Science Summaries

What Edison Helped Take from Us

2009-03-26T22:42:00.001-07:00

I originally wrote this entry on September 7, 2004, and published it on blogs.sun.com.

Inventions in science and technology are not all about progress.

Every technical invention seems to take something from us in return for what it gives.

With the invention and propagation of basic electric lighting, ultimately brought to every office and home in every city and small town, something sacred was taken from most people--a serene night's sky, which most urbanized people can now see only through the sanitized and limited version that comes to them as images telescopes have viewed, processed and recorded according to their own limitations.

No longer do we need to feel, on a nightly basis, a deep wonder about our place in the universe. The problem has been solved and put to rest.

Structural Analysis of Proteins

2009-03-17T22:00:00.001-07:00

I wrote this entry, originally, on July 4, 2004.

In a recent paper, computer science professor Yuan-Fang Wang of UC Santa Barbara, describes a tool based on 3-D Java for fast protein visualization.

The 3-D structure of proteins determines their biochemical operation.

For example, a great deal of effort was used to map the 3-D structure of Hemoglobin, the main ingredient of our red blood cells, in order to discover and explain how it fixes oxygen.

Computer visualization is only one aspect of structural analysis. In fact, it is one of the last steps in the the geometric analysis of a protein. (The ultimate goal being the actual biochemical function and relationships.)

Another important (and more fundamental) aspect is the actual determination of the geometric structure given a protein's amino acid sequence.

Such determination involves an optimization problem which searches for geometric positioning of protein backbone such that the lowest potential energy state is attained.

This procedure follows from the basic physical principle that all structures prefer the geometry that leads to the lowest potential energy.

The potential engergy can be determined by adding all potential energies due to interactions among the amino acid molecules that have been strung together in a protein.

There is a whole separate art in writing the potential energy equation as a function of molecular positioning and solving it for its lowest value in the hyperdimensional space of the molecular distances. The optimization problem can be solved in a number of ways. Since this is a large-dimension problem, it is important to use some heuristics to start the problem with the protein geometry in a realistic initial state. Following this initial state, the computation searches for neighboring states that have lower potential energy. This sequence is repeated until lowest potential energy "neighborhood" in the hyper-dimensional space of molecular distance vectors is found.

RoboCup--Robotic Soccer

2009-03-17T19:13:00.001-07:00

Robotic soccer has many converts, including Iran, which won the 2nd place in the 2004 German Open's Middle Size league.

There were many German entries, and the first winners come from Osnabruck, Germany, the city of my sister-in-law's family.

RoboCup itself is a larger organization.

At one point, when I was studying with Hubert Dreyfus, I planned to write an essay on whether it was possible for robots to play real soccer.

Well, here is RoboCup's goal: By the year 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world soccer champion team.

It's a lofty goal, and to what degree it will be accomplished is worth watching.

Unless the robots are allowed to injure people, I doubt they'll win . . .

Now, it is time for me to run for my weekend soccer game on the Stanford compus!

Have a wonderful JavaOne and watch for those robots and don't let them beat you ! ! !

An Old Tree

2008-01-25T00:21:00.001-08:00

A short hike at Henry Cowell Redwoods (2006)
Originally uploaded by M.Mortazavi

Yes, this tree is older than you and I.

It has seen scientific theories come and go!

Lichens

2008-01-23T20:39:00.001-08:00

Lichens
Originally uploaded by M.Mortazavi

A friend introduced me to lichens and showed me the simple lens she uses to explore their species.

MRI

2007-03-29T23:45:00.001-07:00

MRI screening may be expensive but it can cut cancer therapy with women, reports note.

See the report in The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 356:1295-1303 March 29, 2007, Number 13):

MRI Evaluation of the Contralateral Breast in Women with Recently Diagnosed Breast Cancer

Constance D. Lehman, M.D., Ph.D., Constantine Gatsonis, Ph.D., Christiane K. Kuhl, M.D., R. Edward Hendrick, Ph.D., Etta D. Pisano, M.D., Lucy Hanna, M.S., Sue Peacock, M.S., Stanley F. Smazal, M.D., Daniel D. Maki, M.D., Thomas B. Julian, M.D., Elizabeth R. DePeri, M.D., David A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., Mitchell D. Schnall, M.D., Ph.D., for the ACRIN Trial 6667 Investigators Group.

Global Warming and Climate Chnage

2007-02-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was set up by WMO and UNEP to "assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation." The fourth assessment of the IPCC will be released under Climate Change 2007. You can also consult IPCC's February 2, 2007 Paris conference webcast for a preview.

These assessment reports do not come out haphazardly. The third assessment was called Climate Change 2001. So, 6 years of further work and data has gone into the new assessment.

David Adam of The Guardian reports from Paris, summarizing some of the highlights of the recent report releases by IPCC's Working Group I, focused on "Physical Science Basis" of climate change.

Average temperatures could increase by as much as 6.4C by the end of the century if emissions continue to rise, with a rise of 4C most likely, according to the final report of an expert panel set up by the UN to study the problem. The forecast is higher than previous estimates, because scientists have discovered that Earth's land and oceans are becoming less able to absorb carbon dioxide.

You can also listen to Guardian's interview with its reporter, Mr. Adam.

The working group has made available The IPCC Working Group I Fourth Assessment Report Summary for Policymakers (SPM). Page 15 of the report contains green house gas concentration measures based on examination of ice-core going back to 10,000 years.