Oh no! A bomb!

Mooninite

Seriously. Please, Boston. Tell me how exactly a Lite-Brite image of the Mooninites depicted above in any way says “bomb threat” to you.

I’m all ears…

(By the way, for those of you who know not what “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” i.e. Mom and Dad, it’s a cartoon on Cartoon Network that features a talking milk shake, french fries and meat ball. Yes. Very scary.)

The Varieties of Scientific Experience

So, I know it’s crazy, but I’m reading a book: The Varieties of Scientific Experience, by Carl Sagan. The book is edited by his wife, Ann Druyan, who ran across the transcripts of some lectures he gave in 1985 in Scotland (he passed away in December, 1996). The subtitle to the book is “A personal view of the search for God,” which is what drew me to reading it… There have been plenty of books out there trying to reconcile or compare “science” and “God,” but I figured that Carl Sagan, of all people, would yield an interesting take on the ideas.

I’m already half-way through and I wanted to quote a few excerpts from the book here.

On the origins of life on Earth:

“They say it is no more likely that the origin of life could occur spontaneously by molecular interaction in the primitive ocean than that a Boeing 747 would be spontaneously assembled when a whirlwind passed over a junkyard. That’s a vivid image. It’s also a very useful image, because, of course, the Boeing 747 did not spring full-blown into the world of aviation; it is the end product of a long evolutionary sequence, which, as you know, goes back to the DC-3 and so on until you get to the Wright bi-plane. Now, the Wright biplane does look as if it were spontaneously assembled by a whirlwind in a junkyard. And while I don’t mean to criticize the brilliant achievement of the Wright brothers, as long as you remember that there is this evolutionary history, it’s a lot easier to understand the origin of the first example.”

On science in general:

“My deeply held belief is that if a god of anything like the traditional sort exists, then our curiosity and intelligence are provided by such a god. We would be unappreciative of those gifts if we suppressed our passion to explore the universe and ourselves. On the other hand, if such a traditional god does not exist, then our curiosity and our intelligence are the essential tools for managing our survival in an extremely dangerous time. In either case, the enterprise of knowledge is consistent surely with science; it should be with religion, and it is essential for the welfare of the human species.”

Indeed…

Busy, busy…

The past few weeks have been rather hectic… I start up class (finally…) this coming Monday, so I’ve been trying to get quite a few experiments done between Xmas and now… On the plus side, we’re going to be learning some hardcore neuroscience in the last half of the semester, and I’m all about that…

The rather frightening part is that I’ve reached a point in my career thus far where I don’t want to go to class…not because I don’t want to learn, but because I’d rather spend time in the lab working on new science. I really don’t mind going to class, but it takes two hours out of my day, four days a week…time that could be better spent starting an experiment that has a six hour incubation time… I still see the need to learn more, in order to become a better physiologist, but at the same time, I guess I’d rather investigate my own avenues and interest…

I guess it’s just kinda weird having experienced true lab work over the past few months, and wanting to continue it, rather than go to class…as opposed to sitting on my ass watching TV, rather than go to class…

I hate growing up…sigh…

The "Gap" of grocery stores…

Brooke and I visited Whole Foods for the first time last night… I’ve done my best to avoid this place since we first heard about it, largely because I’m generally against the idea (and fad…) of buying organic food products… Anyway, the prices at Whole Foods weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be in all products, but there were some items that were a bit more than expected… For example, wines and most produce weren’t much higher than the Shop ‘n Save variety (except for organic varieties), but cans of vegetables ranged from $1 to $1.50, and I saw organic olive oil for $16… However, as Brooke pointed out, they had a heck of a lot of bulk foods available, and they had stuff that Shop ‘n Save, Dierberg’s and Schnuck’s don’t carry (lentils, for example…multiple varieties of barley…etc.).

Overall, the experience wasn’t terrible, but I still can’t justify the cost increases when averaged out across all products. Are the cans of corn that Whole Foods sells for $1.50 better than the cans we get from Aldi for $0.29? Maybe… But are the cans really $1.21 better than the Aldi cans? Absolutely not! Actually, even beer was $2 more expensive than Shop ‘n Save… As Brooke pointed out, the prices at Whole Foods are comparable with buying name-brand products at Schnucks or Hy-Vee…but since we never do that, it just seemed rather expensive…’cause there’s no off-brand offered…

On another note, many things around the place were deliberately misleading. For example, there was a sign in the produce section saying how Whole Foods supports local farmers. I’m sure to an extent that they do…but find me someone in Missouri growing corn right now…or peas…or oranges… Obviously, all of that produce is coming from somewhere else, likely another continent (i.e. South America). So by the time the food makes it up here, being all organic and not including preservatives, it’ll go bad within a day of getting it to your table, thus increasing the consumer prices because the food that isn’t sold is thrown out within days of arriving…

I especially liked their “educational materials” that can be found near the checkout lanes. I picked up a few pamphlets, on irradiated foods and genetically engineered foods, specifically, the latter of which is particularly intriguing… The pamphlet states that Whole Foods as a company wants to inform their consumers of foods that are from genetically engineered sources (while using wording that makes you think that genetically engineered foods are bad for you). Of course, practically every form of produce they sell is “genetically engineered” through generations upon generations of specific breeding and growing, only selecting seeds from good stocks and not planting seeds from the bad ones. That’s still genetic engineering, folks… They go on within the “food irradiation” literature to discuss the idea of irradiating produce to kill things like E. coli and Salmonella, and how irradiating foods can also destroy some nutrients within the food. Again, the literature states that all they want is to have federal guidelines whereby growers need to disclose whether the food has been irradiated or not, while including language in the pamphlet that really makes you think that irradiation is a bad thing… Maybe when they get sick from eating infected food, they’ll come around…

So yeah, while the food wasn’t quite as expensive as I thought it’d be (although close…), I was more disturbed by the yuppie “our store is better than your store” sentiment Whole Foods left on me. I’m not against educational materials for shoppers. I’m not completely against the idea of organic foods (…though mostly against…). Frankly, we were asked if we needed any help 2 or 3 times while we were walking around, which is more than I can say of my neighborhood Shop ‘n Save, Aldi and Schnucks…however, I can’t say I like the place… If I can save $20 a trip buying food that’s just as good from another store, and instead buy a DVD or donate it to help cure AIDS, I’m all about it…

The “Gap” of grocery stores…

Brooke and I visited Whole Foods for the first time last night… I’ve done my best to avoid this place since we first heard about it, largely because I’m generally against the idea (and fad…) of buying organic food products… Anyway, the prices at Whole Foods weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be in all products, but there were some items that were a bit more than expected… For example, wines and most produce weren’t much higher than the Shop ‘n Save variety (except for organic varieties), but cans of vegetables ranged from $1 to $1.50, and I saw organic olive oil for $16… However, as Brooke pointed out, they had a heck of a lot of bulk foods available, and they had stuff that Shop ‘n Save, Dierberg’s and Schnuck’s don’t carry (lentils, for example…multiple varieties of barley…etc.).

Overall, the experience wasn’t terrible, but I still can’t justify the cost increases when averaged out across all products. Are the cans of corn that Whole Foods sells for $1.50 better than the cans we get from Aldi for $0.29? Maybe… But are the cans really $1.21 better than the Aldi cans? Absolutely not! Actually, even beer was $2 more expensive than Shop ‘n Save… As Brooke pointed out, the prices at Whole Foods are comparable with buying name-brand products at Schnucks or Hy-Vee…but since we never do that, it just seemed rather expensive…’cause there’s no off-brand offered…

On another note, many things around the place were deliberately misleading. For example, there was a sign in the produce section saying how Whole Foods supports local farmers. I’m sure to an extent that they do…but find me someone in Missouri growing corn right now…or peas…or oranges… Obviously, all of that produce is coming from somewhere else, likely another continent (i.e. South America). So by the time the food makes it up here, being all organic and not including preservatives, it’ll go bad within a day of getting it to your table, thus increasing the consumer prices because the food that isn’t sold is thrown out within days of arriving…

I especially liked their “educational materials” that can be found near the checkout lanes. I picked up a few pamphlets, on irradiated foods and genetically engineered foods, specifically, the latter of which is particularly intriguing… The pamphlet states that Whole Foods as a company wants to inform their consumers of foods that are from genetically engineered sources (while using wording that makes you think that genetically engineered foods are bad for you). Of course, practically every form of produce they sell is “genetically engineered” through generations upon generations of specific breeding and growing, only selecting seeds from good stocks and not planting seeds from the bad ones. That’s still genetic engineering, folks… They go on within the “food irradiation” literature to discuss the idea of irradiating produce to kill things like E. coli and Salmonella, and how irradiating foods can also destroy some nutrients within the food. Again, the literature states that all they want is to have federal guidelines whereby growers need to disclose whether the food has been irradiated or not, while including language in the pamphlet that really makes you think that irradiation is a bad thing… Maybe when they get sick from eating infected food, they’ll come around…

So yeah, while the food wasn’t quite as expensive as I thought it’d be (although close…), I was more disturbed by the yuppie “our store is better than your store” sentiment Whole Foods left on me. I’m not against educational materials for shoppers. I’m not completely against the idea of organic foods (…though mostly against…). Frankly, we were asked if we needed any help 2 or 3 times while we were walking around, which is more than I can say of my neighborhood Shop ‘n Save, Aldi and Schnucks…however, I can’t say I like the place… If I can save $20 a trip buying food that’s just as good from another store, and instead buy a DVD or donate it to help cure AIDS, I’m all about it…

Merry Christmas

Well, it’s been a long two weeks, yo… Quick recap:

a). I took a 5.5 hour final two weeks ago. I found out this week that we all passed. Therefore, I don’t have to take it again in a few weeks… 😛 Therefore, I don’t have class until January 29th and I’ll be trying to get some work done in the lab while I don’t have studying to deal with…

b). We are almost moved in to our new place in Soulard (just south of downtown St. Louis) and we’re very excited about it! There are plenty of restaurants/bars in the area, we have much more room now, and we have a washer/dryer so we don’t have to go through quarters nearly as quickly. Our lease is up at the old place on the 31st, so we’re just trying to get things cleaned up over there, but almost everything is out. Anyway, come visit sometime… For New Years’ Eve, perhaps? We’ll have pics up of the new place once we get everything settled in their proper places…it’s still kinda a mess right now, but we’re making it…

c). Arie, Jeff and I went to Jason Mallory’s wedding in Louisville, KY over the past few days. Check out a few pictures here.

d). I’m planning on chilling in Columbia this week between Wednesday and Friday. If you’re around, gimme a call (although, my cell phone has been acting up recently, so be patient if you don’t get through…).

I guess that’s about it. Anyway, it’s been nuts for the past few weeks. I’m looking forward to a break soon, yo…

Regardless, merry Christmas and happy New Year…or whatever you celebrate this time of year!

Who exactly is "rich?"

So, a study was released today from the U.N. and mentioned on plenty of different news sites, but the Bloomberg article brought something a little more interesting to my attention. Essentially, the study says that the richest 1% of the world’s adult population comprise 40% of all global wealth. I mean, that alone is pretty nuts, but further on in the article, they get a bit more specific…

Apparently, if you have $61,000 in assets, you’re in the top 10%. That’s not $61,000/yr…that’s assets…so if you own a house, chances are that you’re in the top 10% of all global wealth. These figures come from the fact that the average adult wealth in the U.S. is $144,000, while in places like India, it’s $1000.

Now, my man, Ben, made a similar point on his blog a few days ago, and I’ll reiterate: what exactly does this mean? I mean, isn’t it rather depressing that owning a house means you’re richer than 90% of the world’s population? Billions of people? Can anything be done, or will the rich keep getting richer and the poor continue to get poorer?

I guess we should all just keep stuff like this in mind as we head through the Christmas season… As you think about financial gifts you give to the needy, realize just how good you have it compared with 5.4 billion other people…

Who exactly is “rich?”

So, a study was released today from the U.N. and mentioned on plenty of different news sites, but the Bloomberg article brought something a little more interesting to my attention. Essentially, the study says that the richest 1% of the world’s adult population comprise 40% of all global wealth. I mean, that alone is pretty nuts, but further on in the article, they get a bit more specific…

Apparently, if you have $61,000 in assets, you’re in the top 10%. That’s not $61,000/yr…that’s assets…so if you own a house, chances are that you’re in the top 10% of all global wealth. These figures come from the fact that the average adult wealth in the U.S. is $144,000, while in places like India, it’s $1000.

Now, my man, Ben, made a similar point on his blog a few days ago, and I’ll reiterate: what exactly does this mean? I mean, isn’t it rather depressing that owning a house means you’re richer than 90% of the world’s population? Billions of people? Can anything be done, or will the rich keep getting richer and the poor continue to get poorer?

I guess we should all just keep stuff like this in mind as we head through the Christmas season… As you think about financial gifts you give to the needy, realize just how good you have it compared with 5.4 billion other people…

Al…most…there…

So, I had my last regular exam of the semester today, and I think it went pretty well… That makes 6 exams I’ve completed this semester (and about a million flash cards)… Regardless, I’m done with classes until January 29th (w00t!) and I have a comprehensive final on December 14th. That test is an attempt to get us “thinking integratively” so that we don’t separate each physiological system and think of them from a “whole body” approach. In particular, it’s because we get a preliminary thesis proposal in about a year when we’re given integrative questions, to make sure we know all that there is to know about physiology. Anyway, I can’t decide if this test will be hard or not, ’cause I’ve done relatively well all semester. It’s just that we haven’t had that much practice on such things this semester. Hopefully it doesn’t hurt much.

Otherwise, Brooke and I are preparing to move to Soulard (neighborhood in the City of St. Louis) from our current apartment. For nearly the same amount we’re paying now, we’ll have two floors (plus basement storage), a washer/dryer in the apartment, a much larger deck (on the roof), a wood stove, and within walking distance of bars and restaurants in the Soulard area. The only real downside is that it’ll be on-street parking, so getting out in the winter will be a bit harder. Oh well! Anyway, our lease starts on Dec. 15th, so we’ll have until the end of December to move everything over…

Other than that, life is good… We’re hoping to publish a paper including the research I’ve been doing for the past 9 months, so I’m going to use the month of January (sans classes…) to get some work done. It won’t be too busy, but it’s still rather daunting to take care of the volume of data I’ll be accumulating, let alone what I’ve already accumulated…

Such is life…

Silly vegans…

So, we’re learning about the GI tract in class now, and we heard about protein digestion today. Here’s some info from a slide presented to us by our professor today:

  • A normal adult requires around 0.75 g/kg body weight per day of highly digestable, high-quality protein
  • A person that’s ~130 lbs (59 kg) would require around 44 g of protein per day
  • A 3.5 oz filet mignon cut of beef contains ~30 g protein and 6 g of fat
  • A cup of peanuts contain 25 g of protein, but 46 g of fat
  • Plant proteins are digested poorly compared to animal proteins
  • Less processed foods are higher in protein content than processed foods

So yeah, I’ve never really believed in the vegan argument that one can get the same amount/quality of protein from non-animal sources, but I can’t say that I’ve ever really delved into the information… Regardless, I found these figures to be rather interesting.

Any rebuttal on this? I don’t know many vegans, but I know some of you do and have probably had this discussion with them before… One argument is that while peanuts and other legumes have fat, it’s more “good fat” than “bad fat.” Sadly, in either case, it’s still “fat” and you’re only supposed to have a certain amount of it per day…