Malibu Einstein

Avoiding Problems through Poison - CollegeHumor Article

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 12:57:00 -0500

Avoiding Problems through Poison - CollegeHumor Article:

Maybe it’s the exam you have in three hours that you meant to study for, but instead spent all night clicking through every link in the Mars Attacks wikipedia page. Maybe those three cell phones and two knives your OkCupid date placed on the table just alerted you to the fact that you are out with an ex-convict. It’s okay, friend. These things happen to all of us! The important thing is that you have an escape plan ready to execute at a moment’s notice. Here are some effective ways to appear afflicted with a legitimate illness at any time. You might just become the James Bond of not having to go to your great-aunt’s cat’s funeral.

The Bizarre World of Animal Sex

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:45:09 -0500

The Bizarre World of Animal Sex:

I started writing a column for collegehumor. It’s been a lot of fun so far, but I hope to post more on this blog as well as soon as I finish up with some of this schoolin’ stuffs that’s been keeping me busy..

The Fourth Dimension - A Mindtrip in Time. When I first saw an...

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:53:00 -0400

The Fourth Dimension - A Mindtrip in Time.

When I first saw an advertisement for a 4-D movie, I really lost my cool. Here are some notes on the fourth dimension, so you can understand just why this movie-theater promise seemed so excruciatingly exciting to me:

If I told you to meet me at 14th st. and 8th ave, I am giving you directions in two dimensions. That intersection is a flat plane. Then, if I tell you to meet me on the third floor of a building there, I am giving you a direction in the third dimension. Now, this meeting cannot occur unless I tell you what time to meet me there. That, loosely, is me giving you a direction in the fourth dimension. The third floor of that building in 2012 is going to be a completely different space than the third floor of that building in 2041. The fourth dimension is sometimes referred to as “time,” but I’ve heard people refer to the fourth dimension as “duration” and I think this is better. The fourth dimension is like an observation of the third dimension, as it changes and grows.

Think about a cigarette that has burned undisturbed. In a way, you can see that cigarette as it was during all points in it’s 3-D life. You’re kinda seeing it in the fourth dimension!

A two dimensional figure can only draw a line. She can only draw in 1-D. A three dimensional figure can only draw stick figures. She can only draw in 2-D. Even though she draws on a 3-D object (paper), she can still only draw in 2-D. By this logic, though, A fourth dimensional entity could, on four-dimensional paper, draw a 3-D figure. This figure could take up space, but would in effect be frozen in time. It couldn’t have any kind of past or future. WHOA.

Based on these notes, here is what I thought a 4-D Movie experience might mean:

A 3-D movie where every image was simultaneously projected out at 90-degree angles to make a 4-D image. (textbook dimensionality definition.)
A more metaphorical 4-D movie, where an object was followed for the duration of it’s existence, giving you an overview of it’s full life.
A scary movie where 4-D beings draw 3-D characters, imbue them with consciousness, and then leave them frozen on their 4-D paper forever.

A 4-D movie, it turns out, is just a 3-D movie where your seat moves. In that vein, a 5-D movie is a 3-D movie where your seat moves, and also fart smells are pumped into the theatre when someone farts on the screen. Still cool, but not what I had in mind. Let Down Frowns all around :(

poptech: All the American Flags On the Moon Are Now White NASA...

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:53:54 -0400

poptech:

All the American Flags On the Moon Are Now White

NASA has finally answered a long-standing question: all but one of the six American flags on the Moon are still standing up. Everyone is now proudly talking about it. The only problem is that they aren’t American flags anymore. They are all white.

So America f*ck yeah, right? Not quite. While the $5.50 nylon flags are still waving on the windless orb, they are not flags of the United States of America anymore. All Moon and material experts have no doubt about it: the flags are now completely white. If you leave a flag on Earth for 43 years, it would be almost completely faded. On the Moon, with no atmospheric protection whatsoever, that process happens a lot faster. The stars and stripes disappeared from our Moon flags quite some time ago.

A hypothesis is a statement that is meant to anticipate a...

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 23:35:00 -0400

A hypothesis is a statement that is meant to anticipate a potential outcome of an experiment. You can think of it as a prediction. Generally, scientists will structure their hypotheses using an “If/Then” format, to predict that IF “A” occurs, THEN “B” should follow as a result.

Here is an example:

IF you invite me to your fancy wedding,

THEN I will embarrass you when I stick nerf darts all over my body and shove a lightsaber up my nose.

The Independent Variable here is “inviting me to your wedding.” And the Dependent (measured) Variable is “me embarrassing you.”

(Haven’t totally decided on a data measurement tool here. Maybe we create an embarrassment Likert scale, or just return your embarrassment as a boolean value. Either way.)

#Hashtag Always a bridesmaid..

there's a real beauty in benzene rings. would you agree?

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 19:51:21 -0400

You had me at twist-boat.

The Hiccup Cure to End All Hiccup Cures: The best thing about...

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 19:48:20 -0400

The Hiccup Cure to End All Hiccup Cures:

The best thing about getting the hiccups in a large group of people is that everyone will have a different embarrassing treatment for you to laugh at. Since hiccups occur when your stomach is too full of food or booze, or when you are emotionally excited, you’re almost guaranteed to have the majority of your hiccup attacks in public.

But here is a Pro Tip: Anything that you can do to desensitize the Vagus Nerve signal that runs from your brain to your diaphragm will stop your hiccups. This Vagus Nerve branches into the back of your mouth and esophagus as well as your diaphragm. So this brings us to..

Vagus Nerve disruption tactic #1 - irritate another branch of the nerve.

tickle the roof of your mouth with a cotton ball or your fingernails
swallow a tablespoon of dry granulated sugar

And if those don’t appeal to you feel free to try:

Vagus Nerve disruption tactic #2 - halt your breathing enough to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in your blood, thereby desensitizing the nerve:

Hold your breath and take 20 tiny sips of water
Plug your ears and chug a bunch of water or
Whisper quietly into a hiccuping friend’s ear, “If you had a dinosaur in your backyard what color would it be?”

This dinosaur one works (I promise it works!) because the question is so weird every hiccuping person automatically holds their breath while they consider it. It is maybe the finest hiccup solution ever known.

So, to all my bloated, drunk, and/or emotionally excited friends: it is my sincerest hope that knowing science, while not likely to make you any less bloated/drunk/excited, will at least rid you of the plague of hiccups!

As a lady scientist of color, I have felt like the impostor in...

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:05:27 -0400

As a lady scientist of color, I have felt like the impostor in the room many many times. Here are two specific things that made me want to switch out of the hard sciences when I was in college. I want to mention them because I suspect they play a part in the lack-of-women-and-minorities-in-STEM-fields issue:

#1 - Being met with incredulity when I said I didn’t know something in a science class. Nothing made me doubt my own abilities more than this. I was so shocked by this behavior when I first started taking math and science courses in college that I straight-up stopped asking questions for about two years. Ask me how much that set me back.

#2 - Asking someone about their class or their research, and they explained it in jargon that was obviously not part of my lexicon. This always made me feel like I just didn’t have the brains or background necessary to pursue the higher-level science classes that I wanted to. Also, it’s a dick move. Also also, there is no slicker way to bore someone, so just don’t do it. My advisor at Stanford, who was totally brilliant, always argued that it takes a really really smart scientist to communicate science in a way that is understandable to nonscientists. That guy publishes like it’s his job (disclaimer: it is), so take heed friends!

The real point here is that most girls are less likely to do the

“what, you don’t know…?!?”

thing, or the

“I’m just researching the implications for three dimensional homology jargon and filtration of jargon jargon, it’s pretty simple”

act. So when I first heard people talking like this about classes I was interested in, it was new and scary and made me feel like I was not cut out for science or math.

It wasn’t until many years later that it hit me that everyone has to learn something for the first time at some point, and asking ridiculous questions usually aids and abets this learning process.

However, I’m not one to rant about a problem without proffering a possible solution, so here is my recommendation:

Gentlemen (and ladies too!) in STEM fields, please, check your rhetorical behaviors, before you wreck the excitement and eagerness of women entering the field. Additionally, people will like talking to you better if you dispense with the jargon. I like you better already!

(also shout-out to jtotheizzoe for posting this comic. Love yr blog dude.)

"For the first eight years of our marriage, [Michelle and I] were paying more in student loans than..."

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:06:21 -0400

“For the first eight years of our marriage, [Michelle and I] were paying more in student loans than what we were paying for our mortgage. So we know what this is about.

And we were lucky to land good jobs with a steady income. But we only finished paying off our student loans—check this out, all right, I’m the President of the United States—we only finished paying off our student loans about eight years ago.”

- —President Obama in North Carolina today on why Congress has to act to prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling (via barackobama)

Shout-out to all the long-term students following this blog.

amandalynferri: Breakfast There was a cup of crayons at...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:06:21 -0400

amandalynferri:

Breakfast

There was a cup of crayons at breakfast yesterday and I drew a robinson annulation because, hell, I don’t know how to draw anything else. If you ever decide you need a diagram of steroid synthesis to place over your mantle, call me.

A Flower That Smells Like Poop and Resembles Vagina Dentata. #1...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:11:14 -0400

A Flower That Smells Like Poop and Resembles Vagina Dentata.

#1 - Is it possible to get these flowers delivered? If so, Valentine’s Day can’t come soon enough.

#2 - The author, Cyriaque Lamar, uses this line:

When the beetle eventually emerges[from the flower], it is sated, drenched in genetic material, and living proof that natural selection is sometimes guided by a cosmic unknowable middle school student. Somewhere, a Penis-Fart kelp plant lies waiting to be discovered.

(via A flower that smells like poop and resembles vagina dentata)

devilishkurumi: let me introduce everyone to my favorite animal...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:20:01 -0400

devilishkurumi:

let me introduce everyone to my favorite animal in the universe

some fun facts:

Found in the Sahara, fennec foxes are small, nocturnal mammals.

They are the smallest species of canid in the world.

Their ears are so sensitive, they can hear prey moving underground.

They grow up to 16 inches long and 8 inches tall. (adorable)

Their ears can grow up to almost 6 inches long.

Fennec foxes are the only type of fox capable of living in a domestic environment (other than the domesticated silver fox).

They are the national animal of Nigeria.

I want a million of them.

One more fun fact: inspiration for the fox character in Le Petit Prince

Food and Aging Anna Tendler, who is not only a makeup blogger...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:21:25 -0400

Food and Aging

Anna Tendler, who is not only a makeup blogger but a total peach of a human, recently posted about her skin care routine, and mentioned that she eats lots of vegetables and drinks plenty of water. Well, Anna, I am happy to tell you that there is a lot of exciting biochem behind that skin advice.

What does diet have to do with skin?

There are these molecules called Advanced Glycation End-products (AGE). They’re basically a fat or protein molecule that’s had a piece of sugar stuck to it. Anyway, they are super destructive and can wreck the natural order of long chains of proteins. You are made of long chains of proteins, so this has implications for pretty much every disease, from Diabetes to Atherosclerosis to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. In terms of skin care, however, a molecule that is capable of reacting with long protein chains would not be great for maintaining the collagen fibers that keep skin wrinkle-free.

But what about AGEs and clear skin?

Additionally, these AGEs fit into RAGE receptors on your cells (did not make these up), and cause cells to release a bunch of inflammatory products. Inflammation involves the release of chemicals that can destroy your cells and cause swelling. Like the interference with protein chains, chronic inflammation is also implicated in pretty much every disease you can think of, including acne.

So where are these AGEs coming from?

Some your body just makes, but you can also eat them. If you cook meat or fat with sugar in the absence of water (think browning meat) you’ll make loads of AGEs that won’t be incredibly forgiving once they’re in your body.

Bottom line?

Eat lots of whole unprocessed foods.
If you’re cooking meat, try to do it without sugars, or at least get lots of water into the cooking process. (as an ardent shake-shack fan, this one bums me out)
Steam your veggies instead of cooking in oil when you can
maybe throw some raw veggies in there, too.

For hard-core orgo nerds: here is a great study that I pulled a lot of info from. It describes the mechanism behind AGE interactions with proteins in much more detail!

Too much of a just okay thing?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:34:10 -0400

Can you turn orange from eating too many carrots?

Yep. That beta-carotene can pigment your skin just like it does your carrot cake.

How many carrots would I need to eat?

Partially depends on how bioavailable the carrots are.

As in, are you eating them raw? (more carrots needed)

juiced? (fewer carrots needed).

Also, since beta-carotene, aka vitamin A, is fat-soluble, the less body fat you have the more likely you are to store this orange-molecule in your skin.

Benefits of eating carrots to the point of turning orange?

Sweet tan bro!

Disadvantages of eating carrots to the point of turning orange?

You probably have an eating disorder and should talk to a doctor. Best of luck :(

Cool, 10,000 followers! Thanks for following guys!! It’s...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:55:17 -0400

Cool, 10,000 followers! Thanks for following guys!! It’s been hecka fun to write so far (like, so fun.)

Also, heads up on the tabs: If school is a bust I’m going into the business of quark-flavored ice cream. It will be strange, and it will becharming.

A Quantum Theory of Mitt Romney - NYTimes.com

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:32:30 -0400

A Quantum Theory of Mitt Romney - NYTimes.com:

New York Times did a piece using quantum theory (yes!) to explain Mitt Romney’s campaign. If you are like me and need science analogies to understand politics, homeboy has got you covered in this article.

The basic concepts behind this model are:

Complementarity. In much the same way that light is both a particle and a wave, Mitt Romney is both a moderate and a conservative, depending on the situation (Fig. 1). It isnot that he is one or the other; it is not that he is one and then the other. He is both at the same time.

Probability. Mitt Romney’s political viewpoints can be expressed only in terms oflikelihood, not certainty. While some views are obviously far less likely than others, no view can be thought of as absolutely impossible. Thus, for instance, there is at any given moment a nonzero chance that Mitt Romney supports child slavery.

Uncertainty. Frustrating as it may be, the rules of quantum campaigning dictate that no human being can ever simultaneously know both what Mitt Romney’s current position is and where that position will be at some future date. This is known as the “principle uncertainty principle.”

realcleverscience: 8bitfuture: RoboBonobo project hits...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:03:06 -0400

realcleverscience:

8bitfuture:

RoboBonobo project hits Kickstarter.

The project at the Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary wants to see the apes given personal, internet connected keyboards they can carry around with them to better communicate with people and other apes.

As well as letting the apes communicate with humans, it is hoped the software can be developed to work the other way:

It is also useful for humans if they can just speak the sentences and have the app translate them automatically to visual lexigram sequences.

And the creepy robot pictured above? That’s the next step in the project, which would allow the apes to control a robotic ape:

Finally, we would like the bonobos to use the Bonobo Chat app to control their environment using simple lexigram commands - to operate vending machines, open doors, watch movies and, hopefully, to control robots. We believe that controlling robots might be a good way for the bonobos to interact with guests and visitors outside their caged areas. They could play chase games or squirt guests with an an on board watergun. They could operate the robot out of site by navigating using an on board camera.

Damn. Now here are people thinking just outside the box enough while still making use of available, emerging tech.

I’m really curious as to where this will - and could - go.

p.s. The photo just cracks me up… and kinda freaks me out!

And you can access the kickstarter campaign here. They need 17K more, and if you pony up $500 you get to skype with a bonobo!!!

Super powers for regular people Part 1: Force Fields! Jean Grey...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:32:37 -0400

Super powers for regular people Part 1: Force Fields!

Jean Grey is able to create force-fields by manipulating electromagnetic fields. Though Jean Grey is an Omega-level mutant, this may be a power achievable by us mere wild-type mortals. You might remember capacitors from introductory physics, those metal plates that can store a charge from a battery source and, unlike a battery, discharge all of those electrons all at once. Super capacitors have the ability to unload an enormous charge almost instantaneously, and through this could possibly be used to create electromagnetic fields that could stop or even repel incoming metal projectiles. Since metals are conductors and absorb electricity, a high-powered electromagnetic field could slow their momentum, reduce the amount of impact they would have on an object, change their direction, or possibly even melt them. Imagine sending molten metal back at the bad guys. The sentinels don’t stand a chance!

For this to work, you’d need to be wearing this metallic super-capacitor as armor, along with a battery to replenish the charge. You’d also need to control exactly when you discharged this force field, because it will only last for a fraction of a second. Lucius Fox, I totally have a job for you.

jtotheizzoe: jessbennett: In a room of 25 engineers, only...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:26:21 -0400

jtotheizzoe:

jessbennett:

In a room of 25 engineers, only three will be women. Tumblrs aiming to curb the STEM divide:

* IAmScience

* This is What a Scientist Looks Like

* Big Black Glasses

* Malibu Einstein

* It’s OK To Be Smart

Who am I missing?? (h/t ashdryden)

Thanks to Jess for picking this up! Let’s add to this list. Who ya got?

Thanks for the nod, jessbennett!

Learning about Learning

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:03:00 -0400

So I’ve had some people write to me and ask about help with specific subjects. I can’t really offer that, but I have been teaching and tutoring for a while, and can definitely tell you my big teaching/learning/studying secret.

VOCABULARY PRACTICE!! It’s 100% important and necessary to explicitly practice vocabulary for literally every subject, from english to organic chem.

A lot of times people will just learn new vocabulary while they read a chapter, but the problem here is that it’s a lot to digest, you’re not going to really be comfortable using that word after one page, and you risk misunderstanding every other concept you read that mentions that word. When people say they read a page and had no idea what just happened on that page, it’s almost always because there was a vocabulary term they didn’t even know they didn’t understand.

My advice has always been to get the vocabulary words necessary for whatever chapter you’re about to read before you even read the chapter. Make a list, get the definitions, and make them useable (a friend who took the class last year or a teacher can help you put definitions in understandable words if the dictionary definitions are kinda worthless.) Here is a social studies example:

If the textbook introduces filibuster to you as:

“utilizing a technique for obstructing legislation by making long speeches and introducing unnecessary amendments”

You will have a much easier time if you’ve already created a filibuster flashcard that just reads,

“OMG STFU already senator.” Always cultivate pith.

I know this sounds like it will add to your workload, but trust me, you’ll read the chapter much much faster, you’ll be more engaged in what’s being said because you understand it better, and you’re less likely to get frustrated and check tumblr.

Also, let me know if you come up with a particularly choice definition so I can give you the big ups you deserve!