As a mines student, your calculator becomes one of your best friends over the years. Long nights of calculations, countless tests together…those white buttons and small colorless screens have been with you through the good times and the bad. Truth be told, familiarity has bonded you together in a relationship that can be taken for granted. The reliability and effectiveness of a calculator can be overlooked. That is, until tragedy strikes.
In the 1950s and 1960s, heroes such as Dr. Manhattan, Superman, and the Hulk captured the imaginations of the public with the subtle use of science to animate their backgrounds and spark the curiosity of the young and young at heart. Topics such as atomic physics and quantum mechanics were applied in new and exciting ways that could allow Dr. Manhattan to grow to ten times the size of a house or teleport throughout the universe. It was this sentiment in the general public that gave many an interest into the sciences and inspired many scientists. However, since then a paradigm shift has occurred. The general public seems uninterested and not quite as enthralled by the quirks of the nature of the world they live in. This shift away from an interest in the scientific world may be due purely to a shift in public interest, or it could correspond with the way in which science is being communicated.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine recently released their discovery of a cutting edge DNA sequencing technique known as “HaploSeq,” which allows for DNA to be differentiated between maternal and paternal contributions. “The technique will enable clinicians to better assess a person’s individual risk for disease. It is potentially transformative for personalized medicine,” Bing Ren, scientist at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and lead researcher on the new sequencing technique. “In principal you could compare your genetic sequence to your neighbor’s and ask if you have any recent ancestors in common. With our technique we can study each individual and how they relate to other individuals. As we accumulate data from many individuals we can more precisely determine their relationships.”
In many areas of healthcare, personalized medicine is becoming increasingly more ubiquitous. From gene therapies developed from an individual’s DNA to made-to-fit orthopedic replacements, personalized care is transforming the healthcare industry. Jeff Bishop from Zimmer Personalized Joint Replacement Technologies gave the Mines community an interesting insight as to how more advanced fabrication techniques, improved medical scanning technologies, and big data are converging to provide more effective joint replacements. With a more accurate understanding of the anatomical structure of the knee, tibia, and other joints, orthopedic companies can provide patients with increased mobility and higher durability of their replaced joints after orthopedic surgery.
While most Van Tuyl lecturers come with some amount of praise for what they have done, when the lecture started with Mines professor Dr. Kamini Singha stating that the upcoming presenter “single handily changed the way we think about characterizing watersheds with geophysical methods,” she was understating the developments that would be discussed throughout the lecture. The speaker in question was Dr. Burke Minsley from USGS in Denver. Minsley is crucial in overlapping the worlds of geophysics and hydrology and the result has been increased accuracy and modeling in both disciplines.
“The majority of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10 percent of the world’s consumers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90 percent,” summarized Dr. Paul Polak of International Development Enterprises. This concept is used by the humanitarian engineering community to explain why there is need for the profession. Engineers without Borders (EWB), Bridges to Prosperity, and other humanitarian engineering programs and organizations are striving to create this revolution.
Last Tuesday, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (coined MOM) took off with no foreseen complications. The primary goal of this mission is to prove to the international community that India has the capability to reach space and perform experiments, as told by representatives of India’s space agency. If the 300 day mission is successful, India will become the 4th country to have successfully sent a probe to the Red Planet.
This Friday saw Texas A&M’s own Dr. Jeffrey Hart present to a packed room at this week’s AMS department colloquium. Hart presented on research conducted by himself and a student of his at Texas A&M, titled “Testing equality of a large number of densities.”
What could be more fun than dressing up in the tackiest apparel Good Will has to offer and dancing the stresses of school and thoughts of looming exams away with over 200 fellow Mines students? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Located in the heart of Denver, the capital boasts a thriving art community. Amongst the skyscrapers of the business world, people can take refuge here to express their appreciation of fine culture. Coffee shop aromas grace the senses as one makes his way to his preferred venue. The most notable of these reputable vices is located in the Boettcher Concert Hall, its grand exterior hinting to the wonders that can be found inside. It is here that the world-renowned Colorado Symphony Orchestra calls home. Boasting a seat capacity of 2,362, the musicians have the potential to reach hundreds of thousands every year with their work.