MIT OpenLabWare A sneak peak at research @ MIT

MIT OpenLabWare A sneak peak at research @ MIT Ever wondered if scientific journals like Nature or Science were actually written in English, or that other people could actually understand the papers? What does the abbreviation PhD mean to you? When people call themselves grad students, do you know what that entails? Coming to MIT, I didnt really know the answers to the questions above. I would get excited by a scientific breakthrough featured on the news, but I didnt really understand that there was a researcher (or more likely, a group of researchers) behind the finding. Granted, I had worked in a scientific lab, so I knew that these mythical grad students worked long hours and seemed to get cool results. Beyond that, I knew next to zilch. This is why I got excited when I ran into a friend, George Zaidan, and he told me about his big idea. He was looking for funding to start OpenLabWare, which he explained as being analogous to OpenCourseWare, featuring research instead of class materials. He elaborated by calling it something along the lines of an innovative collection of online educational resources meant to help teachers, students, and researchers understand how research is done at MIT. So, I told him that it sounded like a great idea, and then we parted ways Last July, I was sitting in front of my computer at work, freezing as always (why must the government make their labs the temperature of a meat locker? What ever happened to energy conservation?), when I received an email from George. He was writing from Thailand and asked me if Id be interested in becoming a content creator for OLW. Of course, I got excited about the prospect of contributing to a budding program at MIT that could impact the lives of people around the world, but I was also feeling pretty stressed out about MCATs and my fall schedule. Despite the hurdle of an already overloaded schedule, we worked out an arrangement where I could start building the module during IAP. My responsibilities were multi-faceted, but I would basically meet with a professor and graduate student to take one of their papers and completely flesh it out. I would have to create a module based on this paper by writing introductory material, annotating the lab notebook pages, developing a glossary, creating a timeline of the projects progress, and conducting interviews. Now that I knew what I had to do, the next step was finding a professor who was willing to work with me on the module. I wanted to find someone with research interests in biology, chemistry, biological engineering, or mechanical engineering. Hundreds of professors would fit that criteria, but I imagined that fewer would have a graduate student who would actually be willing to work with an undergrad. One rejection and two no-responses later, George suggested contacting Barbara Imperiali, a brilliant professor of biology and chemistry who also happens to teach 5.12 (Organic Chemistry I). I had heard great things from her former students so I was excited about the prospect of working with her (pictured on the left). In early December, as I was running from my lab to the bathroom (via the Infinite Corridor), I ran into George, who just so happened to be meeting with Prof. Imperiali later that day. I joined the meeting and we formally asked her if she would be interested in helping to develop an OLW module. Honestly, before entering the meeting, I prepared myself for rejection. Luckily, she seemed really keen on the project and almost immediately suggested one of the graduate students in her lab, Beth Vogel, as a possible resource. Beth was about to finish her PhD and move on to a new position (developing a new applications-based curriculum for MITs introductory chemistry class), but she also signed-on! She gave me the paper that she wrote based on her thesis work. It had not been published yet, and I understood very little of it at the time, but I knew that I would soon have to explain it inside and out. Needless to say, it was a really exciting day. Winter Break passed and I had a chance to look over Beths paper. I was initially confused by all the synthetic chemistry, since I had only taken Organic Chemistry I and II and Biochemistry. Thanks to the marvelous internet, I soon developed the technical vocabulary and background necessary to tackle the paper. I met with Beth at the beginning of IAP (January) and we walked through three years of her research in about two hours. She showed me the important pages of her lab notebooks (6 of them, total! Over 600 pages of work!) and explained difficulties that she encountered, as well as her big ah-ha! moments. It was amazing to hear her talk about what it was like to spend stretches of up to five months repeating the same reaction under every condition imaginable. Eventually, she found out what was going wrong, but I couldnt believe the patience required to pursue a research career. I worked on developing the module throughout IAP and conducting interviews with both Prof. Imperiali and Beth at the end of January. It was the first time that I had led a video taped interview, so it was another good learning experience. Prof. Imperiali talked about her life-long love of science, what sparked her interest in organic chemistry, her education in England and MIT, balancing the demands of teaching and research, and managing her lab. I asked Beth similar questions about why she chose to come to MIT, what attracted her to the Imperiali Lab, her future plans, and specific details about her project. The module should be online in a few months, so you will be able to watch video clips of their responses. In the meantime, you can visit OpenLabWares website now, and see the module that George developed with Prof. John Essigmann. As you will see when you visit the site, Georges module is the only one posted right now, but there is much more to come! I hope you all take a moment and browse through it. It is a really great opportunity to see what real research is like. Not only do you get to flip through the real, unedited pages of the lab notebook, but you can learn cool stuff about the researchers themselves (like that Prof. Essigmanns favorite foods are spaghetti and meatballs, turkey, Thai food, and pot roast). Ill let you all know when my module goes up. By the way, Anthony has worked on the technical aspects of OLW and blogged about it here.

Literary Analysis Of Langston Hughes s The Road

Beautiful symbolism and imagery are found in the literature work On the Road by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes offers a gift in this work which is to open the heart and life will provide unlimited abundance. During this literary analysis Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate his main character s unwillingness to participate in life. Another point that Hughes demonstrates is the use of anger and survival and how it can be used as a powerful force in breaking down racial barriers. One more impact Langston Hughes uses is Jesus Christ as a metaphor. Hughes uses this as how people experience life and how traditional church values contradict each other when it comes to the acceptance of human beings. Therefore after reading On the Road, the views of nature, racial barriers, and values are explained to the readers and power behind them. To begin, Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate a distinct relationship amongst blacks and whites. The writing shows the relationship between the different races amongst the men and women. Langston Hughes use of snow and night express a point simple enough, but through the use of these metaphors, he enables the story to be less invasive and more appealing. Langston Hughes main character, Sargeant, is left doubting the goodness of life. Hughes wrote, Sargeant didn t see the snow, not even under the bright lights of the main street, falling white and flaky against the night. He was too hungry, too sleepy, too tired. Langston HughesShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticsm1882 Words   |  8 Pageson Thank you m’am short story By Langston Hughes Christina taradifa sinaga 13020110141054 Faculty of humanities Diponegoro university 2013 ABSTRACT In this paper the writer wants to write down about Psychological criticism. Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors. The purposes of this paper to analysis the psychological of main character in Thank You M’am short story by Langston Hughes. To understand psychological criticismRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Gwendolyn Brooks s The Bean Eaters 1907 Words   |  8 PagesWith the publication of her second volume of poetry, Annie Allen (1949), she became the first black American writer to win a Pulitzer Prize. Noted traditional forms and poignant evocation of urban black experience, Brooks emerged as a leading black literary figure during the 1950s and 1960s. her lyrical poetry addresses racial injustice, poverty, and the private struggles of young black women with exceptional precision, psychological depth, and authenticity. In addition to Annie Allen, Brooks is bestRead MoreAlice Malsenior6001 Words à ‚  |  25 PagesAlice Walker: Peeling an Essence As an African- American novelist, short–story writer, essayist, poet, critic, and editor, Alice Walker’s plethora of literary works examines many aspects of African American life as well as historical issues that are further developed by Walker’s unique point of view. Writers like Alice Walker make it possible to bring words and emotions to voices and events that are often silenced. Far from the traditional image of the artist, she has sought what amounts to a

The Ethical Essay Topics Game

The Ethical Essay Topics Game The Fundamentals of Ethical Essay Topics Revealed More the quality of research which is going to be done for your topic is going to be quite supreme with no form of plagiarism and grammatical errors. For a student in the center school the usual topics are associated with science and history. If you would like your research to be current, and you've got zero opportunity to appear through long lists, here's a quick compilation for you. Many students think that it is a waste of time. Enlightenment is a wide concept that embodies overlapping aspects from precisely the same general perspective. Please remember that the next examples only represent a small part of the distinct ethical arguments that philosophers have made throughout time. Regardless of the sort of society one was born into, the thought of morality is going to be one that draws attention. Ethical dilemma refers to a scenario where the principles that guide morality can't determine if a plan of action isn't right or right. It's much better to draft your principal argument. An argumentative paper is part of the persuasion. That means you should figure out how to place the full idea into one sentence. The Secret to Ethical Essay Topics The ethical essay would likewise examine philosophical suggestions and see whether they have contemporary relevance. When choosing topics on which to compose an essay, you have to always be sure to pick a topic they will delight in working on. Therefore, the topic needs to be debatable! Every topic is tightly associated with the thesis statement. It's possible for you to devote a single paragraph to every sub-argument or researched source. Possessing an essay will allow you to write the true essay on ethics faster, too. The Characteristics of Ethical Essay Topics You could learn more about the level of responsibility such corporations should bear and the ethical issues that come up. Business ethics are extremely critical in the daily running of the company. In business, you're going to be constantly challenged. Finding your team In the brief run, you are going to be focused on writing a work market paper that's both blindingly insightful and, ideally, single-authored. The question of diversity has ever been under intense discussion, and in the instance of business, it is still one of the main ethical troubles. You will likely be changing some things in the span of the research. There are some cases where I might have done a better job presenting my ideas, but for the large part I'm pleased. Introducing Ethical Essay Topics Abortion is a problem that has raised many questions. Many also question the potency of stem cell research and whether or not it has any potential to locate cures for diseases like cancer, AIDS or Parkinson's. Ethics are values concerning human behavior. They are important in every aspect of our lives because they define the society in which we live in. Remember that the majority of people have high ethical standards, but not everybody has identical ethics. The tradition is illegal in Thailand though it is openly practiced throughout the nation. Ethics isn't just about how other individuals feel, but how you are feeling. Characteristics of Ethical Essay Topics Ethical egoism is based on the theory that we've got no moral obligation to anybody. Ethical behaviour is also set dependent on somebody's profession. Introduction Ethics define the way a person ought to behave in any particular situation. You should describe things since they are, even if you believe that a few aspects may look to cruel. Consider something which you think is wrong but cannot explain in a means that someone who doesn't share foundation beliefs with you can agree with. Ethical dilemmas face people in various professions and in a variety of situations. The idea of ethics can be challenging and might hold various meanings for different individuals, based on varying factors surrounding their lives. The Basic Facts of Ethical Essay Topics Life doesn't have wr ong choices. It consists of choices. The War Against Ethical Essay Topics An ethics paper needs a lot of time for preparation. Courage can arrive in subtle forms. Presentation in ethics papers is the trick to getting high grades. If you feel as if you are stuck with your ethics essay, you may want to use the help of professional writers. Your thesis ought to be in the very first paragraph of your essay. Argumentative writings is a particular kind of a paper. Oftentimes, students struggle when they must conduct a research to compose an ethics essay.

Operation Zapata Free Essays

Operation Zapata, or invasion in the Bay of Pigs, was developed by the CIA as a way to replace Castro’ s regime by non-communist government friendly to the USA. The initial plan of the operation was revised greatly: â€Å"Kennedy thought the plan exposed the role of the United States too openly† (Sierra, J. A. We will write a custom essay sample on Operation Zapata or any similar topic only for you Order Now , 2008). Revised operation had little chances to succeed (Sierra, J. A. , 2008), and several major failures occurred during performance of the invasion (The Bay of Pigs, n. d. ), resulting in failed operation and imprisonment of almost all CIA-trained invading troops. Initial plan was well thought out and had much more chances to succeed, but interference from the new President and his advisors made this impossible to perform and underlined dependence of intelligence agency, its activities and plans from external decisions. Cuban missile crisis was a logical consequence of failed operation Zapata. Castro feared of military interventions from the USA and decided to agree for placement of Soviet intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Cuba (An Overview of the Crisis, n. d. ) in exchange for training and funding of Cuban army. This activity soon was discovered by CIA (Simkin J. , n. d. ). Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba and demanded USSR to remove all missile bases and their content (Goldman, J. , 1997), and the crisis was launched. Due to efficient performance of intelligence agency critical information about potential enemy activity was obtained beforehand and actions that ensured national security were taken in time. If operation Zapata would be successful, Cuba would have been ruled by the non-antagonist government and USSR would have received no possibilities for the placement of nuclear missiles so close to the US territory. If intelligence had failed to discover Soviet activity on the Cuba, national security would have been endangered greatly because of Soviet nuclear missiles placed so close to the national borders. Both of these examples show how crucial is effective and unhindered performance of intelligence divisions to the national interests, for intelligence proved critical role in both of accidents mentioned. 1. An Overview of the Crisis. (n. d. ). In ThinkQuest Library. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://library. thinkquest. org/11046/days/index. html 2. Goldman, J. (1997). The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 18-29, 1962. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. hpol. org/jfk/cuban/ 3. Sierra, J. A. (2008). Invasion at Bay of Pigs. – The Plan. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. historyofcuba. com/history/baypigs/pigs3. htm 4. Simkin, J. (n. d. ). Cuban Missile Crisis. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/COLDcubanmissile. htm 5. The Bay of Pigs. (n. d. ). In John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Historical Resources. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. jfklibrary. org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/JFK+and+the+Bay+o How to cite Operation Zapata, Papers

The Devil Sang free essay sample

An essay on the progression of morality as an instantaneous rather than gradual process.This is an essay about the progression of morality. The author argues that morality progresses in human beings in one drastic, breathtaking moment, rather than gradually. This is an anecdotal, subjective view of the progression of morality.To be truly human is to experience the universal struggle between good and evil. During early childhood, one is entirely unaware of what is good and what is bad. One only knows what actions reap rewards and what actions provoke punishments. There comes a time in everyones life when he or she discovers morals, and that time is the beginning of being truly human. That time is not a gradual shift; it is a moment, and a defining one in everyones life though it may not seem to be that important at the time. Because that moment is mostly a strange chill on the back of ones neck after doing something evil, or a light, airy feeling of joy at having done something benevolent, it is not an especially extraordinary moment. We will write a custom essay sample on The Devil Sang or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is only with hindsight that the true meaning of that chill or that joy may be gleaned. As it just so happens, I recall when I discovered the revolting sweetness of being malicious and first understood evil as a real phenomenon, rather than what one calls a villain on a Saturday morning cartoon.

Eastern Connecticut State University Admissions

Eastern Connecticut State University Admissions Eastern Connecticut State University Admissions Overview: 58% of applicants are accepted to Eastern Connecticut State University each year, making it an accessible school to many. Applicants will need solid grades and an impressive resume/application to be admitted. To apply, prospective students may use the Common Application, or can visit the schools website for Easterns application form. Additional materials include high school transcripts, letters of recommendations, and (optional) scores from the SAT or ACT. Admissions Data (2016): Eastern Connecticut State Acceptance Rate: 58%Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: - / -SAT Math: - / -SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanCompare SAT scores for Connecticut collegesACT Composite: - / -ACT English: - / -ACT Math: - / -Compare ACT scores for Connecticut colleges Eastern Connecticut State University Description: Eastern Connecticut State University, often called simply Eastern, is the designated  public liberal arts college  of the Connecticut State University System. The 182-acre wooded campus is located in Willimantic, about 30 minutes from Hartford and 45 minutes from Providence. Both Boston and New York City are easily accessible. The university has a largely undergraduate focus and takes pride in the broad liberal arts foundation of its academic programs. Undergraduates can choose from 35 majors with business and psychology being most popular. Academics are supported by a 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of 23. For motivated and self-directed students who want a major that brings together multiple disciplines, Eastern offers a popular individualized major. Life on campus is active with over 60 student clubs and organizations, and on the athletic front the Eastern Warriors compete in the NCAA Division III Little East Conference. The university fields seven me ns and ten womens intercollegiate sports. Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 5,362  (5,171 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 44% Male / 56% Female83% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17): Tuition and Fees: $10,500  (in-state); $23,361 (out-of-state)Books: $1,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $12,559Other Expenses: $2,251Total Cost: $26,310  (in-state); $39,171 (out-of-state) Eastern Connecticut State University Financial Aid (2015- 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 92%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 77%Loans: 76%Average Amount of AidGrants: $7,111Loans: $7,121 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Accounting, Art, Biology, Business, Communication, English, General Studies, Individualized Major, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 76%4-Year Graduation Rate: 42%6-Year Graduation Rate: 54% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Track and Field, Baseball, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Track and Field, Lacrosse, Softball, Soccer, Volleyball, Swimming, Cross Country, Basketball, Field Hockey   Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Eastern, You May Also Like These Schools: Roger Williams University: ProfileRhode Island College: ProfileAlbertus Magnus College: Profile  Southern Connecticut State University: Profile  Mitchell College: Profile  University of Hartford: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Bridgeport: Profile  Yale University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphEndicott College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Rhode Island: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Concavenator - Facts and Figures

Concavenator - Facts and Figures Name: Concavenator (Greek for Cuenca hunter); pronounced con-CAV-eh-nate-or Habitat: Woodlands of western Europe Historical Period: Early Cretaceous (130 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and 2-3 tons Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Triangular hump on lower back; possible feathers on forearms About Concavenator Discovering a new genus of dinosaur is rare enough, but discovering a new genus of dinosaur possessing a never-before-seen anatomical feature is a once-in-a-lifetime event. So imagine the wonderment of the Spanish team of researchers that recently dug up Concavenator, a large theropod of early Cretaceous Europe that sported not one, but two, extremely odd adaptations: first, a triangular structure on its lower back, just above the hips, that may have supported a sail or fatty hump; and second, what appear to be quill knobs on its forearms, that is, bony structures that probably supported small arrays of feathers. So what accounts for these strange features? Well, the 20-foot-long Concavenator was a close relative of Carcharodontosaurus, which was itself related to the huge, sail-backed Spinosaurusso the hump/sail on this new dinosaur shouldnt come as a surprise, even though it was situated much further down the spinal column than on other dinosaurs (another surprise: until recently, these types of theropods were thought to be restricted to South America and Africa). As for the quill knobs, those are more of a mystery: to date, only much smaller theropods than Concavenator, mostly dino-birds and raptors, have shown evidence of arm feathers. Clearly, the feathers on Concavenators forearms (and probably only on its forearms) were meant for display rather than insulation, which may provide clues about the subsequent evolution of feathered flight.