Summer Assignment 8.16

Three quick links this week. We are almost at the end of our summer assignment. 

• Inheritance of coat color patterns in dogs linked to 2 million-year old extinct wolf.
• The role of venom in diversification of fish and insects.
• Wildfires are becoming more intense due to global warming.

Summer Assignment 8.9

 As promised, a bit lighter fare this week.

• Hard to believe we are already two weeks into August. One positive take away from the end of summer: The greatest league in the world is about to start back up this Friday. If you are a fan, let us know your team. (Here's a hint for Dr. H's team: North London)
• There is an amazing amount of physics that goes into curving a soccer ball. Hopefully this doesn't cause any of you to scramble for a calculator in the middle of a game. (Here is a great video showing the magnus effect)
• Head injuries continue to be a problem in soccer at all levels, including professional. The addition of the "concussion substitute" last season was a great move, but there are probably many more steps that can be taken to protect players. 
• For those of you who for some reason don't follow soccer, here is an article about some of the physical and physiological differences between sprinters and other athletes. 

Summer Assignment 8.2

We are now at the mid-point of our Summer Assignment. Thank you all for all the great comments. Also, this is the first year I can remember where there have been no unmarked comments at this point in the summer. Thank you all again for getting your settings correct.

As I imagine many of you are, I have been watching as many hours of the Olympics as possible (Sunday morning's track and field session was ridiculous [M 100m final, M High Jump final. W Triple Jump final]). One of the bigger stories coming out of the American team this week has been Simone Biles and her decision not to complete in the team overall event, and many of her individual events. If you are unaware of this, here is a link with a quick rundown of the basics. It is a quick story, but I needed to find something that (1) wasn't behind a paywall so that everyone could read it, and (2) did not have a comment section, because comments are toxic. 

The issue of mental health is very important to both Mr Parker and myself. This school year is going to again be a unique experience for all of us, between almost two whole classes moving into a new building, uncertainty about in-person/remote options, masking mandates, lab work...the list goes on. 

We will say this now, and will repeat orselves many times during the school year: no class, no grade, no test score, is worth your mental health and well-being. If you ever feel overwhelmed or overly anxious, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us, or your guidance counselor. We want you to be as successful as possible, but beyond that, you need to be mentally well.

One quick link, also on the topic of mental health. Many of you are most likely looking at a career in medicine. Physician burnout is something that is just now being recognized. TRIGGER WRNING: Suicide.  The fact that physicians are denied the basic compassion that they are expected to provide to their patients is jaw dropping. And although the article focuses only on physicians, these issues effect everyone in the medical profession. We need to get better at helping those in need.

I know this week was a bit heavy with the content, but mental health is a very important issue, and I wanted to make sure you all know that Mr. Parker and I are on your side, and will help you if you have any issues. I will find some lighter fare for next week.

Summer Assignment 7.26

Another great week of comments, thank you all. Just a reminder, if your comment does not show up, please make sure you have allowed your username to show up on the blog. 

• Should we be embracing the awkward silences in conversations? 

• Early risers vs night owls. Knowing your chronotype can be very useful in terms of planning when to accomplish tasks. It is not quite as simple as morning or night people. There are at least 4; I have found a few online tests to determine your type, but most of them are sponsored by mattress companies, so I am not sure how accurate they are. Best bet is probably to find descriptions of each and think about which you fit into. 

• Protein structure prediction closer to a possibility. Protein structure determination is one of the areas of biology that must be done by hand, rather than AI-based predictive methods. This database is a big step towards predictive protein structure determination, which would mark a huge shift in biological research. 

Summer Assignment 7.19

Great job with your comments last week. If your comment did not show up, please check the settings on your Google account and make sure you have allowed your name to show up on the blog. Any comments that come through as unknown will not be published.

Also, please do not post your comment multiple times. Since the comments are moderated, they will not publish until I have read them and recorded your name. I try to check comments in the morning and evening Monday - Friday. If you post late on Friday, or over the weekend, your comment may not show up until Monday. As long as the time stamp is within the week, you will receive full credit regardless of when I get to the moderation queue.

This week's links:

• Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change.
• Saving our soil: 4 new microbial technologies that keep soil healthy and us fed.