Borders Wanted Some Quick Silver for the Book...

I've managed to work my way through the first 200 pages of the first volume of the Baroque Cycle, Quicksilver.The lives of the main characters parallel the life I ultimately wish to have when I'm done with school: freedom for endless research and travel. Unfortunately, when I read about the FICTIONAL life and immediate genius of Isaac Newton, I feel so unaccomplished and fear I'd waste it all on pursuits on par with alchemy. Nevertheless, the novel in immensely entertaning.

I've also started reading Basics Of Insect Modeling and 101 Mortgage Secrets Every Homebuyer Should Know-But Lender's Won't Tell, in addition to plowing rather awkwardly through chapter two of Insect Molecular Genetics. That marks about 800 pages in the last two weeks. Man, summer's great. Eventually, though, I'm going to have to take a serious look at Insect Physiology and Organic Chemistry.

Where Did the Dog Go When He Lost His Rear Appendage?

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it has finally arrived in American. Unveiled recently in Washington D.C., I bring you the Homeless Depot.

Damn, How'd She Fit in Them Genes?

Today, I was reading Insect Molecular Genetics when suddenly I was overcome by a chilling thought. No, it wasn't the same grueling feeling EVERYONE gets reading the complex array of abbreviations and feeble attempts to be poetic about molecular interactions- it was much worse. Here's the excerpt (bare with me) that catalyzed my reaction:

" Some introns have been inherited for millions of years, making it possible to find a consistent location for the introns when homologous genes from different organisms are examined. THE ACTUAL SEQUENCES OF THE INTRONS IN THESE HOMOLOGOUS GENES MAY HAVE DIVERGED THROUGH MUTATION TO THE POINT THAT THEY APPEAR TO HAVE NO SEQUENCE SIMILARITY. Trotman suggests that this consistent location of introns is evidence that introns may have been integral to the development of primordial genes. HOWEVER, VERY FEW OF THE ANCIENT INTRONS MAY HAVE SURVIVED IN A DETECTABLE FORM because cellular life is very old and EVOLUTION HAS HAD A LONG TIME TO CHANGE THE SEQUENCES WITHIN THESE NON-CODING REGIONS. "


What seems most clear to me, just by reading textbooks like these, and remembering my organic chemistry class curve is that there is a tremendous possibility that the person either writing the textbook, or the researcher, doesn't really understand genetics. I'm not claiming that I am the next James Watson; don't get me wrong. Its just that saying you feel the comparison of two segments of a genome, which "don't appear similar at all" is strong evidence to suggest that the two regions come from the same ancestor is pretty weak.

Trotman and Gilbert aside, the terrible thought I came to this afternoon was that there could be hundreds of researchers with poor knowledge of genetics infiltrating the industry publishing bogus papers. Think about it for a minute. EVERYBODY and their brother wants to be a geneticist, either because of the idea of biological engineering, CSI, or the human genome project. This means that there are hundreds of people- people that normally wouldn't make the cut in scientific circles- competing for a job in the world of biochemistry. Assuming even a few dozen brilliant geneticists, who has time to go back and double-check the thousands of experiments conducted by the substandard scientists? Who can fight the pool of "common knowledge" once thier papers are published and cited? The field is moving too fast, and growing too much to make any sort of checking really possible, as far as I can see.

And that frightens me.

Apparently, My Project Wasn't Gonna Fly With Him...

Alas, the beloved Blowfly Orientation Experiment (BOE) has been slated for lack of available MS/GC assistance. Fortunately, Kimsey is stubbornly refusing to let me walk away from this summer without a manuscript to publish. Ultimately, what this means is that I need to generate other possible research experiments while I'm waiting for someone to offer thier chemical expertise on the first leg of the BOE. As it turns out, this is a better move, anyway, since the only dominant species of blowfly currently in the Davis area is Phormia regina, which would greatly complicate my aspirations to associate blowfly species to individual decomposition chemicals! So, tenatively, here are some ideas I'm tossing around before my meeting on Monday:

- Do different classes of Animals (Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, Mammalia, and Humans) hold different degrees of attractiveness, and are some blowfly species more drawn to one class than another, given the choice?

- Do different classes of Animals have significantly different effects on maggot growth rate?

- Does olfaction play any role in maggot behavior, with respect to burrowing orientation?

- Does larval diet affect adult choice of what type of carrion its eggs will be laid?

- How far, or how fast, can a blowfly detect a freshly laid corpse?

- Does a fly's position with respect to wind direction significantly impair ability to orient to an odor source?

Perhaps the wisest choice would be to lay these out in a comprehensive order, such that each one leads into a greater understanding of the next one. However, my ultimate goal lies in Medical Entomology, and therefore, I should be careful to choose only that which I can dovetail in with a more related experiment later this year.

Song of Susannah

Coincindentally, I recieved a package from the Stephen King Library Club on the same day I started packing for the big move to the upstairs apartment. To me, this would be like having Lucy Liu personally invite you to watch her mud wrestle Jennifer Garner on the same day you had an appointment with your dentist for a triple root canal. But, alas, I did the responsible thing and waited three days until I was moved into apartment #186 before opening the precious cargo: the long awaited Song of Susannah.

In many ways, this second to last novel in King's epic saga, The Dark Tower is much more daring than the preceding 5 books. Perhaps the most immediately obvious is the complex, multiple story lines which are delicately related both in space and time. Irritatingly, King choses to spin these lines until they snap at the end of the story, without any resolving any of final issues. This is oddly reminiscent of the "ending" to the third book, The Waste Lands, which also leaves the reader, mid-climax, to wonder what the hell is going to happen next.

Perhaps the most bold move of all was King's decision to include HIMSELF as a pivotal character. By incorporating his life's work, and actual events, King's humble self portrayal once again demonstrates his ability to blur the line between reality and fantasy.

This book is an excellent read, and I cannot wait to find someone else who has read it. In the meantime, I'll just have to stick to my entomology books and hope they release the 7th book soon...