Friday Poem

Environmental & Science Education
Poetry
Art and Environment
Edward Hessler

Friday! time for a poem.

Today's poem is by Natalie Diaz.

She is a MacArthur Fellow, Class of 2018.

Human Embryo Editing

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Genetics
Medicine
Health
Ethics
Edward Hessler


I want to say something about the outrageous "experiment," conducted by Jiankui He involving implanted human embryos. He, by the way, refers to this as a "study." Whew! Phew! Ugh! Aargh!

You may have seen He's justification for doing this quoted in the November 27, 2018 issue of the Star Tribune (from the Associated Press by Christina Larson). "There will be someone, somewhere, who is doing this. If it's not me, it's someone else."  Larson's piece is worth reading.

The general area is far beyond my technical expertise and knowledge but not beyond my outrage. It isn't science in any sense that I know and love, indeed it seems to me to be a violation of science. I also hope that He will never be allowed to wear a lab coat again or approach a lab bench for the rest of his days.

Today, Lily Kuo reported in the Guardian (there are some links in the article) on the response of the Chinese government. “The genetically edited infant incident reported by media blatantly violated China’s relevant laws and regulations. It has also violated the ethical bottom line that the academic community adheres to.... Xu called for the suspension of any scientific or technological activities by those involved in He’s work."

If you are interested in further information about the CRISPR human baby story this short article by Derek Lowe who writes an editorially independent blog from the publishers of Science Translation Medicine is spot on. Lowe notes, as others have, that Dr. Jiankui He's "experiment" is worse, much worse, than first reported. Lowe includes links to He's presentation at the Second International Human Genome Summit in Hong Kong as well as an interesting Twitter thread (technical mostly) on the presentation and a great article by STAT's Sharon Begley. 

P.S. The Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing has concluded and the organizing committee released a statement on human genome editing. It is organized around what was heard at this summit: an unexpected and deeply disturbing claim that human embryos had been edited and implanted, resulting in a pregnancy and the birth of twins. It may be read here.

Climate Change It's Just a Money Grab...Right?

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Climate Change
Culture
Edward Hessler

The answer is NO!

In this video by climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe talks about a question she is asked about way too often.

Here is Hayhoe's website, Texas Tech University where you can learn more about her and her work. She has described herself as "Not suspicious, just Canadian. Climate scientist, poli sci prof, knitter, pastor's wife, mom."

On November 27, she posted the following on Facebook. Think about it as an abstract of Climate Change 101.

When it comes to a changing climate, the bottom line is this: It’s real. It’s us. Scientists agree. The impacts are already here and now. But by acting now we can still avoid the most serious and even dangerous impacts. Our future is in our hands.

Cathhing Rays in the Martian Desert

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Solar System
Geology
Astronomy
Edward Hessler

I ask you for your indulgence. I don't dare say that this will be the last time but I will try.

There is an image, clear as a bell, of the landing area and some of the spacecraft from InSight. Beneath you will find some information from NASA.

Ah the things this gadget can do thanks to scientists, engineers and technicians: get there from here, land where you are supposed to land and without a glitch, deploy solar panels, take temperatures, take close-up photographs, drill a deep hole, send all the data back.

Three Cheers for InSight

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Solar System
Geology
Edward Hessler

By now you know that InSight successfully landed on Mars.  By all accounts it landed well and the area is free of rocky debris.

I watched some of the proceedings. It was amazing, especially knowing that as announcements were made, the actual event had occurred several minutes earlier. No wonder that this is a nail-biting time for the entire team at the Jet Propulsion lab.

Here is a summary from CNN.

You can keep up with events in the coming days by visiting the NASA InSight page.

What is Mars Made Of?

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Solar System
Earth Science
Geology
Edward Hessler

Well, not Mars Bars. By the way, they have been deep fried.

On Monday NASA will attempt to land a robot spaceship on Mars...safely, a daunting challenge.

Here is short BBC video on the expedition.

For NASA information about the MARS Insight Mission see here.

Jerry Coyne's Letter to Charles Darwin

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
History of Science
Nature of Science
Biological Evolution
Edward Hessler

On this day in 1859 was published On the Origin of Species or, for the sake of accuracy and completeness, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles Darwin.

Jerry Coyne, professor emeritus, Department of Ecology & Evolution, the University of Chicago and others were asked by Radio 4 (BBC) to write a letter to Mr. Darwin on the occasion of his 200th birthday (February 12, 2009).

Professor Coyne's letter was later published on the Oxford University Press website. Today, to mark the occasion of the publication of Darwin's Origin, Dr. Coyne posted it on his website.

This is a lovely letter and a wonderful summary of the theory and how it has changed since Darwin.



 

Friday Poem

Environmental & Science Education
Poetry
Art and Environment
Edward Hessler

Today's poem is by Georgiana Cohen.

Cave Art

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Art and Environment
Archaeology
Edward Hessler

A wall painting found in a cave on the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia) has been found to have been painted about 40,000 years before present. This is currently the oldest date for figurative rock art in the world. There are older rock paintings but they do not represent forms that are recognizably from life. Paintings in this cave depict three chronologically distinct phases and are comprised of different styles.

Paintings from the oldest phase are characterized by large in-filled, reddish orange colored paintings of animals, primarily of the Bornean banteng (Bos javenicus), a type of wild cattle that is still found in the wild today. In addition, extinct animals and hand-stencils are found.

Paintings from the second and younger phase are comprised of dark purple (mulberry) hand stencils, some of which are "partially filled in with painted lines, dashes, dots and small abstract signs that possibly represent tattoos or other marks of social identification and in some instances, hand stencils are linked by painted mulberry lines...which perhaps represent kinship connections." There are thread-like human figures known as anthropomorphs, some in small groups with elaborate headdresses/spear throwers and others in narrative hunting or other ritual (dancing?) scenes. These are known as "Datu Saman."

Paintings in the third phase, the most recent, consists of anthropomorphs--boats and geometric designs usually in black pigments. These have been found in other cave sites in Indonesia.

One of the remarkable findings is that this rock art spanned at least 20,000 years with painters returning to paint again or to paint over previous work.

The paper reporting these findings is found in in a multi-authored research letter in Nature. In addition to a map locating the research site (p. 2) there are several figures showing the art work. Extended Figure 1a, shows art from the three phases (p. 7). On p. 8 are shown some enlarged Datu Saman, on p. 15 are found some filled in animal paintings, and on p. 16 are found anthropomorph figures from Australia. There are other figures showing other analyses but the text is required to better understand them.

and in some

instances hand stencils are linked together by painted mulberry lines

that form intricate tree-like motifs, which perhaps symb

On the basis of the superimposition of different styles, the rock art

of the Sangkulirang–Mangkalihat Peninsula comprises at least three

chronologically distinct phases

9

. The oldest style is characterized by

large in-filled, reddish-orange-coloured paintings of animals—mainly

the Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi), a type of wild cattle that

is still extant on the island (Extended Data Fig.1), but also includes

what may be now-extinct taxa

16

as well as hand stencils produced

using pigment of the same distinctive hue (Extended Data Fig.1).

The second phase is dominated by hand stencils that are dark purple

(‘mulberry’) in colour, which are often clustered into distinct composi-

tions (Extended Data Fig.1). Many of these stencils are partly in-filled

with painted lines, dashes, dots and small abstract signs that possibly

represent tattoos or other marks of social identification, and in some

instances hand stencils are linked together by painted mulberry lines

that form intricate tree-like motifs, which perhaps symbolize kinship

connections. Some older reddish-orange hand stencils appear to have

been ‘retouched’ with mulberry paint to create similar in-filled designs

and tree-like motifs (Extended Data Fig.1). This phase also features

small, carefully executed mulberry-coloured paintings of anthropo-

morphs (Extended Data Fig.2). These elegant, thread-like human

figures—henceforth, ‘Datu Saman’following the established term for

this style

6

—are sometimes shown in small groups, and are usually

portrayed with elaborate headdresses and an array of other objects of

material culture that includes possible spear throwers. Some figures

are depicted in narrative scenes as hunting or pursuing small deer or as

engaged in enigmatic social or ritual activities (for example, ‘dancing’;

Extended Data Fig.2). The final rock art phase is characterized by

anthropomorphs, boats and geometric designs that are usually exe-

cuted in black pigments (Extended Data Fig.1). This rock art style is

the only one that has thus far been documented elsewhere in Borneo;

it is found at other locations in Indonesia and may be associated with

the movement of Asian Neolithic farmers into the region from about

4ka, or more recently

17,18

On the basis of the superimposition of different styles, the rock art

of the Sangkulirang–Mangkalihat Peninsula comprises at least three

chronologically distinct phases

9

. The oldest style is characterized by

large in-filled, reddish-orange-coloured paintings of animals—mainly

the Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi), a type of wild cattle that

is still extant on the island (Extended Data Fig.1), but also includes

what may be now-extinct taxa

16

as well as hand stencils produced

using pigment of the same distinctive hue (Extended Data Fig.1).

The second phase is dominated by hand stencils that are dark purple

(‘mulberry’) in colour, which are often clustered into distinct composi-

tions (Extended Data Fig.1). Many of these stencils are partly in-filled

with painted lines, dashes, dots and small abstract signs that possibly

represent tattoos or other marks of social identification, and in some

instances hand stencils are linked together by painted mulberry lines

that form intricate tree-like motifs, which perhaps symbolize kinship

connections. Some older reddish-orange hand stencils appear to have

been ‘retouched’ with mulberry paint to create similar in-filled designs

and tree-like motifs (Extended Data Fig.1). This phase also features

small, carefully executed mulberry-coloured paintings of anthropo-

morphs (Extended Data Fig.2). These elegant, thread-like human

figures—henceforth, ‘Datu Saman’following the established term for

this style

6

—are sometimes shown in small groups, and are usually

portrayed with elaborate headdresses and an array of other objects of

material culture that includes possible spear throwers. Some figures

are depicted in narrative scenes as hunting or pursuing small deer or as

engaged in enigmatic social or ritual activities (for example, ‘dancing’;

Extended Data Fig.2). The final rock art phase is characterized by

anthropomorphs, boats and geometric designs that are usually exe-

cuted in black pigments (Extended Data Fig.1). This rock art style is

the only one that has thus far been documented elsewhere in Borneo;

it is found at other locations in Indonesia and may be associated with

the movement of Asian Neolithic farmers into the region from about

4ka, or more recently

17,18