July 23, 2008
Category: Academia
We've all had that R21 or R03 come back with completely useless comments. Months and months of work, hours or weeks spent in the lab collecting that preliminary data (which is supposedly unnecessary for those R21s). More time spent waiting and waiting. Revisions. Resubmissions. The same useless comments back to you.
Come on. We all know it's a racket. In a tight funding climate, nobody in charge of the purse strings wants to fund a competitor. But they gotta find a way to reject your grant in a way that is completely noncommittal. Hence, weasel words.
Here's my favorite: "The proposed studies are not unique". With this simple, vague statement, any hopes of funding a decent or important project are quashed. Think that study will fill in a crucial hole in the literature? Screw you. Your project isn't unique enough.
"Unique" or "innovative", or other similar words have pretty much whatever meaning the reviewer wants them to have. Or needs them to have. But what does uniqueness matter, really? Some of the most informative developmental neurobiology work, for example, still relies heavily on chick embryo limb bud removal; a technique developed about a century ago, requiring little more than a tungsten needle and a microscope. Apply some simple histochemical procedures (which date back even farther) and a few molecular biology techniques (which are about as ubiquitous as you can get), and you can potentially rewrite our understanding of the developing nervous system. Yet on the surface, standard fare. Sorry bud, your project just got pigeon-holed. I've seen some great grants go down in flames this way, grants that were either conceptual genius or exceedingly relevant to a health-related issue. The most egregious example I saw was an R01 dealing with the potential for soy phytoestrogens (as an unregulated dietary supplement) to affect behavior and pathology in a model of aging and dementia. This grant-- beautifully designed to address a number of questions relevant to the health of postmenopausal women-- scored right at the payline on the first review, just missing funding, but then subsequently triaged on both resubmissions. The payline shifted, the grant got rerouted to another, much more competitive study section, and suddenly the grant was "not innovative".
The best part? You revise and resubmit according to the reviewer's useless comments, and you get the exact same comments back again.
So what's your favorite useless grant criticism?
Posted by Evil Monkey at 9:28 AM • 16 Comments
July 21, 2008
Category: Combat & Fitness
Normally I don't run for any sort of competitive purpose. Ok, so I've never run for any sort of competitive purpose. I took the opportunity this time, though, so that I'd have other runners to help me push my pace.
I'm pretty out of shape right now but I can still do a 7:30 minute mile pretty easily, on hills. When I was in good shape 2 years ago, I my best time on my toughest 1 mile run (which was all uphill for the last half mile, on 14th St heading south towards Walter Reed if anybody knows the area), I could do 6:40. Which makes me reasonably certain I could've broken 6:00 on a flat course.
But I digress. I did manage to come in 76th out of about 225 people, with a 8:02 pace, and 11th out of 22 in my age group. I figure that's pretty good considering that besides being somewhat out of shape I have a condition called enthesopathy, an arthritis-like condition that affects insertion points of the ligaments and tendons. Originally I thought it was fibromyalgia but that turned out not to be the case. I have a dickens of a time with it because my Achilles and psoas never seem to loosen up anymore, and they're always painfully tight when I run.
I'm obviously not competing with the race winners, who came in with the insane 5:15 pace, but as far as pushing myself I feel really good about my performance.
Posted by Evil Monkey at 8:32 PM • 0 Comments
July 18, 2008
Category: Books/Movies/Music
I'm going to try to review a movie without discussing the plot much. Last night we trudged out to the theater at midnight for the first screening of the new Batman flick The Dark Knight. I went in with high expectations given the stellar cast, but a bit nervous about Heath Ledger in his role as the Joker. Heath's acting has always been a mite bit unpredictable for me; he was amazingly good in Brokeback Mountain, for example, but bored me to tears in Ned Kelly.
Turns out that very unpredictability makes him perfect for a "reimagined" darker, grittier, noncampy version of the Joker. In the original Burton Batman, the Joker steals the show and thus completely overshadowed every conversation about Batman movies for the ensuing 15 years (minus the Bat Nipples). The same thievery applies here, but Ledger doesn't do it in a "ooh look, Jack is acting like he just downed a case of Red Bull.... again!" sort of way. No, Ledger's Joker is a self-proclaimed agent of chaos, and from when he first walks on screen uttering similar words that I allude to in my post title, you know that he's about to take you for a ride.
One fucked up ride.
Ledger's Joker is not funny. Not at all. And he knows it. He's not supposed to be. Sure he laughs, but it's the laughter of a hyena about to chow on a wounded gazelle, a salivating, gutteral sort of tittering that belongs in a Stephen King book. Sometimes he shrieks. But he does. not. once. in. the. entire. movie. inspire. the. audience. to. laugh. Full stop. End of line. **** What he does do is leave us constantly giggling. Nervously. This giggling should not be taken for actual laughter. It's the sort of insecure chuckle emitted by a person who's just seen something so completely inappropriate, so completely out of left field, that he or she can't help but emit a nervous chattering as a coping mechanism while we try to process "Oh holy fuck, did he really just do that????"
This Joker is unstable. He's completely amoral. You will be extremely glad that he exists only on the big screen. And Gotham is his playground. Whereas in Batman Begins Ra's al Gul was a calculating villain, the type of comic book gentleman villain that you sit down and have a chess match with--while the audience watches move-by-move and discusses who will come out on top-- in The Dark Knight you get none of that. The Joker is the sort of chap who blithely kicks over the table and sets fire to the game board, and while the rest of us scramble to pick up the pieces or stare for a second, in shock while processing the situation, he'll shoot somebody simply because they happen to be there while he's holding a gun. Whether they're an innocent bystander or one of his own men, no matter. But he's run across a very strange, effective way to inspire loyalty; people, even hardened criminals and mental patients, fear a true madman, but they'll follow one who provides even a modicum of order amidst the overwhelming chaos he creates.
At least until he blows your face off.
Both Ra's and The Joker had the same goal-- tear Gotham apart. The former failed though, because he at least played by some rules; his own, maybe, but rules nonetheless. This time Batman, Gordon, love interest and Asisstant DA Rachel, the Mayor, and District Attorney Harvey Dent scramble to pick up the pieces of that chessboard. Even working together, they're constantly 2 steps behind the calculating lunacy that consumes the city and threatens to compromise everyone's moral character. I greatly enjoyed Aaron Eckhart's portrayal of Harvey Dent and his transformation into Two-Face. You don't get an indication from the trailers, but that transformation is a very integral part of the movie. I won't say more because I don't see it as my place to do so. Suffice to say that we can relate, to some degree, to what each character goes through.
Whoever wrote this script is a frakkin' genius. To many it may seem like the pace is off, disjointed or too fast in parts. I think it's all intentional; we're dragged into the same world as Gordon, Dent, and even the Batman as they struggle to keep that very world from unraveling around them. It is viscerally unsettling to watch a movie and know that you're processing the events, but only barely fast enough. The entire movie plays out like a psychological drama; in a mere 2.5 hours we are given a host of character development to work with. It is hard work to make a comic book flick where not only do you relate to the characters, but you feel as if "yes, all that personification of an animal as my superhero avatar" stuff, all those crazy costumes and gadgets, they really could be part of my world. The Dark Knight excels in this department, easily suppressing its predecessor. Some people will see that as a negative, undoubtedly because they fear the consequences of a reality where The Joker could exist. Sometimes fiction is too damn freaky to be fact, and blurring that line is unsettling as hell.
I can't say I blame them. But damned if I'm going to let that keep me from seeing this flick again in the theater.
****I was just reminded of one actual funny remark where the Joker waxes Jerry Maguire, but even that was disturbing because you can't quite tell how much he actually meant it.
Posted by Evil Monkey at 1:46 PM • 3 Comments
July 17, 2008
Category: Academia
I teach class as an adjunct at the local community college from MTWTh, from 1-3 pm. Today I'm giving an exam over evolution and biotechnology. The last exam was pretty rough. I made one that would've been tough for biology majors but this is a nonmajors course and the students don't have as much background. Consequently, I told them I'd make it up to them by having this test be painfully easy and with opportunities for extra credit abound. So one would think that a student who's barely pulling a D would prioritize this exam, right? Especially since I was kind enough to send out a reminder of the exam last week, with a study guide?
Apparently not. I got this email yesterday....
Read on »
Posted by Evil Monkey at 2:30 PM • 10 Comments
July 16, 2008
Category: Academia
I've been enjoying my first teaching gig at the local community college. The students are plenty bright and have taught me quite a bit as well. Although they definitely didn't like the midterm...
I'll probably start talking a bit about my experiences, and about my job prospects in this transitional career mode. There are more opportunities out there than I figured there would be, but knowing how to find them is a challenge. Additionally, it's time to start blogging about my horrific postdoc a bit. That should be entertaining. Who knows, maybe I'll even feel like posting actual science again soon!
Posted by Evil Monkey at 2:32 PM • 2 Comments
May 19, 2008
Category: Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mary Detweiler,
The Alliance for Science
info@allianceforscience.org
Falls Church, VA -- May 17, 2008. The non-profit Alliance for Science announced the results this week of its second annual National High School Essay Contest. Students were asked to write a 1,000 word essay on either "Agriculture and Evolution" or "Climate and Evolution". Neal Desai, a 10th grader at the Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri won the top prize. Neal's insightful essay addressed the tradeoffs between the benefits obtained from genetically modified crops and the potential risks. For example, he noted the benefits of "Golden rice", which produces beta-carotene which our bodies convert into vitamin A. "In my trips to foreign countries, I have personally seen the form of blindness and weakened immune system described as symptoms of vitamin A deficiency," he wrote. But he also acknowledged that the money spent on bioengineering might have been better spent distributing vitamin A capsules to those in need. The essay also voiced concerns about developments in sterile-seed technology, which requires farmers to buy fresh seed from the manufacturer every year, and could adversely affect biodiversity if the trait were to escape into the wild.
Second place winner Frances Ellerbe of Columbia, South Carolina, addressed the issue of whether natural evolutionary adaptation could keep pace with rapid climate change. She noted that in the case of the American Beech, it could not, owing to the narrow climate band in which it grows, the slow migration rate, and the fact that this species takes 40 years to produce seeds.
Third place winner David Martorana of Honolulu, Hawaii, gave his personal account of receding beaches and shrinking coral reefs, both linked to global warming. He noted the grave impact on commercial agriculture and the fishing industry that could result from rapid climate change.
Fourth place winner Marleigh Higgins of Brookline, Massachusetts, provided a personal viewpoint that came from a summer spent on a tree nursery in rural Madagascar. She observed how the traditional slash-and-burn agriculture, called Tavy, was leading to rapid deforestation and the destruction of habitats. She lamented the rapid loss of biodiversity, particularly given that scientists have recently learned of the potential medical use of native plant species.
The Alliance for Science awarded a total of $1,000 dollars in cash prizes, with a top prize of $300 going to the top student. The sponsoring teachers received an assortment of books, DVDs, and educational software. These included author-signed works provided by Brown University biology professor Dr. Kenneth Miller, a textbook author who gave expert testimony critical of intelligent design at the 2005 Kitzmiller, et al vs. Dover Area School District trial.
The Alliance's contest director Dick Lessard said "We were impressed by how seriously the top students took this contest. They probed beyond the obvious and their essays reflected a genuine appreciation for how a detailed understanding of science can help inform public policy debates".
Full text of the winning essays can be found at the Alliance's website, http://www.allianceforscience.org/essay. The website also describes plans for the 2009 essay contest, designed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of British naturalist Charles Darwin. The essay theme is titled "In Darwin's Footsteps", and asks students to write an essay about a modern-day scientist or group of scientists whose work exhibits the same qualities and virtues as Darwin demonstrated during his career.
The mission of the Alliance for Science is to heighten public understanding and support for science and to preserve the distinctions between science and religion in the public sphere.
###
For more information, please visit
The Alliance for Science. From there you can find out more details about the winning essays, download the
press release, learn about next year's topic, and how to donate to the prize fund.
Posted by Evil Monkey at 10:00 AM • 1 Comments
April 24, 2008
Category: Academia
Well I'm kind of miffed. The teaching postdoc I really wanted decided that I'm not in the first round of interviews, which makes me sad. They really have their shit together and do a thorough job of preparing profs. Oh well. Maybe they'll need to dip into tier 2 of their applicant pool.
In other, better news, the local community college needs a Gen Bio prof for the summer, so I'll at least get some good teaching experience doing that. They also have fall positions, which is good; it keeps me in academia at least part time. I'm hoping that will round out my CV enough to nab that primo SLAC spot when it opens up. If it opens up.
God I hate this.
Posted by Evil Monkey at 12:31 PM • 2 Comments
April 14, 2008
Category: Academia
Let's not kid ourselves. Finding a job in science these days is rough. Finding the job you want, once you get past your postdoc years, is even rougher. And landing your ideal job? Unless that postdoc was picture-perfect, you're screwed.
Case in point; me. I had a rough postdoc. For now I won't get into the gritty details, outside of a number of family-related issues and illnesses, and an anxiety disorder-related meltdown on my end, balanced with a phenomenal clusterfuck of mismanagement and bad mentorship on the part of my governmental employer. Where does this leave me? Beyond the simple feelings of loss and failure for not attaining that Brass Ring of rings, the tenure track research position?
Read on »
Posted by Evil Monkey at 2:45 PM • 3 Comments
February 29, 2008
Category: Evolution
Here we have yet another example of evolution cobbling together new proteins from existing structures. And what do you know, it kinda matters:
The TRIM5-CypA gene found in Asian macaques is a hybrid of two existing proteins, TRIM5 and CypA. This combination creates a single protein that blocks infections by lentiviruses.
This is the second time a TRIM5-CypA hybrid gene has been identified in monkeys. The other one -- TRIMCyp -- was found in South American owl monkeys in 2004. But it's not likely that these two gene combinations arose from a single common ancestor, the Harvard researchers said.
Didn't arise from a single common ancestor? But how can we know that? Only if the gene isn't present in other Old World monkeys or other New World monkeys.
TRIM5-CypA wasn't found in monkey closely related to the Asian macaques and TRIMCyp wasn't found in any other South American primate species. This suggests that the two combination genes evolved separately, once in the macaques and once in the owl monkeys.
Ooops.
That's pretty telling. These two populations of primate are separated by many millions of years of evolutionary processes. Likely this mutation is fixed in both species because it provides some sort of evolutionary advantage outside of HIV infections. It will be interesting to see what that might advantage might be.
I'd like to see the full paper, but PLoS Pathology is down for maintenance right now. Oh well. In the meantime, we'll all just reflect on how useless Intelligent Design is.
Posted by Evil Monkey at 11:10 AM • 0 Comments
February 28, 2008
The Evil Monkey has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and is currently enjoying a bit of time off while waiting to hear about a new position. Come join this wayward neuroscientist as he struggles to find a career and get his life back in order. He is still not sure why he wrote this paragraph in the third person.
