Some Budding Yeast I USED TO GROW

This parody of Goyte was put together by some friends of mine from grad school. Not only is it highly entertaining, but it perfectly captures the way a lot of professors I know are feeling right now. I can hardly think of a more appropriate video with which to reboot Fun Science Friday.

Can an Octopus change its spots?

Last time we talked octopus, I showed you a classic vid of an octopus changing color. Watching Planet Earth the other night, I noticed a little squid embryo performing the same trick. It got me wondering: how do they DO that?

Well it turns out people have been studying this. Here's a cute video of a baby octopus embryo doing the camouflage dance:

The 'chromatophores' in the title are specialized skin/pigment cells that are the key to the whole thing. Watch starting at 0:18, where you see individual cells. Inside each cell is a spot of color, like a floating drop of ink; the cell changes color by spreading out the spherical, 3-D droplet into a 2-D hexagon that fills the entire cell.

Humans don't have chromatophores, so we can't change color. Yet.

Bird with the biggest playlist

Things have been a bit busy lately but I wanted to share with you this incredible video of the lyre bird. Evolution has at least as much to do with impressing your date as it does with survival, and this bird does so by accumulating the biggest 'playlist' it can. Listen in as this male composes a love song which includes not only the calls of other birds, but also human machinery such as cameras and chain saws.

This ain't undergrad, it's as real as it gets

From the 2009 MCB Follies comes this parody of the Lonely Island's "I'm on a Boat." What's your favorite lyric?

They Might Be Scientists

Kids' music is where its at these days for quirky, creative rockers They Might Be Giants. Enjoy these vids from their new album, "Here Comes Science."

Really Beautiful People

The cast and set of Mad Men (3rd season starts tonight on AMC) are so good looking, I always come away feeling like I've got to install ivory handles on all my sinks. A short (spoiler-free) intro to the show's main characters so you can jump right in:

Betty Draper (left) - Don's sweet, elegant, gorgeous 1950's housewife. She lives only to serve.

Roger Sterling (below left) - good-natured heir to the agency, knows how to laugh and enjoy life.

Joan Holloway (front left) - sultry, stylish alpha secretary. When this redhead smiles, she gives Betty a run for her money.

Don Draper (center) - Mad Men's Ayn Rand-ian protagonist. The perfect man, he simply lives with no strings attached.

Peggy Olson (front right) - the agency's ambitious, creepy new girl. She's got more balls than the boys.

Pete Campbell (far right) - Mad Men's villain. Spoiled brat, alternatively admiring and jealous of Don.

Tune in to see watch these beautiful people every Sunday at 10PM/9C. Your eyes (and sinks) will thank you for it!

Moonwalkin'

In college, my friends and I entertained ourselves by watching old Michael Jackson clips. We marveled together with the audience to his first live moonwalk, 25 years ago:

The man was an unworldly dancer, a true artist. "Smooth Criminal" is my all-time favorite music video, a witch's brew of speakeasy noir, Jackie-Chan-esque choreography, and mind-bending zombie funk:

When I go to the club - which isn't very often, these days - I try to channel a little Michael Jackson. His jerky, frenetic movements fit my dance style, which started with tap dance lessons many years ago.

Goodbye, Michael. Rest in peace. Thanks for pushing the envelope. Thanks for taking us to the moon. You were right, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think. That's something we can all learn from.

Nature's Most Amazing Event

High-def film makes for some freaking amazing wildlife photography. Watch as this school of herring becomes trapped between two flocks of birds - one underwater and one at the surface - setting the table for a much bigger predator.

The full program, Nature's Most Amazing Events, aired on Discovery Channel last weekend. It points out the irony that whales, the world's largest animals, depend primarily on teeny-tiny plankton and crustaceans to survive. These in turn depend on precise oceanic water conditions and temperatures.

The Science of Qigong

בן זומא אומר, איזה הוא חכם--הלמד מכל אדם

Ben Zoma says: Who is wise? He who learns from every man. (Avot 4:1)

Many American science bloggers are obsessed with disproving Chinese medicine, but good science is about data, not ideology. The jury is still out on Chinese medicine, as well as many conventional Western medical therapies, simply because experiments on people are prohibitively expensive and as a society we prefer to spend our money elsewhere (mostly guns). In fact, studies have vindicated certain alternative therapies, such as acupuncture for back pain, which is why they are covered by health insurance plans here in CA.

I've learned to keep an open mind about what's possible in the physical world. For this week's Fun Science Friday, I'll introduce you to John Chang, a master of the ancient Chinese art of Qigong. While I am dubious about his ability to light fires with his hands, I am intrigued by the possibility of sending electric shocks through the body. Brain and nerve cells throughout the body are inherently electric, and signal through instantaneous changes in voltage. With enough practice, it seems possible that a human being could focus these voltages to release energy or heat, like an electric eel.

Laser Protein Flashlight Blackout!

The weird pyramid you see in this movie is a cluster of DNA, about 1 % of a millimeter in diameter. The DNA itself is invisible (black), but it's coated with thousands of fluorescent DNA-binding proteins that I genetically engineered. You can think of these proteins as each having a tiny little flashlight; when they all bind to the DNA, they make it shine bright white. A second or so into the film, I zap the top region of the cluster with a highly focused laser beam. The proteins are still there, but the laser permanently disables their flashlights, resulting in a blackout over the zapped region:

You'll notice that this blackout is quite short - in fact, it's more like a brownout. How are the flashlights returning? The key is to understand that these flashlight-bearing proteins are not permanently bound to DNA. They are constantly coming on and off, too fast for the eye to see. In our case, the zapped proteins with dead flashlights are quickly being replaced by fresh proteins with functional flashlights. Using this method, we can measure the on/off rate of these proteins on DNA. This graph tracks the brightness of a zapped (blue) and an unzapped (olive) region over time; it takes about 30 seconds to fully replace all the proteins in the zapped region:

Your body may look stable, but experiments like this demonstrate that there is constant motion inside every cell, much faster than the eye can see. These experiments are also really fun because you get to fire a laser at a cell - it's kind of like playing a video game, only tinier and real.

Lebron's mom, the natural juice

When Lebron first came into the league a few years ago, I was shocked at how BIG he was for an 18 year old. I have to admit, the first thing that came to my mind is that this kid must be juicing. But over the years, I've come to realize that King James doesn't need performance-enhancing drugs. He was born with a far more formidable competitive advantage: his mother Gloria.

Gloria is fearless, and Lebron's biggest fan. Last year in the playoffs, she almost decked Paul Pierce after he flagrantly fouled her son to stop an easy basket (luckily, Kevin Garnett was there to calm her down):

Lebron's response: Momma, sit down!

Now, she may not look like much standing next to these NBA all-stars, but Gloria's tall, buff, and aggressive - traits Lebron seems to have inherited. Looking at the kid, I suspect she fed him some pretty big breakfasts, too. It wasn't easy for Gloria to raise Lebron - his dad was a deadbeat, and at times she had to send her son to live with another family. But despite all the instability, Lebron always knew there was one person out there who always had his back. With a mother like that, who needs steroids?

Here are some of King James' most amazing plays this year - he was named league MVP a few days ago. Happy Mothers Day!

Just don't call it a "Borg Arm"

TGIF! Amputees are not a fun topic, but "Luke Arms" like the one shown here promise to give them a piece of their lives back. Skip to 1:30 to watch the arm in action; it takes only a few hours of practice before an amputee can perform simple tasks.

The Commencement Speech That Never Was

Well, my commencement speech was turned down in favor of a classmate's. But that doesn't mean I can't give the speech right here... on my blog!

Esteemed professors, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow classmates,

As we stand here today, it’s hard not to look back at the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young students we were when we entered graduate school, 5, 6, or even 8 years ago. And if you’re like me, you can’t help but ask yourself: “What was I thinking?!” And yet, that is where the growth is. The fact that we can look back and see ourselves so far away is a reminder of how far we’ve come, each and every one of us.

My first year in graduate school, a professor told me, “In science, there’s a lot of delayed gratification.” At the time, I didn’t know what he was talking about. But today, I think every single one of us standing up here can appreciate the wisdom in those words. In science, a single experiment can take months, or even years. And you don’t know how it’s going to turn out! When you’re in the trenches, it’s only natural to question why you signed up for this mission in the first place.

But if you’re standing here today, it means you’ve learned to deal with that kind of uncertainty. You’ve learned to stop worrying and enjoy the experiment – discovered that it’s the process, not the destination, that counts. And once you realize that, you can’t help but feel grateful for the tremendous privilege we’ve enjoyed these last few years. We have gotten paid to do what we love. We have been able to play with molecules the way a child plays with tinkertoys, taking the pieces apart, putting them back together, or perhaps trying to build them into something new entirely. Yes, it has been very hard work. But precisely because it’s so challenging – precisely because it’s so uncertain – there’s a sense of adventure about every single experiment, and a pride we feel when we see the results.

So sing with me now:

"You can’t always get what you wa-ant.

You can’t always get what you wa-ant.

But if you try sometimes,

You just might find,

You get what you need!"

Congratulations class of 2009!

Should Jedi torture?

There's probably no greater contemporary commentary on the futility of war than LucasArts' Star Wars: Clone Wars saga. What could possibly be more futile than a war between a droid army and a clone army? The whole thing is orchestrated by a Sith puppet-master with no interest in either side winning, but rather in wreaking chaos, weakening his enemies, and consolidating personal power. In envisioning the Clone Wars, Lucas has brought our generation a story more complex and relevant than the simple good-versus-evil semantic of the original trilogy.

In the trenches of the Clone Wars are the famous knights of the Jedi order. Their training has prepared them to keep a cool head, but they're only humanoid, and they've never been involved in a conflict this big or this scary. Try as they might, they can't help being sucked in by the murky business of war. In this scene, a younger Jedi makes a strong case to her mentor in favor of bullying a prisoner for information. The mentor stops her - "Terror is not a weapon the Jedi use," she says - but here, as later in the episode, the question of whose judgment is correct remains unresolved.

Pull the slider to 4:00 for some hot Jedi torture

The greatest example of how war corrupts, of course, is the star of the show - Anakin Skywalker, well on his way to becoming Darth Vader. Anakin's in over his head, and his emotions are beginning to strain even as his reputation grows (cartoon Anakin is actually a better actor than Hayden Christensen). It's impossible to imagine that this powerful Jedi's experiences in the Clone Wars played no role in his turning to the Dark Side. On the contrary - his exposure to violence, anger, frustration, and power were just what Palpatine had in mind.

It is... unfortunate... that Clone Wars has not been more popular with the American public. Perhaps it was the hackneyed dialogue of the prequels, or the complicated plot, or perhaps the message of the Clone Wars was simply not what the audience was expecting to hear (I'd have missed it myself had my brother, a Star Wars expert, not pointed it out to me after The Phantom Menace). But there are real wars out there, and universal challenges, and our generation is inheriting them. I am concerned that America is still thinking in terms of good versus evil, black and white, us versus them.  We would do much better to heed the harsh lessons of the Clone Wars: that all war is costly, and we often do not recognize the real menace until we taste his lightsaber. And of course, sometimes that menace is us.

"Back off, man. I'm a scientist."

In TV and movies, science is often portrayed as lacking a sense of humor. A notable exception is Ghostbusters - a comedy about four scientists studying the paranormal. It features perhaps the coolest nerd of all time, Egon, as well as the unforgettable Peter Venkman - a scientist so jaded he can't even believe it when his research turns out to be real.

IMDB has assembled a list of memorable Ghostbusters quotes. Check it out, you will enjoy it. I'm going to cut and paste a few of my favorites here.

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Man at Elevator: What are you supposed to be, some kind of a cosmonaut?
Dr. Peter Venkman: No, we're exterminators. Someone saw a cockroach up on twelve.
Man at Elevator: That's gotta be some cockroach.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Bite your head off, man.

Dana Barrett: You know, you don't act like a scientist.
Dr. Peter Venkman: They're usually pretty stiff.
Dana Barrett: You're more like a game show host.

Janine Melnitz: You're very handy, I can tell. I bet you like to read a lot, too.
Dr. Egon Spengler: Print is dead.
Janine Melnitz: Oh, that's very fascinating to me. I read a lot myself. Some people think I'm too intellectual but I think it's a fabulous way to spend your spare time. I also play raquetball. Do you have any hobbies?
Dr. Egon Spengler: I collect spores, molds, and fungus.

Gozer: [after Ray orders her to re-locate] Are you a God?
[Ray looks at Peter, who nods]
Dr Ray Stantz: No.
Gozer: Then... DIE!
[Lightning flies from her fingers, driving the Ghostbusters to the edge of the roof and almost off; people below scream]
Winston Zeddemore: Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say "YES"!

Dr. Peter Venkman: Ray has gone bye-bye, Egon... what've you got left?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Sorry, Venkman, I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Alice, I'm going to ask you a couple of standard questions, okay? Have you or any of your family been diagnosed schizophrenic? Mentally incompetent?
Librarian Alice: My uncle thought he was Saint Jerome.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I'd call that a big yes. Uh, are you habitually using drugs? Stimulants? Alcohol?
Librarian Alice: No.
Dr. Peter Venkman: No, no. Just asking. Are you, Alice, menstruating right now?
Library Administrator: What's has that got to do with it?
Dr. Peter Venkman: Back off, man. I'm a scientist.

It's Called EpMotion

This music video combines elements from two previous Fun Science Fridays: an automated robot, and a researcher as intelligent as she is beautiful. Enjoy!

Is Obama behind the times on stem cells?

He's so eloquent, I'll just let him say it.

Political opponents reacted by calling Obama "behind the times" on stem cells. After all, there are now ways of making ES cells without destroying embryos:

If you listen closely to Obama, you'll realize that he knows this, too. But he also realizes that Bush's opposition to ES cell research was a symbolic gesture - fueled by anti-abortion ideology, not science. By overturning the Bush ban, Obama is laying down his own criterion for science policy - that it should be guided by facts, and not ideology.

What are the facts? The embryos used to derive embryonic stem cells are tiny balls of about 100 cells, without sensory organs or circulatory systems. Our society is willing to discard them for the sake of IVF, just to give parents their own biological child instead of adopting. Certainly, we should be willing to discard them for the sake of research which may cure untreatable diseases. The destruction of adult farm animals, just so we can enjoy the pleasure of eating their meat, poses a far greater ethical dilemma than embryonic stem cell research.

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Watch this

What I'm about to say may constitute comic-book heresy, but Watchmen the movie is better than Watchmen the book. The director has managed to pick the best, most exciting parts of the graphic novel and edited out the boring stuff (Tales of the Black Freighter, anyone?). And whereas the art in the Watchmen comic always struck me as too sterile, the movie's visuals are stylish, emotional, and even set to music.

If you've never read the comic, it's set in an alternate reality where there were a couple of superhero teams: the Minutemen (1950s), and their successors the Watchmen (1970s). Both teams eventually disbanded, due to political pressure. This alternate history is depicted in the gorgeous opening montage (set to Dylan's Times They Are A-Changin'). The story focuses on the living members of the Watchmen, one of whom has recently been murdered. It takes place around 1985, but there are a lot of flashbacks, so keep that in mind while you're watching.

Rumor has it that Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen, took his name off the movie halfway through production over creative differences. I'm not sure what his problem was, seeing as the film is remarkably loyal to the comic. Most scenes are so similar that I'd swear they used the graphic novel as storyboards. The performances are excellent, especially Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (the Comedian). Watchmen is a long book, with a lot of little stories and big ideas. Turning it into a film is no easy task. Yet they managed it without diminishing the individual characters or bungling the plot. Alan Moore set out to blow up comic book cliches and raise questions about human nature, and the movie stays true to that. Looking at the final product, I think he'd be proud.

Beats the hell out of V for Vendetta, anyways.

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Octopus Crimes and Misdemeanors

The LA Times reports that a two-spotted octopus succeeded in redirecting her tank's flow valve onto the floor of the Santa Monica Pier aquarium, flooding the neighboring exhibits. Note the timing: "Judging by the size of the flood, [aquarium personell] estimated that the water flowed for about 10 hours before the first staff member... showed up for work." To pull this off, the octopus would have had to wait until everyone went home, and then complete her redirection of the water flow sometime before midnight.

This reminds me of a mind-blowing story I once heard from a labmate of mine, who used to work at the Monterey Bay aquarium. They had this beautiful petting-zoo tidepool display, where kids could come and touch starfish and sea cucumbers and the like. But every couple of days, an invertebrate from the tidepool would disappear. They figured the thief must be working at night, so finally they put the tidepool under video surveillance to catch him or her in the act.

When they checked the tapes, they caught their thief: an octopus living in a display tank opposite the tidepool. Every night, this wise guy would wait till everyone went home, then squeeze his way out of the top of his tank. He'd climb carefully down the side of his tank and walk over to the tidepool display, where he'd find himself a tasty, defenseless snack. The octopus knew that if he stayed in the tidepool display too long, he'd get busted, so he made sure to get back to his tank before any of the humans showed up in the morning.

While we're on the topic, have you seen this amazing video of an octopus in camouflage? Watch as the diver, David Gallo, approaches very slowly, until finally the octopus decides he's been spotted and opts for plan B.

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Fun Science Friday: Future Shock!

In honor of Mardi Gras, let's usher in Fun Science Friday one day early. This week the subject is robots - military robots. Quicker than you can say "Clone Wars," here comes the Daily Show's Samantha Bee, courtesy of Hulu.com.

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