June 2012
“Science sells itself. It needs no polish or varnish or manufactured appeal to be attractive to women. To imply otherwise is an insult. To science and to women.”
—Megan Garber, reacting to a European Commission ad titled “Science: It’s a Girl Thing!” (via theatlantic)
Learn amino acids with Olivia: Methionine
Methionine is a non-polar amino acid and is one of the only two amino acids to contain a sulphur group. However, unlike cysteine, it cannot form sulphur bridges (a covalent bond between two sulphur atoms, used to stabilise the 3D structure of some proteins) as there is no hydrogen attached to the sulphur. Methionine is an intermediate in the synthesis of compounds such as lecithin and taurine, along with many others, mostly phospholipids.
A derivative of methionine, N-formylmethionine, is always used as the initial amino acid in translation in bacteria and methionine is always found in the beginning of eukaryotic proteins although is often removed during post-translational modification. The reason for both of these is that methionine is coded for by the codon AUG, the same as the start codon for translation.
Methionine is an essential amino acid in humans although other organisms (including other mammals) can synthesise methionine from aspartic acid and cysteine. This is a multi-step process requiring both ATP and NADPH.
“I was learning about regeneration. We were injecting axolotls and seeing how they removed their arms. We looked at stem cells that they wired to beat like a human heart. They are finding ways to do this. I was fascinated!”
—Emma Stone, discussing how she learned about stem cells while filming Amazing Spider-Man, as if we needed another reason to love her. (via jtotheizzoe)
Loch Ness Monster used to debunk evolution in state-funded school →
news.yahoo.com
Eternity Christian Academy uses the fundamentalist A.C.E. Curriculum to teach students “to see life from God’s point of view.”
Pastor-turned-principal Marie Carrier says that the her first through eighth-grade students learn at their own pace from Christian workbooks. The beginning science text explains “what God made” on each of the six days of creation. Evolution is not taught. Carrier said, “We try to stay away from all those things that might confuse our children.”
One textbook, Biology 1099, reads, “Are dinosaurs alive today? Scientists are becoming more convinced of their existence. Have you heard of the ‘Loch Ness Monster’ in Scotland? ‘Nessie’ for short has been recorded on sonar from a small submarine, described by eyewitnesses, and photographed by others. Nessie appears to be a plesiosaur.”
As part of a push from Louisiana’s governor to move millions of tax dollars to cover tuition for private schools, thousands of schoolchildren will receive publicly funded vouchers to attend private schools, including small bible-based church schools.
Carrier hopes to secure enrollment of 135 voucher students for the 2012-2013 school year. According to the website Salon, the school currently has just 38 students.
Whether this gambit will help move Louisiana from the bottom of math and science rankings in the country is unclear. A 2011 study of how well primary education prepares students for engineering careers had Louisiana third from the bottom, with only West Virginia and Mississippi performing worse.
