The official science thread.

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Boozeroony

Boozeroony

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Scientific method: "a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses" (Oxford dict.).

It struck me that, while there are a official thread on dozens of subjects, an official science thread is lacking on GAF. A wasted opportunity if you ask me, as I am sure there are quite some scientist here. Many of you will come across stunning facts, unexpected results and miserable failures during scientific work. Let us share those experiences and help each other. Some of you may even be in the same field! Let us appreciate the art of reasoning and critical thinking.

Of course, this thread can also be used to post remarkable news from the scientific community, reporting nonsense from the popular media or just talk about the daily life at work.

Anyway, I will start with my background. I graduated in medical biochem. 2 years ago, but decided to go for a second masters in forensic science. Currently, I am doing my final internship at the Netherlands Forensic Institute and I'm looking into ways to analyse the complex micro-flora of faeces in a forensic setting. The department I'm in is more or less a mixture of non-human biological research: pollen examination, forensic entomology, soil comparisons and fungal traces. I am only allowed to perform R&D yet, but a lot of case-work is being done by others in the department. Very interesting stuff going on.

Some interesting links:

General science:
www.scienceblogs.com
www.physorg.com
www.sciencedaily.com
www.the-scientist.com/

Biology/medicine
www.pubmed.com
www.genome.gov/

So, what is Science-GAF up to these days?

UPDATE: Let's keep religion out of this topic. There are other threads for that.
 
Boozeroony said:
Scientific method: "a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses" (Oxford dict.).

It struck me that, while there are a number of central religious threads, an official science thread is lacking on GAF. A wasted opportunity if you ask me, as I am sure there are quite some scientist here. Many of you will come across stunning facts, unexpected results and miserable failures during scientific work. Let us share those experiences and help each other. Some of you may even be in the same field! Let us appreciate the art of reasoning and critical thinking.

Of course, this thread can also be used to post remarkable news from the scientific community, reporting nonsense from the popular media or just talk about the daily life at work.

Anyway, I will start with my background. I graduated in medical biochem. 2 years ago, but decided to go for a second masters in forensic science. Currently, I am doing my final internship at the Netherlands Forensic Institute and I'm looking into ways to analyse the complex micro-flora of faeces in a forensic setting. The department I'm in is more or less a mixture of non-human biological research: pollen examination, forensic entomology, soil comparisons and fungal traces. I am only allowed to perform R&D yet, but a lot of case-work is being done by others in the department. Very interesting stuff going on.

So, what is Science-GAF up to these days?
Click to expand...


you're a shit-microbiologist?
 
nye.gif


Science Rules
 
I like the idea of the thread, we have one for space but nothing for general sciences. I have a business background but I'm getting read to go back for a masters in nanotechnology, because it tickles my brain so.

However...

Boozeroony said:
Currently, I am doing my final internship at the Netherlands Forensic Institute and I'm looking into ways to analyse the complex micro-flora of faeces in a forensic setting. The department I'm in is more or less a mixture of non-human biological research: pollen examination, forensic entomology, soil comparisons and fungal traces
Click to expand...

I think the only reason that science has any trouble at all when competing with things like religion is exemplified in this sentence. This might be great to communicate with another biologist, but science suffers from a lack of concise communication that can inspire the lay man. Religion has been successful for thousands of years because of it's readily applicable nature to those not skilled in the art, but science has lacked a significant number of prognosticators and public figures that can really bring the lay man into the science camp. Those of us already inspired by science see it as a foregone conclusion that people should 'believe' in it, but science really competes against a number of other forces when it comes to capturing the publics attention.

/rant
 
I graduated University last year with a degree in Pharmacology. My biggest interest in that field is with regards to targeting/using fungi, bacteria and viruses to help immuno-compromised patients.

The title of my thesis was:

'Exploring a role for the potassium channel TOK1 during the oxidative stress of the human pathogenic fungi Candida Albicans'.

Fungicides are becoming gradually less effective (much like antibiotics because organisms are getting more and more resistant to them) so I was looking for something to target a structure only found in fungi, hoping to cause enough oxidative stress to cause the apoptosis of that organism. If we find lots of these substances, we can save a lot of people from dying when they are immuno-compromised (HIV, Chemotherapy etc).
 
RevDM said:
you're a shit-microbiologist?
Click to expand...

I am looking into shit yeah. Actually, I have been looking into many of my friends/family's shit as well. One of the things I am looking at are the similarities between parent and child when it comes to faecal bacteria.
 
Boozeroony said:
I am looking into shit yeah. Actually, I have been looking into many of my friends/family's shit as well. One of the things I am looking at are the similarities between parent and child when it comes to faecal bacteria.
Click to expand...
That's... more than a little disgusting. Why would you choose something like that?
 
Boozeroony said:
I am looking into shit yeah. Actually, I have been looking into many of my friends/family's shit as well. One of the things I am looking at are the similarities between parent and child when it comes to faecal bacteria.
Click to expand...

Booz: I am doing research and would really like your help in participation
friend: Sure, I'd be glad to
Booz: shit in this Tupperware.

science-color.gif


edit: for reals though, I just read in one of the million e-journals that I get bombarded with that people have 1 of 3 types of commensal gut bacteria "ecosystems"
 
Rekubot said:
That's... more than a little disgusting. Why would you choose something like that?
Click to expand...

there's significant interest in mapping the bacterial makeup of people's gastro-intestinal tracts to determine if the makeup is in anyway unique, as it could be used in biometrics for identification. I'm sure there are other reasons too but that just came to mind. Science isn't always pretty...
 
Galvanise_ said:
I graduated University last year with a degree in Pharmacology. My biggest interest in that field is with regards to targeting/using fungi, bacteria and viruses to help immuno-compromised patients.

The title of my thesis was:

'Exploring a role for the potassium channel TOK1 during the oxidative stress of the human pathogenic fungi Candida Albicans'.

Fungicides are becoming gradually less effective (much like antibiotics because organisms are getting more and more resistant to them) so I was looking for something to target a structure only found in fungi, hoping to cause enough oxidative stress to cause the apoptosis of that organism.
Click to expand...

Cool. I did my biochem. thesis on the role of SH3-domains in S. pombe and S. cerevisiae in polar growth.

What are you up to now? Becoming a PhD-student?
 
RevDM said:
Booz: I am doing research and would really like your help in participation
friend: Sure, I'd be glad to
Booz: shit in this Tupperware.

science-color.gif


edit: for reals though, I just read in one of the million e-journals that I get bombarded with that people have 1 of 3 types of commensal gut bacteria "ecosystems"
Click to expand...

I suppose you have read the most recent Nature article? It is quite interesting to read and its supplement keeps me busy these days. With the current boom in whole genome sequencing and next-generation sequencing, a whole lot of other articles are to be expected.
 
Let's get some science jokes here.

All chemical elements walk into a bar. The bartender yells "no noble gases allowed in here!". Argon doesn't react.
 
two atoms walking down the street bump into each other
atom 1: I lost an electron!
atom 2: are you sure?
atom 1: IM POSITIVE!
 
atom 1: "shit i think i left some electrons at the bar"

atom 2: "you sure??"

atom 1: "yea... i'm positive"

damn... got beat
 
A bear in the arctic and a bear in Yosemete jump into a lake at the same time, which melts first?

bear in arctic, because it's polar

What do you call a tooth in a cup of water?

molar solution
 
Rekubot said:
That's... more than a little disgusting. Why would you choose something like that?
Click to expand...

It is not that I am conducting research in a knee-deep pile of steaming shit. General flow-chamber keeps most of the smell away. Seriously, stomach-contents are ten times worse. That really makes me vomit.
 
Boozeroony said:
Cool. I did my biochem. thesis on the role of SH3-domains in S. pombe and S. cerevisiae in polar growth.

What are you up to now? Becoming a PhD-student?
Click to expand...

I'm going into teaching. The UK Pharmaceutical sector is a bit nuts at the moment. There are rumours of some of the big players looking to close down some of their operations here. I noticed that a high proportion of graduates I had spoken to have gone onto other things outside of Pharmacology. People with 1sts and 2.1's here were finding it hard to find work in research.

Luckily for me, I have decent networking in academia. I'm still reading the latest journals and I'll be attending the summer and winter BPS meetings, so if I see something interesting in research come up, I might jump back in.

Have you had any work published? I recently got credited in a Neuropharmacology paper. Feels really nice seeing my name on there!
 
RevDM said:
A bear in the arctic and a bear in Yosemete jump into a lake at the same time, which melts first?

bear in arctic, because it's polar

What do you call a tooth in a cup of water?

molar solution
Click to expand...
Hahaha holy shit
 
I really don't like this thread. It appears to be a sort of rebuttal against religious threads even as it strives so hard not to be.

If there's a scientific discovery worth talking about, we'll make a thread about it. Trying to contain it all in a megathread seems a bit pointless.
 
Pharmacologist joke:

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also called Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.

The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that is has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin.

Pfizer Corp. announced today that VIAGRA will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of "cocktails," "highballs" and just a good old-fashioned "stiff drink." Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: "MOUNT & DO"
 
Your Excellency said:
I really don't like this thread. It appears to be a sort of rebuttal against religious threads even as it strives so hard not to be.

If there's a scientific discovery worth talking about, we'll make a thread about it. Trying to contain it all in a megathread seems a bit pointless.
Click to expand...

Your Excellency, I'm trying to map science-GAF and the research it is doing. Unless a fellow GAF-member contributes to a huge scientific discovery, most of its research will not reach general media. This thread is not solely about Higgs Bosons or other huge topics in science. It is about communicating our personal experience with science and the things we run into while conducting it.
 
Galvanise_ said:
Pharmacologist joke:

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also called Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.

The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that is has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin.

Pfizer Corp. announced today that VIAGRA will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of "cocktails," "highballs" and just a good old-fashioned "stiff drink." Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: "MOUNT & DO"
Click to expand...

w2r5m.gif
 
Boozeroony said:
Your Excellency, I'm trying to map science-GAF and the research it is doing. Unless a fellow GAF-member contributes to a huge scientific discovery, most of its research will not reach general media. This thread is not solely about Higgs Bosons or other huge topics in science. It is about communicating our personal experience with science and the things we run into while conducting it.
Click to expand...

You are the very first person on Neogaf to have actually referred to me as Your Excellency. Everyone else - literally, every single other person - avoids saying my name.


Anyway, if this thread is about personal experience with science rather than scientific discoveries in the news, then that is acceptable.
 
I remember you, there was a topic about your job and people (including me) asked the same questions you're answering right now :lol
 
Your Excellency said:
Anyway, if this thread is about personal experience with science rather than scientific discoveries in the news, then that is acceptable.
Click to expand...

Why, why thank you Your Excellency! *resumes groveling in dirt*
 
Your Excellency said:
You are the very first person on Neogaf to have actually referred to me as Your Excellency. Everyone else - literally, every single other person - avoids saying my name.


Anyway, if this thread is about personal experience with science rather than scientific discoveries in the news, then that is acceptable.
Click to expand...
Who are you to approve whether something is worth a thread or not?
 
Doing general science in college looking to probably specialize in chemistry or microbiology. Just wondering about ye guys experience in each field and which would be better to get a job in and general stuff like that.
 
Giard said:
I remember you, there was a topic about your job and people (including me) asked the same questions you're answering right now :lol
Click to expand...

Haha, yes, that is me. In the meantime I have collected my own stool every month, just to measure the variety of faecal bacteria over time.
 
I'm curious about what happens when you tell people what you do (if you do publicize your area of study). Do they treat you like some kind of closet scat fetishists or are they cool with it even if a little put off?
 
Lets start by introducing what fields we are interested/studying in

BS Biochemistry & Cell Biology
MD candidate for 2014 (finishing up first year in about a month wooo!)
 
Starfish_Oxide said:
Doing general science in college looking to probably specialize in chemistry or microbiology. Just wondering about ye guys experience in each field and which would be better to get a job in and general stuff like that.
Click to expand...

Microbiology could get you a job in the food industry. I have done research on the heat resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores, which may be present in (canned) food, even after UV-treatment.

Chemistry could get you into a whole variety of jobs, but I am no expert in that field.
 
Boozeroony said:
Microbiology could get you a job in the food industry. I have done research on the heat resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores, which may be present in (canned) food, even after UV-treatment.

Chemistry could get you into a whole variety of jobs, but I am no expert in that field.
Click to expand...

Aye, I did a bit of work for Unilever Bestfoods in their lab, and we did irradiation tests, took samples for bacteria level measurements, titrations etc. It was really good. I rather liked the application of microbiology/chemistry in the food industry.
 
Galvanise_ said:
Aye, I did a bit of work for Unilever Bestfoods in their lab, and we did irradiation tests, took samples for bacteria level measurements, titrations etc. It was really good. I rather liked the application of microbiology/chemistry in the food industry.
Click to expand...

My work was joint project between Unilever and the University of Amsterdam. Nice topic indeed. Somehow I always end up doing microbiology, despite my biochemical background.
 
awesomeapproved said:
Ok let's go then. Topic: Ring world. Go.
Click to expand...

I suppose the first discussion would be to determine gravity. The force won't come from the mass of the world, but instead the rotational/tangential acceleration, much like the station in 2001. Any physicists want to take a crack (i could but, well i'm at work and i'm lazy and just finished my first physics class)
 
The theory of relativity, is just that. A Theory.
 
RevDM said:
Lets start by introducing what fields we are interested/studying in

BS Biochemistry & Cell Biology
MD candidate for 2014 (finishing up first year in about a month wooo!)
Click to expand...

I've got my Masters in Physics, getting my PhD in 18~24 months. I'm published (lead author!), and have a hopefully decent career ahead of me).
 
Yaweee said:
I've got my Masters in Physics, getting my PhD in 18~24 months. I'm published (lead author!), and have a hopefully decent career ahead of me).
Click to expand...

I am sure that you will, as you've already got this far. So what is your subject?
 
Boozeroony said:
I am sure that you will, as you've already got this far. So what is your subject?
Click to expand...

Accelerators (the accelerating part and experiments, not the detector part that 'particle' or 'high-energy' physicists work on)

Competition can be really rough for Physics PhDs, and it can be pretty restrictive on where potential jobs are. I need to get the hell away from where I'm living now for my experiment.
 
Veidt said:
The theory of relativity, is just that. A Theory.
Click to expand...
oh boy here we go.jpg

Theory, in a scientific context, means "Working body of knowledge that offers an explanation for observed phenomena." It does not mean "guess" or even "really good guess." That said, evolution is also a fact: We do indeed see changes in the genetic makeup of organisms over time, and evolutionary theory provides the reasons why this occurs.
 
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