The SSC’s Official Science Newspaper
e rrent February 2014
thecurrent@westernssc.ca
Volume 4 Issue 7
BIOLOGY
St. Patrick’s Day precaution: alcohol and health
IN THIS ISSUE...
Things to keep in mind during the this year’s green holiday
1. 2.
Image Courtesy of ytimg.com
Tianyi Yan
Creative Editor
3. 4-5.
With Saint Patrick’s Day coming up, it’s no surprise that a good number of students here at Western are planning to drink their fair share of alcohol. Drinking alcohol regularly in moderation is said to have health benefits but as we all know, drinking too heavily has severe health risks. So what exactly are some of the things we should be careful of and what are some of the benefits that alcohol has? Cirrhosis Cirrhosis is probably the one we get warned about the most. It’s a condition wherein one’s liver tissue is so heavily scarred that the liver is no longer to properly function. It is irreversible, and in the advanced stages it requires a liver transplant and can sometimes cause death.
6-7.
Blood Problems
8.
Alcohol can damage bone marrow, cause defective red blood cells, interfere with the normal function and production of white blood cells, and can affect the platelets. These would lead to a variety of issues such as: different types of anemia, decreased resistance to infections, impaired blood-clotting, and increased risk of strokes.
Pancreatitis Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas and has two forms, acute and chronic. Most patients with acute pancreatitis can recover with the proper treatment, but in severe cases it can result in conditions that can harm other vital organs. Chronic pancreatitis is caused by continued alcohol use 45% of the time and can cause disabling pain and diabetes. Cardiovascular Disease In moderation, alcohol can reduce the risk of heart disease. In the long run, it can increase the level of good cholesterol in your blood, which helps to clear out bad cholesterol from our arteries. Diabetes Alcohol can help increase the efficiency at which insulin can get at the glucose inside our cells (basically maintaining glucose levels). A study has shown that people who drink modest amounts of alcohol regularly have a decreased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Gallstones The formation of gallstones is partially prevented by the effect that alcohol has on the production of bile and good cholesterol in our bodies. A study done in the UK has found that the risk of getting gallstones is decreased by a third if one
Image Courtesy of blog.kansas.com
drinks about 16 grams of alcohol daily (two UK standard drinks). The moral of the story is to take all things in moderation in the long run. Drink lots if you want, but doing it too often will prove detrimental to your health. Drinking a little alcohol per day on the other hand, can actually be quite good for you. Have fun on St. Patty’s!
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.
Page 2
The Current — February 2014
LIFE NOT AS WE KNOW IT
Our planet is home to many awe-inspiring organisms. If you’re fascinated with life on Earth, but don’t want to get out of your chair to explore the world, here is a glimpse of a few bizarre, exotic, or unconventional creatures your lazy eyes might have otherwise never seen.
Siphusauctum gregarium
An ancient fossil found in Canada looks like a field of tulips frozen in stone. In fact, these plantlike creatures are animals unlike any seen before. Siphusauctum gregarium, a 500-millionyear-old filter feeder, was the length of a dinner knife with a bulbous "head" containing a feeding system and a bizarre gut. Instead of filtering water past its feeders externally, S. gregarium appears to have pumped water through its tuliplike head, capturing any food particles that passed through. Scientists aren't sure where this unusual creature fits into the evolutionary tree. – Yeshith Rai
Image Courtesy of s3.amazonaws.com
Long Horned Orb Weaver
The long horned orb weaver is a spider that will do little to ease the distress of the estimated 31% of people in North America suffering from arachnophobia. The purpose of their greatly disproportionate horns remains unknown. Likely, they serve to scare off predators; our initial shudder at the sight of this terrifying creature is confirmation that this goal is met. Orb-weaving spiders are found all around the world; they live wherever there are insects for food and places to make their webs. These spiders are not social creatures – each choosing to live on its own web. Orb-weavers prefer to communicate through touch and web vibrations, though they can signal to each other chemically as well. -- Rigya Arya
Image Courtesy of wired.com
PHYSIOLOGY
#neknominations #alcoholabuse
Examining Risks Of The Social Drinking Game
Image Courtesy of cdn1.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Maddie Storvold Media Editor
Nek Nominations- for those of you who call the underbelly of a rock ‘home’- is the trendy new practice of creatively consuming copious amounts of alcohol in a short video, and then passing on the practice to friends through clenched teeth, struggling to maintain what little dignity you have left, and to not vomit on your cameraman. Your nominees have 24 hours to perpetuate the cycle of boozy absurdity. The drinking game started off as just thata game; a harmless bit a fun. But because of its competitive nature, Nek Nominations has rapidly become physically threatening, morally compromising, and socially degrading to the young people that chose to partake. I wish I could say this is the first drinking trend to steamroll its way across this generation. I wish I could observe that those who participate are uncommon and given little attention. I wish I could forget the videos I’ve recently been privy to of students at my own university consuming entire bottles of liquor, goldfish, and their own bodily fluids. Most of all, I wish I didn’t have to explain to a group of supposedly functioning adults the physical detriments of abusing alcohol. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking as the ingesting of more than three or four drinks per day. I can tell you
thecurrent Caitlin Martin Newnham Editor-In-Chief website – westernssc.ca/current twitter – twitter.com/thecurrent_ssc facebook – facebook.com/thecurrentssc youtube – youtube.com/user/thecurrentful blog – thecurrentssc.wordpress.com
Image Courtesy of funofart.com
that most Nek Nominations contain more than this in a period of time much shorter than a day. So what’s happening in our bodies when we hammer back that shot of Cap’n Morgan’s, or funnel a Busch? First, the liquid passes through your mouth. I know, I know, how obvious! But what maybe isn’t so obvious is that heavy drinkers increase their risk of mouth and throat cancer, due to increased exposure to irritating, non-natural agents. Next, it flows down to the stomach. Usually it passes right through this cavity, because the molecules that make up alcohol are small
theeditors
copy editors Ashima Jain, Eugene Leung & Igor Angelovski compilation editors Bethia To, Jameera Mohamed & Rajiv Lakhani creative editors Sophia Wen & Tianyi Yan features editors Rigya Arya & Maryam Golafshani images editors David DeSantis & Mathura Thiyagarajah
column editor dz marketing manager Adam Raffoul outreach editor Matt Renaud soph liaison Carly Jackson blog manager Maham Bushra youtube manager Dan Younus media editor Maddie Storvold
enough that they do not require processing and can enter directly into your bloodstream. However, in the case of excessive consumption- say, in a Nek Nomination- alcohol is absorbed at a slower rate and mingles with gastric juices. This formula is wonderfully conducive to the formation of ulcers. Now that the party nectar has reached your bloodstream, it will mosey on up to the concentration of nerves in your skull (the existence of which I question in some individuals), which most people refer to as the ‘brain’. As soon as it hits, your motor control and decision-making ability are manipulated, as the alcohol interferes with your communi-
thestaffwriters
Lucy Zhao — Advice Column Shreyesh Dalmia — Sport Science Column Andrew Poon — Book Review Column Margaret Ho — Theme Column
If you just can’t wait for the next issue of The Current, check out the Blog for writing from these and other talented writers.
cation synapses. The aforementioned NIAAA estimates that about 60% of fatal burns, drowning and homicide occur under some influence of alcohol. While your brain is being crippled, so are your heart, your liver, and your pancreas. Drinking over a long period of time, or even disproportionately on one occasion can cause cardiomyopathy (drooping of the heart muscles), stroke, irregular heartbeat, and high blood pressure. Also, your liver plays a huge role in the processing of alcohol and overdrinking can cause fibrosi (the formation of excess fibrous connective tissues). Your body struggles to rebuild the vital, and overcompensates in the process. Your pancreas also takes a hit since alcohol causes the production of dangerous substances in the pancreas, causing pancreatitis (inflammation that leads to inefficient digestion). Finally, chronic and heavy drinkers display a reduced fitness of their immune systems, and an increased susceptibility to cancer. Such individuals make themselves far more vulnerable to pneumonia and tuberculosis, as well as cancer of the mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast. If ALL of this isn’t enough to convince you against binge drinking, you should know one more gigantic secret: you look like conformist idiots when you do your Nek Nomination. There, the cat’s out of the bag now! Students participating in the Nek Nomination craze should stop mistreating their bodies, damaging their minds, and disrespecting the potential that they each have to be great.
thecontributors
Yeshith Rai Gajan Sivakumaran
WOMEN IN SCIENCE
The Current — February 2014
The One Often Forgotten
Profiling Rosalind Franklin
Page 3
COLUMN
COLUMN
What Happened To That New Year’s Resolution?
Sleep Deprivation: Is It Worth It?
Lucy Zhao
Margaret Ho
Advice Column
Theme Staff
It’s been about three months since that fateful day when you made your New Year’s amazon.com Resolutions. I’m sureImage mostCourtesy of youof probably made a resolution about getting fit or exercising regularly in some way or another, but have you been following through with it? Some of you may have, but for the others… you know who you are! These health benefit reminders might help you keep going!
With the pressure from assignments and midterms hiking up, sleep is probably the last thing on our minds. I’m supposed to have nine hours of sleep? More like six to seven, realistically! Sleep is a vital component to human function, required for us to recharge and reset our natural Circadian rhythms. Needless to say, the majority of the world suffers from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is the cause of countless preventable accidents, human errors in construction and healthcare, and vehicular collisions. It can also be the cause of death – twenty-four year old Mita Diran died recently from overworking in Indonesia; her last day consisted of a 30 hour work day on top of all the coffees and energy drinks she tweeted about. Not clocking in enough hours in your sleep schedule can cause a cluster of surprising effects on the body.
Jameera Mohamed Compilation Editor
James Watson and Francis Crick often come to mind when we think DNA’s structure, but we often forget just one woman who made a significant contribution to this ground-breaking discovery: Rosalind Franklin. Rosalind Elsie Franklin was born on July 25, 1920 in London. Even as a little girl, Rosalind excelled in science and was determined to continue her education by studying physical chemistry at Cambridge’s Newnham College. After graduating in 1941, she was awarded a research fellowship in the same field, however the onset of World War II forced her to change career paths. Rosalind served as a London air raid warden up until 1942, when she began working as an assistant research officer at the British Coal Utilisation Research Association. Here she examined the chemistry of carbon and coal for the war effort and used this research for her doctoral thesis. After earning her doctorate in 1945, Rosalind began studying X-ray diffraction technology while working at Paris’ State Chemical Laboratory with Jacque Méring. Then in 1951, she began working as a research fellow at the Biophysical Laboratory at King’s College, London. Here is where Rosalind Franklin made her big breakthrough. She discovered the helical structure of DNA by applying X-ray diffraction, providing the foundation for Watson and Crick’s discovery. Franklin continued in the field of research until her very early death. She died at the age of 37 from ovarian cancer.
Image Courtesy of askabiologist.asu.edu
It’s sad to think that a woman who made such a significant contribution to science often gets forgotten. She was a well-educated woman who made leaps and bounds in the field of science despite it being during a time of war. She made a discovery that will last forever, something of which every researcher dreams. Who doesn’t want to leave a legacy that will never be forgotten? She’s an inspiration to science, research and women. Since the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded only to living recipients, she was ineligible to share the rewarding discovery with Watson or Crick. So let us not forget that even though she never won that prestigious award, she definitely deserved it.
Although it may be hard to get started at first, working out eventually gets easier as your body adapts to the amount of physical activity. One of the most obvious benefits of exercising is that it controls weight and prevents/manages many health problems including lowering your risk of cardiovascular diseases. You may find that it’s easier to get a good night’s sleep too!
Image Courtesy of f2.thejournal.ie
PSYCHOLOGY
Image Courtesy of gymflow100.com
Gender-Related Alcohol Risk
Determing The Gender At Greater Risk Adam Raffoul
Marketing Manager Alcohol affects the human body differently in men and women. For example, women have less body mass and weight than men, so it takes less alcohol to produce intoxication and all that comes along with it. While men get pleasure from a small amount, women can potentially be knocked right out. But let’s not just look at one night out on the town. Let’s delve into long-term effects. If a man consumes copious amounts of alcohol on a daily basis, his organs will begin to fail about 20 years from the start of his alcoholism. The same amounts of alcohol can be life threatening to a woman as early as 5-7 years. But it’s not just their petite size that contributes to this; changes in menstrual cycle and other hormones contribute as factors to a rapid onset of problems. But let’s go further and look at social factors. Alcoholic women more easily fall victim to criminal offences such as rape, theft, drug abuse, street crimes, and murder. Furthermore, alcoholic females are more prone to having undesired pregnancies, especially if the man in the house is also an alcoholic. But we cannot ignore the fact that the death rate of male alcoholics is greater than
The Current’s
that of females. It’s no secret that men are “accident” prone (I’ll let you define that term yourself ) and excessive usage of alcohol can only contribute to that even further. But should men be given priority to be taken to rehabilitation centres? Apparently not, as the negative side effects of alcohol in females that directly link to their death rate are those such as heart, kidney, and liver failure. So who is at greater risk? It’s an interesting question to ponder, but really has no merit unless we as a society realize that chronic alcoholism regardless of your gender is a serious problem. Both men and women should take necessary precaution when it comes to coping with their problems and alcohol is most certainly not the answer. Drink responsibly.
Regular physical activity also improves your muscle strength and stamina, which will ultimately bring you more energy for daily activities. This is due to the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, helping your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. Your heart will get stronger and your blood vessels become more elastic. Exercise is very beneficial to the most important organ in your body: the brain. Exercise improves oxygen flow to the brain, increases the release of hormones to help brain growth, and enhances learning and memory capabilities. It will decrease stress hormones and increase the release of endorphins, inducing a more positive mood. You made that resolution for a reason!
1. Losing sleep can be causes or factors on various mental disorders and physical diseases. Lack of sleep can be related to several symptoms of depression – insomnia having the highest link to depression. It also increases the risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. 2. Sleep deprived young adults are more affected in cognitive function than their older counterparts. Younger adults perform more poorly in terms of working memory, selective attention, and encoding/retrieval - all the more reason why you shouldn’t pull that all-nighter. 3. Sleep deprivation increases food purchases and consumption the day after. Researchers in Sweden found that blood levels had an increased amount of ghrelin (a hormone that induces hunger). Although they have not found a correlation between ghrelin and food purchasing, you definitely wake up hungrier if you skimp on sleep. In addition, they have found partial correlations between less sleep and obesity.
Image Courtesy of static.indianexpress.com
Image Courtesy of mylifeatnilico.com Image Courtesy of slate.com
youtube.com/user/thecurrentful •
What you’ll find:
Ask The Current • Household Experiments • Advice for Students
The final question to consider is: how are you supposed to recover all that sleep loss? Though it is said that you can never repay the sleep you lost, current studies show that incorporating daytime naps, or simply giving yourself more time to sleep can give partial recovery and improve daytime performance. Say no to that afternoon coffee, change into your pajamas early, and delay your alarm clock by an hour. You may not recover completely from the effects of sleep deprivation, but after a few weeks, you may feel more alert, and not have to take a quick snooze during chemistry class. How good does it feel to sleep? Sleep deprivation… let’s be honest, is it worth it?
W “
PROMINENT
BE LESS CURIOUS ABOUT PEOPLE AND MORE CURIOUS ABOUT IDEAS. – Marie Curie
Caroline Herschel
Marie Curie
Caroline Herschel contributed significantly to astronomy through her discovery of several comets. She found what is often referred to as the “first lady’s comet” and continued her work in this area, discovering seven more comets! She was the first woman to be paid for her contributions to science and in 1828 she was awarded a Gold Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society. Herschel was the fourth daughter born in a large family. She had scar-pocked cheeks (due to contracting smallpox when she was three) and when she was ten, Herschel got typhus that stunted her growth (she never grew greater the 4’3”). Her mother, uncertain of Herschel’s ability to support herself, decided to train her to become a house servant. Herschel’s older brother William was a successful conductor in England. He brought Herschel along to England and taught her how to sing, where she became a reputable vocalist. But soon after, Herschel followed her brother as he decided to pursue a career in astronomy. Through assisting her brother in building telescopes and documenting his observations, Herschel became a gifted astronomer in her own right.
Marie Curie is one of the best known female scientists for her contributions to radioactivity. She was the first women to win a Nobel Prize and is the only female who has won a Nobel Prize in two different fields! She was also the first women to have completed a doctorate in science. Curie, notable even as a young woman, received highest honours when she graduated from her post-secondary education. Women were not allowed to study at her local university in Warsaw, Poland, but Curie found a way to further her education by studying at a “floating university” where students met at night at continually changing locations. Once Curie had saved up enough money to pay for her tuition, she moved to Paris to study at a major university. Curie, excelling at physics, began work on uranium rays. Through her research Marie Curie, along with her husband Pierre Curie, discovered two elements: polonium and radium. Pierre Curie proved that radium was harmful to flesh. Research on radium led to new medical advances in the treatment of diseases such as cancer. However, the exposure to radioactive materials had a toll; Marie Curie lost about 20 pounds and often felt ill and exhausted. Curie founded the Radium Institute in Warsaw and continued her research there. She passed away in 1934 after winning a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 with her husband and Antoine Becquerel and a Nobel Prize in Chemistry by herself, for her work in radioactivity.
1750-1848
1867-1934
W
OMEN in science
Dorothy Hodgkin
Rosalind Franklin
Dorothy Hodgkin, encouraged from a young age in her interest in chemistry, was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for determination of the structures of important biochemical substances. Hodgkin was one of two girls allowed to learn chemistry in her school with her male classmates. She continued her education in chemistry at Oxford and Somerville College where she learned the techniques of X-ray crystallography. Hodgkin used her skills in X-ray crystallography to determine the structures of penicillin and vitamin B12 for which she won the Nobel Prize. She continued to research the structures of various biomolecules, whereby five years after winning the Nobel Prize, she determined the structure of another biologically significant molecule: insulin. “I used to say the evening that I developed the first x-ray photograph I took of insulin in 1935 was the most exciting moment of my life. But the Saturday afternoon in late July 1969, when we realized that the insulin electron density map was interpretable, runs that moment very close.” — Dorothy Hodgkin
The discovery of the structure of DNA is largely recognized as being awarded to James Watson and Francis Crick. However, this breakthrough relied on research done by Rosalind Franklin. Franklin was born in London, England during a period in which professional positions for females in science were scarce. She attended one of the few schools that offered physics and chemistry courses for girls. Franklin soon decided that she wanted to become a scientist despite discouragement from her father. Franklin, a molecular biologist, was a very talented X-ray crystallographer. She was offered a scholarship at King’s College as a research associate in John Randall’s laboratory as an associate researcher. Franklin worked independently but was initially assumed to be an assistant by fellow researcher Maurice Wilkins. This was the start of their unsuccessful relationship. Franklin took images of DNA using X-ray crystallography. From her notes, it was seen that she made significant progress on the structure of DNA as she determined that phosphate groups on DNA faced outwards. However, she was beaten to publication by Watson, Crick, and Wilkins. Wilkins, without permission, showed Watson one of Franklin’s X-ray images of DNA. It was after looking at this image that the structure of DNA became apparent. These three gentlemen were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for their findings even though Rosalind Franklin was an integral part of the discovery.
1910-1994
1920-1958
Page 6
The Current — February 2014
Health
Saturated Fat
COLUMN
The Controversy In Cardiovascular Health
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger? Dz
Column Editor
Image Courtesy of www.thetimes.co.uk
Igor Angelovski Copy Editor
In our busy lives and scattered minds, we often divert attention away from what is arguably the greatest wealth one can attain: a sound and healthy body. We all have heard of exercise and proper diet as being the keys to staying in shape, but what exactly does the latter imply for nutrition, and in what ways can it address the obesity prevalent in our society today? Well, the answer it seems may lie in the cardiovascular system, disease of which is the leading cause of mortality in Canada. A recent article published in the British Medical Journal by Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiology registrar at London’s Croyden University Hospital, sparked controversy when it stated no significant evidence exists to associate saturated fats with cardiovascular disease. In fact, Dr. Malhotra adds that saturated fats actually improve heart health and that diets rich in such fats have shown encouraging weight loss results. Though this may sound surprising and even shocking to some, the disapproval of saturated fat in the diet began as recently as 1970, when Ancel Keys’ “seven countries” study resulted in minimizing dietary fats to 30% of total energy and saturated fats to just 10%. The problem with such a paradigm shift in nutrition was mainly because data for the study was available from as many as 22 different countries, but Keys decided to leave out a majority of them as they diminished his positive association between fat intake and coronary heart disease mortality. And it is precisely from this saturated fat scare that that many people have been over-med-
icated with statin drugs, as Dr. Malhotra puts it. But if saturated fats are not responsible for increased obesity rates, what could be causing such widespread weight gain, at least in the Western world? Well, a multitude of studies have uncovered high daily sugar intake (particularly through refined carbohydrates) to be the actual culprit, linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes. What’s worse is that many food products advertised to all age groups as being “low-fat” (and “good for you”) are actually quite full of refined sugars, usually cheapest to purchase, and among the most processed and preservative-high of grocery items. And since food corporation representatives have remained rather silent when dangers of their products have been voiced, this now forces the general population to resort to less effective means of resolving their weight issues, such as more exercise, less tobacco and less alcohol. However, poor diet is responsible for more deaths from non-communicable disease than physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol combined. That may be the reason why Sweden recently became the first Western nation to embrace a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet as a protocol for maintaining good health. This change in nutritional guidelines was done on the review of 16,000 different studies that agree a diet high in saturated fats improves cholesterol profile and boosts weight loss. New research shows this may in fact be the case because saturated fats elevate large LDL subparticles (which are non-atherogenic) and carbohydrates raise small LDL subparticles (which tend to cause more damage to arteries).
Now although Kelly Clarkson is a catchy artist, I am referencing another artist that could be Clarkson’s great-great-grandfather, Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher of the 19th century. Nietzsche is a well-known and studied thinker that has sprouted many key ideas and questions that have excited much controversy and debate over the past hundred years. But of course, everyone knows that philosophy is actually just a circlejerk of unanswerable
enough; our immune system wasn’t attacked enough and eventually began to malfunction/ overreact. Similarly, vaccinations work by exposing your white blood cells to a sample of a certain strain of disease, allowing your immune system to react quicker if it ever meets up with the real disease. Furthermore, although challenging and facing your fears might half-scare you to death, you will eventually be able to conquer your fears and more. A region in your brain called the Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex is the driving force behind courageous acts, and through repeated stimulation, you can make yourselves more courageous with practice and effort. Remember that time when that hot girl smacked your ass and you thought she was really into you until you realized your wallet was gone? Remember that time when you tried to lift with your ego instead of your body and dropped a plate on your toe? Remember that
Image Courtesy of www.flikr.com
questions spawned by trolls from ‘Before the Christian Era’, right…? No! Although Nietzsche’s quote was originally in a metaphysical context, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger” has been a widely scientifically proven phenomenon! The idea that suffering forces/allows us to adapt and thereby makes us “stronger” has transitioned to an interesting concept called “diseases of civilization”. The Hygiene Hypothesis basically says that one of the main reasons why we get allergies or conditions like eczema are because our childhood wasn’t dirty
time when you lost someone that you held dear to you but life took him/her away? In the course of our own existence, we will all encounter dangerous situations, devastating losses, heartbreaks, and times that we will all just want to put a finger up at the sky and scream… “darn!!!”… but let yourself know that the suffering and troubles you face today are all investments to pave yourself for a stronger future. Let yourself know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Even in Nietzsche’s own perspective, the tears that we cry later dry, and the fears that we fight later die.
OPINION
The Female Brain 101 A Guide To Knowledge Eugene Leung Copy Editor
As Oliver Herford once said, “A woman’s mind is cleaner than a man’s: She changes it more often.” This phrase could not ring more true, especially to many guys. However, Dr. Louann Breizendine has written a book called “The Female Brain” and tries to put everything biologically rather than the ‘guess-and-argue’ method many guys like to try (which usually ends up on them sleeping on the couch). The differences between guys and girls, it turns out, are there even before we are born. By week 8 of pregnancy, guys get a massive boost of testosterone that kills off neurons within the ‘communication’ hub of the brain and increases connections within the ‘aggression’ and ‘sex’ parts. Even after birth and during infancy, the effects of the brain changes are apparent. While my sister was the one that
asked for everything before taking, I was the one that kicked my friend’s shin because he wouldn’t do things my way. If there isn’t any emotional recognition, girls tend to try to do anything to get an emotional response out of the person. Dr. Breizendine compares it to the “instinct” that keeps a grown woman going after a narcissistic or otherwise emotionally-unavailable man – “if I just do it right, he’ll love me.” Not only that, the emotional recognition of girls is better than guys. By the age of one, girls look for social cues whereas boys tend to be mini-Godzillas that rampage through their parent’s petunias. I kid. Who the heck has petunias? But there is a difference between the behaviour of girls and boys especially during playtime. While boys will take and argue and yell and scream to get their way, girls tend to be a lot more subtle and tends to phrase requests in the form of a question where it would be ‘mean’ to refuse (I’ll be the teacher,
okay?). The general trend of emotional growth between the genders remains consistent through life. Especially during puberty, even more estrogen and progesterone hit the developing brain, essentially turning it into a hormone-riddled pot that could tip at any second. Often during puberty, girls tend to be more subtle in their methods, especially when ‘competing’ against other girls at this time. Instead of physical bullying, they tend
to use more ‘back-handed’ approaches such as spreading rumours or cyberbullying which can’t be traced easily back to the source. The book dives into the neurophysical reasoning behind sex, breakups and changes during pregnancy and menopause. The takeaway message is really simple: guys should communicate more and women should give your guy a bit more space. If guys still don’t get it after this, I think it’s best to take the advice of a 12 year old on understanding women then:
Image Courtesy of elitedaily.com
The Current — February 2014
Page 7
Opinion
Turning Straw Into Gold
First Year Bio
Gajan Sivakumaran Current Contributor
“In this course, I want you guys to turn straw into gold!” exclaimed Professor Haffie during his first lecture for his first year biology class. Sitting in that lecture, at NCB Room 101, I had no idea what he meant and I just thought that he wanted to introduce a “cheesy” metaphor to how we should approach first year biology. It did not take too long to realize how many students including myself were wrong in being ignorant and not taking the metaphor seriously. As a matter of fact, the first biology midterm was truly a wake-up call for many students. In high school, you could get away with studying the night before a biology test or exam. On the other hand, in university this is virtually impossible unless you are a genius. Unfortunately, many of us are not. Good news is that you don’t have to be a genius to “turn straw into gold.” Success on an exam is mainly reflected on how well you were prepared. As mentioned earlier, the first studying technique that many of us have to let go of is the “studying the night before” method. Sure, you might have been successful by doing this in high school. Even if you have achieved success with this method in university as well, it is
such an inefficient way of studying that you are better off with alternate strategies. It is crucial to complete the assigned readings before going to the actual lecture. This gives you at least an idea of what will be discussed in the lecture, and therefore, you would not be nearly as confused as someone who did not do the readings. Also, by completing the readings, you may come across certain concepts that you do not fully understand, and you can then go to the lecture to see whether your confusion is clarified. If not, then don’t feel bad to set up an appointment to see the professor…they have office hours for a reason! Even if the professors post the lectures online, and even if they say that all the content is in the textbook, you should still try to go to all the lectures. Watching a lecture online at home can be quite difficult, particularly with all the distractions. When you go to a lecture, it is easier to notice certain ideas that the professors are emphasizing compared to when you are watching it online, when you cannot even see the professor as it is usually just the PowerPoint with a voice recording. When you do have the opportunity to watch recorded lectures online, you should take advantage of it to make sure that your notes are complete or simply to go over something that you did not quite understand during the actual lecture. An academic counselor told me that when it comes time to study for a biology exam, “it shouldn’t be studying, it should be reviewing.” Ideally, you want to be going through and completing your notes on a regular basis so that the
Image Courtesy of static.panoramio .com
night before an exam, you are not stressed and you are comfortable with all the material. Instead of studying for the exam, you’ll simply be reviewing content that you have already been exposed to many times. Biology in university is on a completely different level when compared to high school biology. In my high school experience, the multiple-choice questions that would be asked were pretty straightforward and simply required me to regurgitate basic concepts and ideas. First semester biology really changed my way of approaching multiple-choice questions. The types of questions on such exams required us to link various concepts in different lectures, and to apply our knowledge to different yet unexpected scenarios. Sure, it was important to know what mitosis was. But there was a zero chance that a question on a university level exam would be “what is mitosis?” That is a high school type question, and in university, not
SCIENCE STUDENTS’ COUNCIL
The important question that one must ask themselves in not only biology class but many other classes is: “So what?” We should not take everything the professors say literally and just memorize it for the exam. Instead, we should try to understand why certain concepts exist and how they can explain other aspects of the particular course, in this case, biology. Memorizing is simply an inefficient way of accumulating a lot of straw. That’s no good, right? You should rather connect concepts that are taught in lectures so that you could see the holistic picture of what the professors are trying to “paint” in their lectures. By doing so, you can actually “turn straw into gold”.
COLUMN
Stem Cells On Acid
The Left Hand Of Darkness
How Acid Baths Can Reprogram Mature Cells Mathura Thiyagarajah Graphics Editor
Image Courtesy of newscientist.com
Image Courtesy of independent.co.uk
When you first hear claims of how scientists have been able to produce stem cells by immersing mature cells in an acidic environment, your mind may register disbelief. It sounds so simple – too simple – for something so extraordinary. However, as more and more reports surface by reputable sources, it starts to feel like a reality. This is exactly what has been occurring in the field of science in the last few weeks as discoveries have been snowballing. Dr. Haruko Obokata, a 30 year-old cell biologist at Riken Centre for Developmental Biology, was responsible for the recent breakthrough when she successfully reprogrammed a mature
only do you have to know what the main ideas are but you also have to apply them in a diverse array of situations.
mouse blood cell into a pluripotent stem cell by leaving the mature cells in an acid bath of pH 5.7 for 30 minutes. The acid-exposed cells were cultured and after two days they began to fluoresce green, indicating that the gene Oct4, present in pluripotent cells, was produced. The resulting cell type has been termed STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) cells. The team of Japanese researchers injected the STAP cells into a mouse blastocyst in an effort to demonstrate their pluripotency. The STAP cells were able to produce the three germ layers. Remarkably, these cells were inheritable in mouse offspring. The pluripotent cell can de-
velop into various highly specialized cells that could prove revolutionary in medicine. The development is more ethically complex than the process itself since researchers have shown the STAP cells’ ability to evolve into mouse embryos, making the cells totipotent rather than pluripotent. After news broke on January 29, 2014, it did not take long for other researchers to add to the discovery. Charles Vacanti, a professor and Chairman of Department of Anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School, began the research in 2008 with Dr. Obokata in the United States. More recently, he used human dermal fibroblasts in a similar process garnering similar results. It was his initial claim that stem cells could be transformed from mature cells by being put under mechanical stress or acidic conditions that inspired his and Dr. Obokata’s research. These claims were met with strong skepticism at the time and he was even accused of spouting heresy. The idea that STAP cells could create human embryos raises many concerning ethical implications of which scientists are wary. When asked about human embryonic cells, Dr. Vacanti said it was possible, but he would not be the one to prove it. Dr. Obokata is focused on determining the mechanisms behind the remarkable results. Both researchers stress the preliminary nature of their discovery and believe much more testing must be conducted before absolute statements can be made. What is certain is that it is truly an exciting time for research and more developments are sure to shake not only understandings in science, but the world as a whole.
Andrew Poon Book Staff
Image Courtesy of bluesuncorp.co.uk
“I talk about the gods, I am an atheist. But I am an artist too, and therefore a liar. Distrust everything I say. I am telling the truth. The only truth I can understand or express is, logically defined, a lie. Psychologically defined, a symbol. Aesthetically defined, a metaphor.” - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness What is one first word we always ask for when a child is born? Gender. This six-letter word, not the three-letter “sex” of the child, is often used because gender is our perception of what the child will become; it is our expectations of the child’s roles in the future. But imagine a world like the one in The Left Hand of Darkness, where genders can be changed at will – an androgynous world. This novel propels two characters with a relationship troubled enough to be involving, onward and away from their fellows. In a world where climate is on the extreme end of human tolerance, an emissary from a utopian union of worlds visits to tie the knot between two civilizations of life. If you’re looking for a novel that tackles gender and feminism with a spin of science fiction, you may agree with the author’s ideals, who commented after the novel: “I hoped, after I had taken away male and female, that what remained might be, simply, human.”
Page 8
The Current — February 2014
Across 4.
She worked on and helped coin the term “nuclear fission” 5. Ethanol partially breaks down into this compound, which is responsible for hangovers 6. The weather occurence which caused this winter to be so cold (2 words) 7. Men’s brains have more ______ matter than women’s 10. Pigment responsible for green leaves 12. Melting of snow or ice 13. Over one million of these spring flowers are displayed in Ottawa each year
Last Time’s Crossword Answers Across
2 aorta, 4 Beaufort, 5 SAD, 7 cervical, 8 demodex, 9 venus, 11 dolphin, 12 hypothermia, 13 oxyt-ocin
Down
1 hemispherectomy, 3 aurora, 6 tryptophan, 10 Wilson
Down 1.
A genus of yeast often used in wine fermentation 2. The Irish fairy associated with St. Patrick’s Day 3. She was the first to show the structure of DNA using x-ray crystallography 8. Clover leaves belong to this genus of plants 9. Alcohol inhibits ______ transmission in the brain, which is why information flow becomes slow 11. The ___cortex is responsible for making decisions and found to be larger in women’s brains
Email: thecurrent@westernssc.ca Web: westernssc.ca