Education, Health, History

Singular focus on what’s important

How many of us have a clean desk, uncluttered mind, and regular routine as we pursue projects?

In the 1880s, an Australian student named Richard Hodgson had the opportunity to study philosophy and literature at St. John’s College College, Cambridge (in the United Kingdom). It was a big investment in time and money to move from Australia to England, so he was determined to make the most of his chance. His recounted daily schedule:
He rose at 7:30am every morning, having the same breakfast of an egg, milk, bread and tea at 8am. For an hour he read. From 9am-noon, he wrote essays (his school assignments) or attended class. At noon, he ate a lunch of bread and tea. He then read until 3:45pm. He then played tennis before having a snack. Post-snack, it was additional workouts: weights, fencing, or boxing. His 9pm dinner consisted of bread, eggs, and tea. Following dinner, he read poetry until his 11:30pm bedtime.

In a letter to a friend, he commented on his routine, saying: “regularity for the organism is everything”

Of course, there was no radio, TV, or internet to distract him. But he avoided reading the daily newspaper or other magazines, never went to gambling parlors (where people played cards and socialized), bars (where other students often spent time), and coffee shops (which he presumably regarded as a waste of time or distracting).

How much of today’s life (supposedly better) takes us away from our important life goals? Today’s clutter include myriad food choices to select from (and the required time to pick up and wait for food), filling idle time with whatever is on the internet or streaming video (instead of devoting time to goal-directed reading). Mr. Hodgson never had time to be bored because his routine was dedicated to his singular goal of learning as much as possible. Note his dedication to physical fitness in the 1880s. Mens sana in corpore sano.

What is your academic (or other life) goal? How much time do you dedicate toward this goal on a daily basis? How much time is wasted on things that don’t help you accomplish your goal (video games, deciding what to eat, checking your phone)?

Recounted by Deborah Blum, professor of science journalism, University of Wisconsin

Europe, Health

Welcome to 2020: Year of the Nurse

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse”. In celebration of the professionals who provide 90% of a patient’s contact with a health worker, a few facts about one of the world’s most famous nurses. British nurse Florence Nightingale (who lived in the late 1800s) accomplished the following:
• She wrote around 200 (!) books and papers during her nursing career.
• In 1860 she drew a revolutionary version of the pie-chart (called the Coxcomb diagram) showing infection rates of British soldiers and made the case for hospital disinfection, making her a pioneer in infographic presentation.
• She spoke 4 languages very well (English, French, German, and Italian) and knew the classical languages Latin and Greek.
• Campaigned the British government for laws to improve hospital sanitation (specifically running water), which dramatically decreased death rates due to infection.
• Her birthday, May 12, is celebrated as International Nurses Day.
• Her parents disapproved of her career choice.
(Sources: The Economist and Mental Floss magazines)

Books

End-of-Year Reading Recommendations

Though not newly published, two worthwhile non-fiction books to spend time reading: For anyone interested in the global energy system, Dan Yergin’s “The Quest” (2011) is worth your time. Covering everything from the creation of large multi-national oil companies in the late ’90s to current efforts to generate photovoltaic energy, you’ll be the better for reading this.

For those looking to understand art and applications to science, you’d be well served to spend time with Walter Isaacson’s biography of Leonardo da Vinci (2017). You’ll learn new tidbits (including that Leonardo was a musician), hear about his complicated family life, and go beyond the usual Leonardo favorites. Inspirational and enjoyable reading!

 

Health, Research, Technology

Contribute to cancer research…with your computer!

Unlocking the DNA sequence was celebrated in the early 2000s as providing the key to curing disease. Overlooked is the relative lack of information about the structure of folded proteins. Most of the known protein structures studied are bacterial; of all the known protein structures, only 25% are human (2017 data). The proteins in our bodies are responsible for everything from sending signals in autoimmune disease to driving the uncontrolled growth in cancer. Knowing the structure of proteins allows researchers to design and build drugs that impair their action.

You can contribute to unlocking the structure of proteins with your desktop/laptop computer and internet connection. Through the Folding@Home research project run by a Stanford professor, you can load a free program onto your computer that runs in the background. Using your computer’s processing power, folding simulations are run and the data you generate contributes to research. The program runs mathematical calculations to determine how the proteins will fold in the most energetically favorable shape. By unlocking the computer power of computers all over the world, protein structures can be determined and used by researchers to better understand disease.

foldingathome.org

Education, Medical Education, Research

NIH lecture on Artificial Intelligence in Radiology

At a recent National Institutes of Health Grand Rounds Lecture in October, Curtis Langlotz, a Stanford Univ. medical doctor and bioinformatics researcher, gave a lecture detailing his work to bring artificial intelligence to radiology image interpretation. What was striking about his one-hour lecture is how his research not only  involves medical expertise, but also an in-depth knowledge of computer science and linguistics. Traditionally, experts have been viewed as individuals who know much about one specific area. To be on the cutting edge of research, one often has to be an expert in multiple areas. Of course, Prof. Langlotz probably didn’t expect that his work would take him into linguistics, but interdisciplinary work requires an open mind and frequently takes detours into new and exciting areas.

The future? A computer assisting doctors to be sure that small masses are detected before they become massive tumors!

Research

Paid Summer Research at University Labs via the NSF

It’s not too early to start thinking about summer opportunities. Through the federal-funded National Science Foundation, researchers from across the country can pay undergraduate summer researchers in their labs. Though you will have to apply to the individual lab (and be accepted), you will have the opportunity to work on your own research project and contribute to the lab’s research. Start your search by visiting the link below to see a list of universities and researchers in the NSF’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program (if the link is disabled, search for “NSF REU sites Biological Sciences”):

https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5047

Communication, Education, Medical Education, Research

Science Communication Seminar via Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science

Great opportunity to attend a web conference sponsored by the Alan Alda Center for Science Communication at Stony Brook University last week. Simply amazing to be selected for this online conference. The Alda Center brought together a group of people from all over the world who all communicate about science in their work (other professors, government researchers, consultants). We spent the session engaged in a role-playing improvisation session to stimulate brainstorming. We then fruitfully discussed how to better explain science topics to audiences with varying levels of expertise. Highly recommend the Alda Center’s programs to other science teachers and anyone else who explains science as part of their everyday work. Hope to be invited back for another conference!

https://www.aldacenter.org/

 

Education

No excuses: free online tutoring

 

The first months of the semester are a great time to get tutoring help before it’s too late. NVCC has partnered with one of the nation’s premier online tutoring companies, “tutor.com” to provide freeunlimited tutoring for NVCC students. Convenient for your schedule (available 24/7) and integrated via Canvas with all of your college classes (you can pull down a menu and request a tutor who specifically familiar with your NVCC course). You can even submit written essays for editing (12- hour notice required). There is no excuse for not getting extra help while studying. Normally, this service would cost you thousands of dollars but is free to you. Why not set up a regular meeting with a tutor so that you won’t fall behind? Visit tutor.com in your Canvas portal (use your laptop/desktop computer, tutoring classroom features are limited on your smartphone).

Career Development, Education, Internships

Paid Internship at USGS

Calling NVCC students! Have an interest in how science/technology, the law, and business development intersect? Maybe you didn’t know they intersect? The United States Geological Survey (USGS) based in Reston, VA is looking to hire you for a paid internship through the fall semester. The USGS is a federal agency that studies the natural resources of the US and encompasses four scientific disciplines: biology, hydrology, geography, and geology. Contact me via email for additional application information on this amazing opportunity.

Education

Back to school! Optimize your studying!

Ease on into the fall semester with Tuesday afternoon study-tip sessions. Hear useful suggestions on how to improve your academic performance, meet ASC tutors, and enjoy light refreshments. Why just spend more hours studying, when studying smarter may be the answer? In AA-234, on Tuesdays this semester:

Sept 10: “Backwards” reading for better comprehension

Sept 17: Getting more out of lectures

Sept 24: Citations 101

Oct 1: Compelling transfer application essays

Oct 8: “Do it now” avoiding procrastination

Can’t make Tuesday afternoon? Evening sessions are on the schedule too, Thursdays at 5:30!