| PART III OF VI
AUGUST 8, 2005
please:
pontificate
educate
illustrate
commentate (oh yeah)
and/or submit
by emailing us at tscq@interchg.ubc.ca
Remember: three more SCQ parts to get your piece in and win an iPod!
<details, sort of, here>
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BECAUSE IT IS SUMMER AND BECAUSE WE ARE LAZY: A FEW SIMPLE LINES TO BRING YOU UP TO SPEED.
What is the status?
The site is now doing reasonably well.
Can you state the central thesis?
In which this will be a place for those that crave and wish to submit literary science pieces of any shape, size or form.
What is your hypothesis?
There are two basic hypotheses which can be summarized as follows:
i. That the vast hordes of closet science geeks will unite and make this venture a roaring success. Pity those that stand in our way.
or
ii. That, at the end of it all, nobody really gives a shit. The venture will burn that slow yet lucid death to obscurity.
Can I submit something?
Yes, of course! -- Please refer to the submission guidelines. 
SHORTSTOP PROVIDES HUNTINGTON'S CLUES
By David Secko
A debate is going on in Huntington’s research about whether the hallmark protein aggregates found in the brain of patients actually cause the disease. Now, a new “shortstop” may have found part of the answer.
But this shortstop isn’t an infielder. It’s a new strain of mouse, one with a mutation expected to cause neurodegeneration -- since it’s tailored to make large amounts of the above protein aggregates -- only it doesn’t.
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MONKEY VS. SEA MONKEY: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
By Steven Seighman
When I was in grade school, my best friend had a monkey. I don't know what kind it was, but I can tell you this: My friend's parents had a Kung-Fu outfit for this monkey. His name was Bentley and he was kept is a large cage in the basement. When you got too close to his cage, he would grab at your shirt and tear it. But, if you were my friend’s dad, he would let you get into the cage and wrestle him. Bentley had some scrap in him, that’s for sure. I used to love watching the two of them go at it. It was like seeing a man and a small, furry Bruce Lee in a cage match. The dad, who was a Golden Gloves champion in the Navy, took it easy, though, because he saw the monkey, as did everyone, more like a very excitable, very challenged little boy…who was only let out of his cage for parties.
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5 HOT SCIENCE-Y GUYS.
by Melissa Bell
1. Sir Martin Rees 
I don’t know if this guy’s straight or gay, and I don’t care. He’s got a certain polished appeal going on, and he’s the freaking Astronomer Royal for crying out loud. What does that mean, you ask? How does that make him any more special than any other astronomer besides the Royal part? Well, look, if I have to explain that, it would mean one of us would have to do some research. And I’m tired. I just got in from a party.
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BT CORN: IS IT WORTH THE RISK?
By Hardy Hall
Bt corn, a genetically modified organism (GMO), has been both the poster-child and thorn-in-the-side of the plant biotechnology industry from the late 1990’s to present. There are several versions of this transgenic crop that each have a gene from an insect pathogen, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which encodes a protein toxic to the European corn borer (ECB), an insect pest that eats and destroys corn stems (see Figure 1). Bt corn has proven effective in reducing crop damage due to ECB, yet public opposition to Bt corn has escalated amid fears of human health and environmental risks associated with the production and consumption of Bt corn.
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THE KYOTO PROTOCOL: THE BEST TOOL IN THE BOX?
By Avery Poole
There is a general consensus that global warming is underway, but what should we do about it? The Kyoto Protocol has proven to be a hotbed of contention amongst scientists, policymakers, environmentalists and industry. Is it an exciting and groundbreaking development in the fight against global warming and the broader problem of climate change, or an ineffective and economically harmful attempt to win political kudos?
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THE DEBRIEFING
By Robert Isenberg
QAJAOG: Greetings, Captain Zabujek.
ZABUJEK: Your eminence, Emperor Qajaog, I am honored by this private audience.
QAJAOG: Captain, word of your exploits has reached the farthest reaches of the Federated Republic of the Empire. Is it true that you have ventured to the planet called Earth?
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A CREATIONIST FAQ
by Richard Harter
Q: What is the principle evidence for Creationism?
A: The Holy Bible, of course. After all, is it likely that the author of the Universe would be mistaken about its age?
Q: But isn't the Bible religion and not science?
A: Truth is truth. It's a poor sort of science that ignores truth.
Q: But isn't there a lot of evidence for evolution?
A: Not really, most of it is from university professors writing papers for each other. If they didn't write papers they wouldn't have jobs.
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ELSEWHERE AND OVERHEARD
By Angela Genusa
Overheard
"It just made me want to get them done right there. And then when I graduated, my parents were like, all right, congratulations, you got a boob job."
Lulu Diaz on her high school graduation gift she got from her parents, as did many other girls at her high school and beauty school she now attends - new breasts. (ABC News)
"The presence of female functional endometrial in a male prostrate gland can cause this type of anomaly."
Pradip Mitra of the West Bengal Gynaecological Society, about an extremely unusual case in which a Kolkata doctor is treating a teenage boy who has been showing symptoms of menstruation, including bleeding in the second week of every month lasting three days, cramps, nausea and mood swings. (Rediff, India)
<more>
| | | | Issue One
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(part i pdf)
(part ii pdf)
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