open letter to the United Nations, he addressed that in an age of such dangerous technology, barriers to information would only serve to propagate fear and divide the world. For the sake of peace, Bohr called for openness and an increased level of human cooperation.

Despite his role in the creation of nuclear weapons, Bohr was one of the world’s first advocates for nuclear disarmament. He managed to meet with both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in an effort to warn against the dangers of furthering nuclear research programs.

“Bohr was very concerned about a future nuclear arms race,” Conway said. “He pushed for the retention of civilian control over them

in the U.S., which is still the situation today.”

On top of civilian control, Bohr argued for international regulation of nuclear weapons. His arguments led to the formation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under the United Nations.

In addition to playing a role in the foundation of the IAEA, co-founding CERN and creating a fundamental model for modern chemistry through his work in quantum mechanics, he was also the first-ever recipient of the Atoms for Peace Award, an award granted to individuals who develop peaceful applications for nuclear technology.

Throughout his life, Bohr sought to find elegant solutions to some of mankind’s great questions and divisive issues.

ALAN LIN can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.

standing.”

Strelitz said it is up to BU to appeal to a wide range of students so that diversity is established.

Ryan Kell, a BU junior, said affirmative action is a touchy subject, and it is easy to sound racially discriminatory when talking about it.

“While I think, on principle, the idea of affirmative action is inherently unfair to the more qualified candidate, I acknowledge that there are still enormous disadvantages minorities face in society,” he said. “Solving them through college admissions may not be the most appropriate solution. Class definitely makes more sense, because ideally those of the lowest class are the people who

need an education the most.”

Kell said the overall admissions process is ridiculous for a variety of reasons.

“It’s hard to not think of it as malarkey, because the mixed message we are sent is to make ourselves stand out, but then we’re judged by standardized test scores,” he said.

BU freshman Jess Feng said academic rigor should be the main factor considered by admissions officials.

“It’s very complicated,” he said.

“I think that time spent in class working and grades should be weighted the most. But I think it is good for a school to have students with diverse cultures and backgrounds.”

Excess coffee drinking could lead to adult vision loss

By Tricia Vaughan

The Crimson White (University of Alabama)

Students searching for a caffeine kick to get through midterms may want to think twice before taking a sip of java.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and other health research institutions recently published a study showing a connection between coffee consumption and vision loss.

The study, published in “Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science,” revealed that adults who drink three or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day are 34 percent more likely to develop primary open-angle glaucoma.

The chronic disease affects one percent of the population and occurs when the eye swells, which deteriorates optic nerve cells. As more optic nerve cells die, blind spots begin to form. Often those with the condition don’t even realize they’re losing their eye sight since there are no symptoms tied to it.

The study also found that other caffeinated drinks like soda and tea had no link to POAG. The good news for coffee addicts is that only participants with a family history of glaucoma and over the age of 40 later experienced the vision loss from drinking multiple cups of joe daily.

The author of the study, Jae Hee Kang, ScD, of Channing Division Network of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass., spoke with “Science Daily” about the impact the study may have on future dietary studies.

“Because this is the first study to evaluate the association between caffeinat-

ed coffee and exfoliation glaucoma in a U.S. population, confirmation of these results in other populations would be needed to lend more credence to the possibility that caffeinated coffee might be a modifiable risk factor for glaucoma,” Kang told Science Daily. “It may also lead to research into other dietary or lifestyle factors as risk factors.”

Although the Harvard study makes drinking coffee seem like an everlasting veil of darkness for the eyes, there are many perks the energizing drink has to offer. Research has found coffee drinkers have a 50 percent less chance of developing liver cancer and a lower possibility of colon, breast and rectal cancer than those who don’t. Avid coffee drinkers are also less likely to get diabetes.

Not everyone who consumes large quantities of coffee daily will develop POAG. Those at risk of acquiring the chronic disease are people 40 and older; those with relatives who have the condition; people with high intraocular pressure; and those with diabetes. The disease is also more prominent in some ethnicities such as Africans, Asians and Latinos.

The Glaucoma Foundation recommends everyone under 40 years of age should have an eye exam every three to four years. Those over 40 should be tested at least every one and half years, while people 40 and older with one of the risk factors should get tested annually.

Remember: Moderation is key in everything, whether genetically jinxed with a family history of glaucoma or not. So fellow coffee lovers, don’t feel like you have to put down that cup of joe just yet.

8 wednesday, october 17, 2012

The california Aggie