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The Intelligent Sea Lion

The Intelligent Sea Lion
By Shoshana Harlem, Terra Linda High School


The brain of a sea lion!

Can an animal still be a good scientist without thumbs? The answer is yes, because the sea lion is in this exact situation. Although sea lions have no thumbs, they have a big brain. Their brain is about the same size as a chimpanzee brain. They are one of the few mammals besides dolphins, humans, elephants, and whales that have brains that weigh more than 1.51Lbs. Scientists are not sure why the sea lion has such a big brain, but they think that it might be because they have a large body size and those two usually correspond. Other theories have to do with the weightlessness of the marine environment, coping with cold water temperature, or perhaps it is just a random outcome of evolution.

The sea lion’s brain consists of different regions for processing information from their whiskers. A specific, corresponding, area in the brainstem is devoted to each whisker on the sea lion’s nose. The areas in their brain that are responsible for processing touch information from the whiskers and the skin are the thalamus, cortex, and brainstem. Likewise, the human brain has specific areas which correspond to the individual fingers of a person. The whiskers on the sea lion assist with sea lion behavior and sensation. There are certain areas in the sea lion’s brain which are made for processing touch sensations from their flappers and tail. Scientists don’t know a lot about the sea lions cerebral skills. The sea lion has a particular part of their brain called the Bischoff’s Nucleus, which is very well-developed. It is surprising that sea lions have this part of their brain because it is usually found in animals with prominent tails such as kangaroos, raccoons, and whales. But the sea lion’s tail is tucked and small behind its hind flippers.
A sea lion’s very important whiskers!
On each side of a sea lion’s face, are 38 whiskers. The whiskers can grow to be eight inches in length and are really sensitive. The sea lion produces more nerve fibers than any other animal in the animal kingdom. Its whiskers can be helpful in many ways too. One way is that they use their whiskers is to spot a fish by looking for changes in the flow of the water. They can find fish that are swimming up to 590 feet away from them. The whiskers can also help a sea lion know the differences between shapes and sizes up to as far as a fraction of a centimeter.
Amazingly, the sea lion’s brain is capable of higher cognitive functioning. A sea lion can play a game of Concentration. Through trial and error, they can match unrelated symbol pairs. They can also recognize signals, which is really useful in the wild. In this way they can find food, and know if someone is their friend or their enemy. Sea lions also have the ability to think logically. The can know that if a=b and b=c, then a=c.

To learn more about why sea lions are such good scientists, come to the Marin Science Seminar at Terra Linda High School in room 207 on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. Claire Simeone DVM of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito will be speaking. Join us and learn!

Sources:


         

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Paper Planes and World Record Breaking: An Interview with John Collins

by Zach Griggy, San Marin High School, Novato

Inside a hanger at McClellan Airfield, a crowd gathered to watch an attempt to break the World Record in paper aircraft distance. Following a throw, the airplane began to climb into the air. Halfway across the hanger, the paper aircraft stalled briefly, beginning a glide towards the concrete floor below. Approaching the ground, the plane pulled out and sailed across a white line. In those nine seconds, the World Record for Paper Aircraft Distance was broken.

John Collins, the maker of that record-breaking paper airplane, has been designing paper planes for years. He has written books and appeared on many television programs, including the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. On January 11th, 2017, John Collins gave a talk at Marin Science Seminar about aerodynamics and paper airplane design.

Following his talk, we interviewed Mr. Collins about his profession and his design process.

1. How did you first become interested in making and paper airplanes?

I just never got out of paper airplanes.  Most people get over it a few months after getting into it.  I started with planes, moved into origami, and then took all of those folding tricks back to paper airplanes.

2. How many attempts did you make in order to achieve the World Record for Paper Airplane Distance? How did these earlier attempts influence later attempts and designs?

Countless.  I worked on it for 3 years.  Joe (the thrower) was with me for the last 18 months.  We went through Moffett Field, Mojave, and finally succeeded in McClellan Airfield.  We started out with a ballistic style dart, but Joe couldn’t beat the old world record with that kind of plane.  We switched to a glider strategy, and immediately knew we were on the right track.  It took a lot of tinkering with the design and taping scheme to come up with the winning plane.  The folding pattern ended up being my very first try with A4 paper three years before.

3. How has the Maker Movement influenced you and/or your design process?

It was inspirational to be sure.  They asked me to participate in the very first Maker Faire in San Mateo, 13 years ago.  I’ve been part of every one since.  My first book was published 13 years before that first Maker Faire, so perhaps we influenced each other.  My design process hasn’t really changed, but it’s been fun interacting with high end tinkerers.  

4. What are the best parts of your job? What are the worst?

Easy; the best part is the audience reaction.  When kids light up and start asking questions, it makes it all worthwhile.  Every once in a while, I have to fold hundreds of the same kind of plane for an event.  That’s a bit tedious, but I put on some music, find my comfortable work chair, lay out the paper and get to work.  I count the sheets of paper before I start making the planes.  When I make it to the bottom of the stack, I’m finished.

5. What advice would you give to makers or students who wish to become makers?

Find something you enjoy and follow it.  Don’t be afraid to change paths, even more than once.  I started in planes, moved to origami, and then discovered my real passion was taking one technology and throwing it at the other.  If you’re going to be the best at anything, you have to love it.  Nobody can force you (at least in this country) to give up food, sleep, or being with friends to accomplish a big goal.  You can’t really compete with someone who’s willing to do that.  You have to be that passionate about your craft.  That passion is self-imposed; it comes from deep inside.  External forces will try to resist it. 

Video Footage of the seminar will be available on Vimeo*. The Spring 2017 Schedule can be accessed here. 

*Please note that it takes some time for footage to be processed and uploaded. A link will be added to this page when the video has been uploaded

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The Physics of the Perfect Paper Airplane

The Physics of the Perfect Paper Airplane

1st Marin Science Seminar of 2017 on 
Wednesday January 11th, 2017
Terra Linda High School, Room 207
320 Nova Albion, San Rafael 94903

Paper airplanes have become part of an important movement in the 21st century. It’s called “making”. Some people want to couch the movement as a rejection of television, video games, and mobile devices. That’s upside down. Look at Makers. They don’t reject anything. They consume all of that and then start using it for their own purposes. They are up to their elbows in the technology and loving it. Paper airplanes have the scientific method built in. They beg you to experiment. The hope of the world is in the hands of scientists. We need all of them we can get. We have no spare brains on the planet. Join us to learn about and experiment with the physics of the perfect paper airplane.

John Collins is the Guinness World Record holder for paper airplane distance. His love of paper airplanes has taken him around the globe. He has been invited to fly planes on four continents, and for some of the biggest companies in the world. His corporate clients have included Google Zeitgeist, Intuit, and Genentech, while his educational clients include Stanford and Rice universities, Carnegie Mellon, the Exploratorium, Maker Faire, and well as institutions around the world. John has appeared on all the major U.S. news television stations, as well as on Conan, science programs, and in numerous print media.

Learn more at Marin Science Seminar – Follow us on Facebook

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Spring ’17 Internship Applications Due 12/31: Science Journalism, Photography & Videography

Marin Teens! (HS and college age) Want a cool spring internship? Check out Marin Science Seminar internships. You can apply online. http://www.marinscienceseminar.com/interns.html

Marin Science Seminar Internships
Spring 2017 Internship dates: Jan. 10 – Apr. 13
Deadline to receive online app: December 31, 2016 
Apply Online

Explore science and technology, meet scientists and medical professionals, gain experience for your resume and college applications, develop a portfolio! 

 
Meet the Marin Science Seminar from Marin Science Seminar on Vimeo.

MSS interns attend and assist with a  6 science seminars per semester, during which they meet the speakers and assist with various logistical duties. Sessions take place on Wednesday evenings at Terra Linda High School, Room 207, during the school year. Interns arrive evening of a session at 7 pm and are free to leave once breakdown is completed (between 8:30 and 9 pm).
Interns also assist in researching and creating materials about event topics, creating and distributing outreach materials, social networking and online development of Marin Science Seminar’s mission to attract more students to the fields of science, technology and math. Other than attending MSS sessions, duties will depend on student interests and background. Training is provided for some intern tasks. 

Below is a comparison of the internships currently being offered. 

Writing or Photojournalism (Photography & Writing) Videography or Film & Photojournalism
Attend and assist at MSS sessions, 6 Wednesday evenings per semester, 7 – 9pm Attend and assist at MSS sessions, 6 Wednesday evenings per semester, 7 – 9pm
At Terra Linda High School, San Rafael, Room 207 At Terra Linda High School, San Rafael, Room 207
Submit 2 writing samples (plus photo samples for Photojournalism) Submit 2 video samples (plus photo samples for Film & Photojournalism)
Familiarity with basic blogging interfaces (e.g. Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress) Able to edit video using video editing software
Facebook and/or Instagram familiarity Facebook and/or Instagram familiarity
Training in blogging software provided Recording equipment and SC cards & reader provided
Questions?  Contact us.
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“What Really Killed the Dinosaurs?” with Courtney Sprain of UC Berkeley’s Dept. of Earth & Planetary Science

What Really Killed the Dinosaurs? 

with Courtney Sprain of UC Berkeley’s Dept. of Earth & Planetary Science
Wednesday, November16, 2016

7:30 – 8:30 pm
Terra Linda High School, Room 207
320 Nova Albion, San Rafael, CA 93903
Last Marin Science Seminar of 2016
Ammonites, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, and most famously, dinosaurs, are just a small percentage of the 75% of species that went extinct at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. What caused this mass extinction? Was it a giant meteor impact? Massive outpourings of lava and gas? Or something else all together? Join Ph.D. student, Courtney Sprain, as she walks you through the very Berkeley-centric history of the of the mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and how current UC-Berkeley scientists are employing new techniques to further understand what really killed the dinosaurs. 

Courtney Sprain is a graduate student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley. In addition to her work at the Berkeley Geochronology Center with Paul Renne on late Cretaceous Earth history, Courtney Sprain works on the records of late Mesoproterozoic paleogeography and paleointensity from the North American Midcontinent Rift in the UC Berkeley Paleomagnetism Lab.

Join us and Learn! 
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An Interview with Dr. Tobias Marton – MSS Speaker 11/9/16

By Shoshana Harlem, Terra Linda High School

Did you know that each year about 20 million people in the United States get diagnosed with depression? Worldwide, more than 350 million people suffer from depression. Depression is a mental illness where a person’s sadness lasts more than two weeks. Depression can lead to all sorts of problems including suicide. Dr. Tobias Marton, Assistant Professor at UCSF, studies and helps people who suffer from depression.

In advance of his talk at TLHS, he provided the following information:

1. What made you become interested in being a Psychiatrist and studying depression?

 I became interested in medicine and biology during my junior year of high school while taking AP biology and harboring a mild obsession with the hit TV show ER. Prior to then, I really hadn’t thought too much about becoming a scientist or doctor and was actually much more interested in history and music. The summer between my junior and senior year I was able to get an internship working at a local biotech company that studied genes relevant to neurobiology, and from then on I became very interested in the complexity of the brain. I worked in a couple of different neurobiology research labs during my undergraduate years at Berkeley while taking my premed courses and knew I wanted to practice medicine in either neurology or psychiatry because they both involved different aspects of brain function. It became clear to me during medical school that I was a natural fit for psychiatry because I really enjoyed talking to people and trying to understand their stories and how they came to be who they are today, in addition to having a good temperament in sitting with patients that can pose behavioral challenges.

My interest in studying and treating depression really developed during my psychiatry residency. Depression is very common across all age groups, genders and socioeconomic groups and it’s also a leading cause of suicide in the United States. Many mental health professionals regard the current situation with depression and suicide in the U.S. as a public health crisis, and yet it’s not an illness that we as a society are comfortable discussing and addressing in the open, like we do with other diseases such as cancer and heart disease. We’ve made considerable advances in the last decade in our understanding of the brain and how it changes during depressive illness. These insights are starting to generate new treatments that I am excited to help bring to our patients and their families.

2. What is it about your work that led, you to be given the National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award in 2012? 

The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) are very committed to supporting psychiatrists with scientific training in developing a career as a physician-scientist in order to help bring new treatments to patients struggling with mental illness. Based on the quality of my PhD work, I was identified by the NIMH during my residency as someone whom they wanted to support and encourage to continue in psychiatric research.


3. What are the hardest parts of your job?
At a very basic level, the practice of medicine is to sit with, and help alleviate, human suffering on a daily basis. For most physicians, this is the very reason we chose a career in medicine and feel it is a great privilege to be present with a patient and family during times of suffering. That being said, this can be an emotionally and physically exhausting line of work. To have a sustainable career in medicine and avoid burnout, it’s really important to have a balanced, positive and rejuvenating life outside of the hospital. Finding that balance on a daily basis is crucial to one’s personal job satisfaction and happiness and is also a constant challenge to maintain.

4. What kind of research are you currently working on?
Currently I am working on publishing some research I conducted during my research fellowship which used optogenetic technology to study the neural circuitry of the prefrontal cortex in mice during a cognitively challenging task. I am also getting started now on a project at San Francisco VA with Dr. Wallace (former Marin Science Seminar speaker) which will investigate the effects of ketamine administration on blood flow to prefrontal cortex in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
5. What advice would you give to people who are suffering from depression?

The biggest challenge mental health professionals face in treating depression and preventing suicide is that many people suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts never seek help. The important thing to know is that there are many effective treatments available that can really help people feel better and like their best selves again, so there is no need to continue suffering in silence. Seek help! Recovery is very possible but only if you make the first step to reach out for help – this first step could include talking to family members, counselors, teachers or your primary physician who can then start the referral process to a mental health professional. You can always call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 which is staffed 24 hours/day. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI – www.nami.org) is also a great organization with many resources available on line and in person.

Join us for his free Marin Science Seminar talk on Wednesday, November 9th, 2016, 7:30 – 8:30 pm at Terra Linda High School, Room 207, 320 Nova Albion, San Rafael, California

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Invention in Medicine this Wed. 10/26/16

Marin Science Seminar for Teens & Community Presents

Invention in Medicine

How Medical Devices get Invented and Go to Market

with Art Wallace MD PhD of UCSF & VAMC SF
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
7:30 – 8:30 pm
Terra Linda High School, Room 207
320 Nova Albion, San Rafael, CA 94903 

Art Wallace started out in experimental surgery and radiology studying imaging of the heart using CT

scanners. He has worked on a number of devices that originally were built for experimental studies that evolved into clinically useful devices including a cardiac output monitor, the off pump CABG, off pump aneurysm surgery, electronic sedation, and a selective coronary vasodialtor. Dr. Wallace will explain his experiences with the inventive process using examples from both device design and drug development. There will be a brief discussion of the importance of intellectual property, patents, venture capital, FDA approval, and business development in completing the invention process. There will be a demonstration of his recent developmental project on a non-contact, remote patient monitor designed to prevent cardiac arrests.

Dr. Wallace is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care at UCSF Medical Center, and Chief of Anesthesia Service at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Dr. Wallace holds a B.S. in Engineering from Yale University and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His Ph.D. is in Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Wallace completed his anesthesiology residency and a fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesiology at UCSF.

Follow Marin Science Seminar on: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Vimeo
Join us and Learn! 
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The Code of Life & the Justice System

presents
The Code of Life & the Justice System
 How DNA is used in Criminal & Humanitarian Investigations
 with Brian Harmon PhD of California Department of Justice 
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016
7:30 – 8:30 pm
Terra Linda High School
320 Nova Albion, San Rafael, California 94903
ROOM 207 
 Find out the truth as we take a trip into a forensic lab, and find out how analysis of crime scene DNA evidence works. We’ll discuss how a DNA profile is generated, what information it provides, and how it is used to assist criminal and humanitarian investigations. We’ll also discuss careers in Forensic Science and how interested students can prepare themselves for a career in Forensic Science. 
Brian Harmon has more than a decade of experience in forensic DNA analysis in his work for private labs, human rights projects and the government. He also provides training to forensic scientists from around the world. 
Follow Marin Science Seminar on: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Vimeo
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An Interview with Dr. Maggie Louie

By Zack Griggy, San Marin HS

           Cancer is a widespread problem. The American Cancer Society estimates that this year over 1.6 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer and another half a million are expected to die from it. Dr. Maggie Louie is an experienced researcher in the fields of cancer. Currently, she runs an active cancer research center that studies breast cancer.

To find out more about Dr. Louie’s work and her research, we conducted an interview:

1. How did you first become interested in studying cancer?

I did a medical internship the summer of my junior year in high school and I got to shadow two surgeons.  One of the surgeries that I observed was a 40-year cancer patient undergo double mastectomy.  At the age of 16, just thinking about how breast cancer can take away an organ that partly defines someone’s women-hood had a significant effect on me.  At that moment, I became quite interested in cancer.

2. What studies have you conducted in the past? How have they led you to where you are today?

My lab has conducted many studies.  One of the studies that we did was to study how exposure to chronic low-levels of cadmium impacts on progression of the disease.  Our results show that even at low levels, cadmium promotes more aggressive cancer characteristics and alters the gene expression patterns of the cancer cells.

3. How is tamoxifen used to treat breast cancer? How does a tumor develop resistance to it?

Tamoxifen is an estrogen receptor antagonist and blocks estrogen from activating the receptor and promoting breast cancer growth.

 4. How do metals such as cadmium activate estrogen receptors? How might these metals influence the development of a tumor?

Cadmium is a metalloestrogen and is known to bind and activate the estrogen receptor.  It has also been shown to promote breast cancer growth.  While we know that heavy metals like cadmium promote cancer growth, scientists are still working to understand how it works.

5. What are the best parts of your job? What are the worst?

The best parts of my job are working with students and using research to inspire them to be interested in science.  The less attractive side of my job is that research is very repetitive and redundant, and sometimes you don’t see an impact for many years.

6. And finally, do you have any advice for students who aspire to study cancer?

 Students should definitely consider studying cancer as this disease will touch everyone in some way, directly or indirectly, and they will be making a difference.  

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Marin Science Seminar Internships Still Available

Marin Science Seminar still has two high school student internship spaces available. Interns must be able to attend science seminars on select Wednesday evenings at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael. Interns arrive at 7 pm to set up, assist with the seminar, and can leave when the seminar is cleaned up by 8:45 pm. Specialties are also available for students interested in writing, photography, videography, and social media.

Start your application online today at this link!

See the calendar here: http://www.marinscienceseminar.com/calendar.html

More information about MSS internships can be found on the website at this link:
http://www.marinscienceseminar.com/interns.html

 Join us and learn!
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