Black Silicon: Working around the current limits of solar cells
For many years, sunlight has been seen as a potential gold mine of useable energy for our global needs. Having successfully used the sun to grow food to feed the world, people are now trying to harvest the sun’s energy and convert it into electric energy. The principle way this has been accomplished is through the use of solar cells, also known as solar photovoltaics … Continue reading Black Silicon: Working around the current limits of solar cells
Synthetic Biology for Fuels
Fossil fuels are running out Since the mid nineteenth century, humans have progressively mastered the discovery, extraction, and combustion of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are the remains of organisms, mostly thick growths of plants from more than 500 million years ago, that were buried under heavy layers of sediment and slowly heated and compressed, under conditions without oxygen, into carbon-rich deposits. These are now used … Continue reading Synthetic Biology for Fuels
Green Chemistry: Cutting pollution at its source
The US chemical industry makes a wide variety of consumer products, or at least the chemicals that coat, color, and clean them. This includes things you use every day but never think about, like the coating on paper that makes it smooth, the dye in your clothes that makes them colorful, and the components in your toothpaste that enable it to clean your teeth. But … Continue reading Green Chemistry: Cutting pollution at its source
Beyond the Debate: The role of government in renewable energy finance
Last year, the world invested more money in renewable energy than ever before, at over $257 billion [1]. There is no question that renewable energy projects need finance to develop and commercialize. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), $37 trillion of investment will be needed in the world’s energy supply system over 2012-2035, of which a growing component will be in renewable energy [2]. … Continue reading Beyond the Debate: The role of government in renewable energy finance
The Complicated Evolutionary History of Spicy Chili Peppers
— For over 6,000 years, humans have used chili peppers to add a spicy kick to their meals [1]. Not only does chili spice add heat and flavor, it keeps food from spoiling. We’ve all seen mold growing in wet, humid places like bathrooms, and in hot and humid tropical regions this is especially a problem. Native peoples in the Americas have been breeding chilies for their flavor and spice long before the invention of refrigerators [1]. We have now cultivated five very different species of chilies, and even pinpointed the substance responsible for spice, a long compound called capsaicin (cap-SAY-sin). Humans eat capsaicin in abundance, and even synthesize it for topical creams to relieve the symptoms of psoriasis and arthritis. Capsaicin is very useful to people, but it begs the question: why did chilies start making it in the first place, or, from an evolutionary perspective, what advantage does spice offer the chilies that created it? Continue reading The Complicated Evolutionary History of Spicy Chili Peppers
Mind the Gap: Uncovering Gender Bias in the Sciences
— In the second presidential debate, Mitt Romney lamented the fact that all the applicants for his gubernatorial cabinet were men. “Gosh, can’t we find some women that are also qualified?” he asked, requesting what he described as “binders full of women.” This remark generated significant controversy during the campaign, but also brought the “gender gap” back into the national conversation. The term “gender gap” refers to the disproportionate difference in the number of men and women at top level positions of many professions, including government. If this were 1952, we could easily point to overt sexism as the sinister force behind the gap, but in 2012, sexism and gender-based discrimination in the workplace are, supposedly, a thing of the past. Unfortunately, data show that the proverbial glass ceiling is still firmly in place, with men outnumbering women in high level positions in government, business, science, technology, and many other career paths (6, 7). So despite decades of activism, anti-discrimination lawsuits, and legislation to prevent biased hiring practices, why can’t we close the gender gap – particularly in the sciences, which are supposed to be a pure meritocracy based on research output? Continue reading Mind the Gap: Uncovering Gender Bias in the Sciences
What’s in Your Genes: whole genome sequencing and its impact on personalized medicine
Presented by Adrianna San Roman, Clare Malone, and Leah Liu Continue reading What’s in Your Genes: whole genome sequencing and its impact on personalized medicine
DNA Damage and Skin Cancer: It’s Not All About the Sun
— A search for “DNA repair” in Amazon’s “beauty” category results in 71 hits that range in price from $15-$700, all claiming to prevent DNA damage or even to repair your DNA. Both scientists and the beauty industry know that as we grow older, our cells accumulate DNA damage while their ability to correctly repair it declines, leading to changes in appearance associated with aging, and the beauty industry is taking advantage of this fact. Whether you have commercially defined symptoms of aging or not, the cells in your body have to repair up to one million DNA lesions per day from both environmental and cellular sources. Continue reading DNA Damage and Skin Cancer: It’s Not All About the Sun
Thinking About Thinking: the science of decision-making from an economics and neurobiology perspective
Presented by Jessica Laird, Brenna Krieger, and Philip Shiu Decision-making is part of our daily routine, but what is really going on in our heads? This lecture will explore the science of decision-making from the perspectives of Economics and Neurobiology. First, we’ll learn how economists examine decision-making when there is a tradeoff between immediate and future happiness. For example, how do people compare the present … Continue reading Thinking About Thinking: the science of decision-making from an economics and neurobiology perspective
Clean Energy of the Future: Solar cells, Biofuels, and Fuel Cell Catalysts
Presented by Max Mankin, Lauren Hartle, and Kevin Chau Continue reading Clean Energy of the Future: Solar cells, Biofuels, and Fuel Cell Catalysts