To recap, Pi = 'the the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter which has the same value as the ratio of the circle's area to the square of its radius.
Here is to wishing all lovers of maths a happy Pi day.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
For the love of maths
So today (3/14) if going by the American date format has been set aside to celebrate the mathematical constant Pi. Remember this formula, "Area of a circle = πr2"?.
To recap, Pi = 'the the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter which has the same value as the ratio of the circle's area to the square of its radius.
Why is this relevant? Click here to ask Pi-day
Here is to wishing all lovers of maths a happy Pi day.
To recap, Pi = 'the the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter which has the same value as the ratio of the circle's area to the square of its radius.
Here is to wishing all lovers of maths a happy Pi day.
Friday, 8 March 2013
A women's day piece
Women's days is here once again. This year my thoughts have drifted away from women in science to a more general outlook on women through this short piece. Enjoy!!!
Loving yet ruthless, weak yet strong, run down but yet you press on.
The typical description of your average woman.
A priceless gem so appealing to all.
Faced with any situation and she is sure to triumph.
Through the darkness she spots the light.
Like the leaves changing with the seasons yet the stump remains deeply rooted in the ground. Such is the gift of a woman.
Making ends meet, keeping the family together, looking out for everyone else without a second thought for herself, toiling on from dawn till dusk when she finally catches a moment for herself. Feet up, head on the pillow and the sunrises once again ready to face another day.
With every sunrise comes a smile, the smile worn for victory. Victory from living to combat another day.
With as many hands as the octopus, no one can multitask as efficient as the woman.
Be it the hawker on the street, the rejected lady with no shelter at night, be it the teenager dropping out of school or the little girl facing abuse, each one has a success story to tell.
She braves the storm, breaks the rules and against all odds live on to fight still wearing that smile of victory.
Fight for our liberation, for our rightful place in society, fight for our voice to be heard.
Today we have taken our seat at the table and with laughter we can shout from the roof tops.
We are here to stay. Women's day is here to stay.
Happy international women's day to all you women out there.
Loving yet ruthless, weak yet strong, run down but yet you press on.
The typical description of your average woman.
A priceless gem so appealing to all.
Faced with any situation and she is sure to triumph.
Through the darkness she spots the light.
Like the leaves changing with the seasons yet the stump remains deeply rooted in the ground. Such is the gift of a woman.
Making ends meet, keeping the family together, looking out for everyone else without a second thought for herself, toiling on from dawn till dusk when she finally catches a moment for herself. Feet up, head on the pillow and the sunrises once again ready to face another day.
With every sunrise comes a smile, the smile worn for victory. Victory from living to combat another day.
With as many hands as the octopus, no one can multitask as efficient as the woman.
Be it the hawker on the street, the rejected lady with no shelter at night, be it the teenager dropping out of school or the little girl facing abuse, each one has a success story to tell.
She braves the storm, breaks the rules and against all odds live on to fight still wearing that smile of victory.
Fight for our liberation, for our rightful place in society, fight for our voice to be heard.
Today we have taken our seat at the table and with laughter we can shout from the roof tops.
We are here to stay. Women's day is here to stay.
Happy international women's day to all you women out there.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Who is an African expert???
Komla Dumor of BBC hitting the nail on the head with his entertaining TEDxEuston video. Enjoy!!!
Sharing your story to inspire the next generation
The Research Council UK, has recently published a collection of real life experiences from various researchers on their career journey.
This is an excellent source of information, inspiration and motivation for upcoming researchers. Take your pick here.
Friday, 22 February 2013
Today's Science Break through
Discovery of penicillin, The first murine antibody, Landing on the moon, Dolly the sheep, Launching onto mars, The earth is not flat, Profiling the complete human genome etc etc. Off the top of my head, these are a few key scientific breakthrough's over the years, many before my time and the list could go on. Depending on your age you would either have woken up one morning to one of these stories headlining the news or you may stumble upon the literature at some point through education, career or on a TV quiz show.
I was asked an interesting question during a recent interview which inspired this blog. What would you consider the key scientific advancements of today?????
The first thing that came to mind was nanotechnology, then the dog that had been treated of paralysis and then the passing of Venus (this doesn't really count as a breakthrough though as it's more of a natural occurrence). Others that flashed across my thoughts included the growing of sperm cells from skin cells and the ongoing debates on open access journalism.
As my first thought was on nanotechnology, that was my answer. However, on hindsight I would say stem cells or gene therapy. Now if you are of scientific background and you read this post, I believe your answer would be tailored to your field of interest and the advancement in that area, If you are not a scientist however, I am curious to hear from you on what you consider to be a key scientific advancement today.
Why did nanotechnology come to mind? Well, I recently graduated from my MSc (Pharmaceutical Science with management studies) and you know the scenario where as you prepare for exams there is always the inevitable question predicted to be on the paper and so you study the subject inside out? Such was the case with one of my modules (development, manufacturing and regulation of medicines) and the lecture on drug delivery systems was a favorite tipped for the exam paper. The focus on this topic was the use of nano particles as potential drug carrier. This has been and still is at the heart of many pharmaceutics today as nano particles are envisaged to be less toxic, present lesser side effects and can easily adsorb and carry other compounds. Like all new discoveries however, there are potential hazards. Having read, re-read and written about this recent development for months, no surprise then that it influenced my answer.
Stem cells on the other hand I believe are more exciting to explore. It is almost like one of those super hero characters who have the power to impersonate all they come in contact with. One can basically mold stem cells to become what is desired. Obviously the process is a lot more complex. There is a lot of ongoing research exploring Stem cell therapy and a key area of development has been in the treatment of leukemia using bone marrow transplants. This is where stem cells are harvested from the bone marrow of a healthy donor and injected into the recipient. There are factors to consider such as compatibility and immunogenic reactions but on the whole the procedure has proven to be promising. It is with this therapy that scientist have reported the growth of other body parts from the engineering of a single cell.
Gene therapy is another favorite of mine. Here, genes are used as the tool for the treatment or prevention of disease by either inserting, replacing, deleting or causing a mutation in the original gene. Gene therapy is the most immature of the three and leaves much scope for development.
Nanotechnology, Stem cell therapy and Gene therapy have made my top three list of what I perceive to be today's scientific breakthrough. Whichever discovery wows you, the quest for a better tomorrow in the fight against disease and treatment of unrelenting conditions continues as scientist persevere in the discovery process. The down side to crude developments is the side effects which come to light over time and the reason why it takes about 10 years on average from the discovery of a new entity to putting drugs on the shelf.
I am curious to hear from you on what you consider to be a key scientific advancement today.
The first thing that came to mind was nanotechnology, then the dog that had been treated of paralysis and then the passing of Venus (this doesn't really count as a breakthrough though as it's more of a natural occurrence). Others that flashed across my thoughts included the growing of sperm cells from skin cells and the ongoing debates on open access journalism.
As my first thought was on nanotechnology, that was my answer. However, on hindsight I would say stem cells or gene therapy. Now if you are of scientific background and you read this post, I believe your answer would be tailored to your field of interest and the advancement in that area, If you are not a scientist however, I am curious to hear from you on what you consider to be a key scientific advancement today.
Why did nanotechnology come to mind? Well, I recently graduated from my MSc (Pharmaceutical Science with management studies) and you know the scenario where as you prepare for exams there is always the inevitable question predicted to be on the paper and so you study the subject inside out? Such was the case with one of my modules (development, manufacturing and regulation of medicines) and the lecture on drug delivery systems was a favorite tipped for the exam paper. The focus on this topic was the use of nano particles as potential drug carrier. This has been and still is at the heart of many pharmaceutics today as nano particles are envisaged to be less toxic, present lesser side effects and can easily adsorb and carry other compounds. Like all new discoveries however, there are potential hazards. Having read, re-read and written about this recent development for months, no surprise then that it influenced my answer.
Gene therapy is another favorite of mine. Here, genes are used as the tool for the treatment or prevention of disease by either inserting, replacing, deleting or causing a mutation in the original gene. Gene therapy is the most immature of the three and leaves much scope for development.
Nanotechnology, Stem cell therapy and Gene therapy have made my top three list of what I perceive to be today's scientific breakthrough. Whichever discovery wows you, the quest for a better tomorrow in the fight against disease and treatment of unrelenting conditions continues as scientist persevere in the discovery process. The down side to crude developments is the side effects which come to light over time and the reason why it takes about 10 years on average from the discovery of a new entity to putting drugs on the shelf.
I am curious to hear from you on what you consider to be a key scientific advancement today.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
I'll have that one please??? 5.6', dark hair with dimples
image from http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=5549Listen to this interesting debate on "Designer Babies" via GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)
Monday, 7 January 2013
Calling all researchers - Bioinformatics and making the most of your data
Bioinformatics is a key skill that researchers today should be knowledgeable about. Come along on 14th March 2013 to the European Bioinformatics Institute for this EMBL(European Molecular Biology Laboratory) and EBI (European Bioinformatics Institute) organised free event.
Register here
Register here
Saturday, 5 January 2013
The Good, The bad & The Ugly - A Bacteria's story
What comes to mind when you hear the name "Bacteria"? "Friendly buggers" is what I call them. There's nothing worse to the start of the week than looking down the microscope on Monday morning to find your cells infected with bacteria. Sigh!!!, Just when you were looking forward to a nice confluent flask or patterned well of cells to play with.
And just like that the day's plan goes out the window and you're stuck with alcohol, detergents, settle plates and how best to implement plan 'B'.
How about you spend one night in hospital only to be told you've been infected with "MRSA" - yep every patient's worse nightmare. Trust me the nurses and other healthcare professionals involved in your care are not to blame. I've never seen anyone wash their hands so many times in an hour than healthcare workers. Yes, I know because I used to be one. I wonder how many health care professionals will actually swap positive to MRSA? Not sure what the practice is now but when I worked on hospital wards, we never got tested. Ah well, I suppose those buggers must have developed a symbiotic relationship with the staff.
On the flip side, how tasty was that cheese you had, and that yogurt or that glass of wine, not to mention the soy sauce with that yummy sushi / stir fry. Yep all thanks to those "friendly buggers" called bacteria.
Their application in the food industry, biotechnology industry, agriculture to name but a few remain vast. We appreciate the friendly role of bacteria in the gut, however when faced with a bacterial infection or disease you get a harsh reminder of how hostile these friendly buggers can be. Take cholera, meningitis, pneumonia and TB - all potentially fatal conditions due to bacterial infection.
The problem with bacteria is that they are such low maintenance, non fussy creatures that they can be found surviving almost anywhere on earth be it hot or cold, inside or outside, underground or above surface. They are so adaptable it's become challenging to combat them even with antibiotics. Once upon a time penicillin was a wonder drug for treating many bacterial infections. Subsequent antibiotics developed since then as efficient as can be are now never a 100% due to mutations of bacteria to become resistant. Resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is now a major concern for the pharmaceutical industry.
Still several industries flourish thanks to the role of bacteria in the same way I love my cheesy meals, the occasional glass of wine, a nice creamy yogurt and a night in with chinese takeaway.
Love them or hate them, those friendly buggers are here to stay.
Image from http://superbugtees.blogspot.co.uk/2008_10_01_archive.html
And just like that the day's plan goes out the window and you're stuck with alcohol, detergents, settle plates and how best to implement plan 'B'.
How about you spend one night in hospital only to be told you've been infected with "MRSA" - yep every patient's worse nightmare. Trust me the nurses and other healthcare professionals involved in your care are not to blame. I've never seen anyone wash their hands so many times in an hour than healthcare workers. Yes, I know because I used to be one. I wonder how many health care professionals will actually swap positive to MRSA? Not sure what the practice is now but when I worked on hospital wards, we never got tested. Ah well, I suppose those buggers must have developed a symbiotic relationship with the staff.
On the flip side, how tasty was that cheese you had, and that yogurt or that glass of wine, not to mention the soy sauce with that yummy sushi / stir fry. Yep all thanks to those "friendly buggers" called bacteria.
Their application in the food industry, biotechnology industry, agriculture to name but a few remain vast. We appreciate the friendly role of bacteria in the gut, however when faced with a bacterial infection or disease you get a harsh reminder of how hostile these friendly buggers can be. Take cholera, meningitis, pneumonia and TB - all potentially fatal conditions due to bacterial infection.
The problem with bacteria is that they are such low maintenance, non fussy creatures that they can be found surviving almost anywhere on earth be it hot or cold, inside or outside, underground or above surface. They are so adaptable it's become challenging to combat them even with antibiotics. Once upon a time penicillin was a wonder drug for treating many bacterial infections. Subsequent antibiotics developed since then as efficient as can be are now never a 100% due to mutations of bacteria to become resistant. Resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is now a major concern for the pharmaceutical industry.
Still several industries flourish thanks to the role of bacteria in the same way I love my cheesy meals, the occasional glass of wine, a nice creamy yogurt and a night in with chinese takeaway.
Love them or hate them, those friendly buggers are here to stay.
Image from http://superbugtees.blogspot.co.uk/2008_10_01_archive.htmlSaturday, 22 December 2012
Against all odds - end of year message
It's that time of year when you look back on how far you've come and make resolutions for the new year. Before I bring you my post on reviewing 2012, here's some food for thought as you round up the year.
How does one measure success? Fame, wealth, career status etc Whatever your definition of success, one thing is for certain - success doesn't come cheap.
Drive, ambition, hard work, vision, passion, sacrifice, commitment and most importantly the ability to pick yourself up to name but a few are some of the key attributes possessed by change-makers however you define them to be. What would you say your main aspirations in life were? Whatever your priorities are they won't come to you, you've got to make them happen yourself.
When you have a paid job, turning up to your place of work is not so much a choice but an obligation. When you choose to take on a personal project however, dynamics suddenly change. Getting up in the morning, making that phone call, writing that letter, taking steps to put that plan into action, all become a choice and this is where the line is drawn between the ordinary and extraordinary. Finding that inner will to maintain momentum is a challenge for many. Best place to start is to associate yourself with others who share in your will. Saying that, the old good cop bad cop concept has a positive outcome to it. After all, you can't expect everyone to be on the same page as you. The bad cops I personally think are a source of inspiration. When your definition of impossible becomes a possibility due to the actions of the good cop, it may hopefully change your train of thought for the better.
Statistics show that quite a significant number of start-ups close down within the first 5 years of being in operation. In the same way, very few who set off the be change makers finish the race. How many of us will make the sacrifices that the likes of Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Martin Luther king had to endure to bring about positive change.
Every opportunity I get to hear the stories of the change makers who have braved the storms against all odds to make a positive difference a common factor resonates, its never an easy ride. Before hearing their stories i'm sure everyone of them have an experience to share about the time when you almost loose the will to carry on, the point when everything seems to fall apart at the same time, the point when you find you are alone in your vision and the eventual point when you consider giving up. Yet here they are today standing tall with heads held high inspiring others with their success stories.
What do you want to be associated with? How will you be remembered? A colleague once said to me "talking to you brings out the best in me", another said "I have a lot of respect for you", a friend said "you pushed me to where I am today". Majority will never share in your vision nor believe in your dreams. The onus is on you to find that inner strength and keep the fire burning to make that dream a reality. When you hit a target, the feeling of achievement is best experienced. When you get there, never forget to appreciate and acknowledge those who supported and encouraged you along the way - however small their contribution.
So on that note, however the 2012 panned out to be for you, the world didn't end and you're still here. There's no time like the present so make that step towards reaching your goal and keep pressing on. Believe in yourself and shine in your path.
How does one measure success? Fame, wealth, career status etc Whatever your definition of success, one thing is for certain - success doesn't come cheap.
Drive, ambition, hard work, vision, passion, sacrifice, commitment and most importantly the ability to pick yourself up to name but a few are some of the key attributes possessed by change-makers however you define them to be. What would you say your main aspirations in life were? Whatever your priorities are they won't come to you, you've got to make them happen yourself.
When you have a paid job, turning up to your place of work is not so much a choice but an obligation. When you choose to take on a personal project however, dynamics suddenly change. Getting up in the morning, making that phone call, writing that letter, taking steps to put that plan into action, all become a choice and this is where the line is drawn between the ordinary and extraordinary. Finding that inner will to maintain momentum is a challenge for many. Best place to start is to associate yourself with others who share in your will. Saying that, the old good cop bad cop concept has a positive outcome to it. After all, you can't expect everyone to be on the same page as you. The bad cops I personally think are a source of inspiration. When your definition of impossible becomes a possibility due to the actions of the good cop, it may hopefully change your train of thought for the better.Statistics show that quite a significant number of start-ups close down within the first 5 years of being in operation. In the same way, very few who set off the be change makers finish the race. How many of us will make the sacrifices that the likes of Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Martin Luther king had to endure to bring about positive change.
Every opportunity I get to hear the stories of the change makers who have braved the storms against all odds to make a positive difference a common factor resonates, its never an easy ride. Before hearing their stories i'm sure everyone of them have an experience to share about the time when you almost loose the will to carry on, the point when everything seems to fall apart at the same time, the point when you find you are alone in your vision and the eventual point when you consider giving up. Yet here they are today standing tall with heads held high inspiring others with their success stories.
What do you want to be associated with? How will you be remembered? A colleague once said to me "talking to you brings out the best in me", another said "I have a lot of respect for you", a friend said "you pushed me to where I am today". Majority will never share in your vision nor believe in your dreams. The onus is on you to find that inner strength and keep the fire burning to make that dream a reality. When you hit a target, the feeling of achievement is best experienced. When you get there, never forget to appreciate and acknowledge those who supported and encouraged you along the way - however small their contribution.
So on that note, however the 2012 panned out to be for you, the world didn't end and you're still here. There's no time like the present so make that step towards reaching your goal and keep pressing on. Believe in yourself and shine in your path.
Friday, 14 December 2012
Recognsing Science Bloggers
Thanks to Good Thinking who recently organised a Science blog prize night in association with Soho Skeptics, I've come across an exciting list of keen science bloggers out there i'll like to share with you.
Below are the shortlisted nominations, with links to their amusing and educative named blogs;
Below are the shortlisted nominations, with links to their amusing and educative named blogs;
- Stuart Clark: Across the Universe
- David Colquhoun: DC’s Improbable Science
- Ed Yong: Not Exactly Rocket Science
- André Tomlin: The Mental Elf
- Suzi Gage: Sifting the Evidence
- Dorothy Bishop: BishopBlog
- Neuroskeptic: Neuroskeptic
- Oliver Childs, Henry Scowcroft & Kat Arney: Cancer Research UK Science Update
- Dean Burnett: Brain Flapping
- Athene Donald: Athene Donald’s Blog
And the winner is????????? David Colquhoun of DC’s Improbable Science and Suzi Gage of Sifting the Evidence.
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Today is Declared World Mental Health Day. Theme = "Depression, A Global Crisis"
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_mental_health_day/en/index.html
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