Issue 3

October 2012

A Leaf’s Story

Power struggles between pigments, rips in membranes, emotions rise and hearts break. Learn the trials of Autumn like never before.

Science Anthropomorphized 36

:

3D Printing: It isn’t the future, it’s the now Solar panel Roads The Truth about “Junk” DNA The Science Behind Concussions

Nerve Magazine

October 2012 Vol. 1 ­— Issue 3

6

Simple Screening

A novel test for diagnosing neurological disorders is emerging from Queen’s.

By Michael Gulak

Science

10 Hit ‘Till it Hurts

Concussions are a growing problem in athletics. But how does it affect our Gaels?

By Alison Rockley

14 DNA: Dark Matter Junk? Nope,

it’s Actually Useful

The major part of DNA that was for years considered “junk” in fact serves great function in our genome.

By Olivia Kutlesa

Technology

18 On the Cusp of a

Learning Curve

We can’t turn back now, courses are quickly integrating technology. An in-depth look at ‘blended learning.’

By Marcin Rusak

22 Printing with Plastic

3D printers may seem like a futuristic dream, but they are currently used world-wide (exposing a multitude of benefits).

By Ralph Yeung

A biomedical application of 3D printing.

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(Source: Ralph Yeung) (Cover photo source: Catherine Owsik)

engineering

30 A Roadway Revolution

Is this the next step in sustainable living? The costs and benefits of replacing asphalt roads with durable solar panels.

By Elena Routledge

The Mixture

36 Science Anthropomorphized:

Days of Our Leaves

Take a step inside of a leaf readying itself for winter.

By Tyler Vance

3

E d i to r ’ s

N ot e

It’s been

an amazing month. Friends have returned to town, classes have commenced and everyone’s individual projects have fired up. Working on Nerve has been my focus, but each of my friends has found something different; teaching Zumba class, volunteering at the Peer Support Centre, working at high schools, even filling out graduate school applications has become a “hobby” for some. It serves as a reminder that Queen’s offers us something so much more than just classes. I wish I had fully realized this before my fourth-year here.

One overarching theme I’ve noticed this month is that each person develops his or her own unique learning style. Some people flourish by attending morning lectures to listen to a professor; some people learn best by writing the same notes over, and over again; and others just need to read the words in a clear textbook. In this month’s issue we delve into different learning styles by examining the ‘blended learning’ style of teaching, which is quickly becoming popular at Queen’s. It was difficult to reach a consensus on this topic — its success seems to be totally dependent on the professor’s ability to properly integrate technology into their teachings. Nonetheless, it was interesting to hear different views.

One of my favourite methods of learning is through the use of humour, and in this issue we are trying our first attempt at this through the anthropomorphization of leaves undergoing an autumn transformation. Read it and let us know what you think.

Science Editor TBD Technology Editor TBD Engineering Editor TBD Copy Editor Geoff lundell-Smith Social Media & Marketing Manager Mary Gilaine Arkles Business Manager TDB Photographer TBD

As always, enjoy.

— Catherine Owsik, Editor in Chief 4

Editor in chief Catherine Owsik

Nerve was ratified as an AMS club in March 2012. The inaugural issue was released August 2012.

Issues are released online monthly.

Print issues will be released as funding permits.

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All you need to do is decide what aspect you’re interested in. We have positions for writers,

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Breaking the Bubble

S

Featuring Queen’s students, faculty and al making a difference outside of our Univers

imple

Screening

A new test for neurological disorders allows for early diagnosis; patients as young as six-months-old may now be diagnosed due to the simplicity of the test. The key?

Scientists are using everyday screens to judge eye movement and attention.

By Michael Gulak

Let’s face it; everyone loves to unwind at the end of a long day with a bit of television. But who knew exactly how we watch it can reveal so much about our own health?

As much as television is a prominent source of entertainment, it’s now also an important tool to detect neurological disorders.And that means televisions in every clinic and doctor’s office.

Well, at least that’s what researchers at Queen’s University and the University of Southern California (USC) are hoping for one day.

Neurological disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Parkinson’s disease each affect ocular control and involve attention dysfunctions. Queen’s professors Douglas Munoz, Giovanna Peri, James Reynolds and USC’s Ian Cameron were able to

6

Nerve Magazine

A 1970’s study tracking eye movement during problem solving.

(Source: HansWerner Hunziker)

lumni that are sity.

7

Breaking the Bubble

exploit this fact to develop a novel diagnosis control subjects. method — they evaluate how patients move The team used the eye-tracking data to their eyes while watching television and link identify adults with Parkinson’s disease with this to possible disorders.

89.6 percent accuracy and children with In the initial study, 108 participants ADHD or FASD with 77.3 per cent accuracy. were told to “watch and enjoy” television So what does this mean in practical terms? clips for 20 minutes while the research team repeatedly changed channels and recorded Well, for the first time, a person’s neurological eye movements. The data was compared health can be evaluated through a low-cost, to normative eye-tracking data and 224 easily deployable study of their behaviour. quantitative features of “visual attention” Current tests involve rigorous, structured were defined. This comparison allowed them behavioural tasks and neuroimaging, both of to identify the key features that differentiated which are costly and labour-intensive. patients with neurological disorders from More importantly, these neurological

(Source: Erin Silversmith)

8

Nerve Magazine

tests are generally conducted with young children and the elderly, and this new method eliminates the need for a patient to understand and comply with complex instructions. It can be used on children as young as six-months-old.

The new test is already available at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston, and Dr. Douglas Munoz, a lead researcher in the study, said it has unique benefits.

“It’s key to get a diagnosis of autism as early as possible so that children get the appropriate therapy they need early,” Dr. Munoz said. “[Diagnosing] Parkinson’s

early is also important so people at risk can start treatments or alterations in lifestyle that are deemed protective right away.”

With its simple methodology, this new test may offer a brighter future to early diagnosis.

Did you know that...

2.1%

The percentage of children (between 6- and 11-yearsold), diagnosed with ADHD in Canada.

Boys are

more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than Girls

In 2011, there were

54 thousand Canadians living with Parkinson’s.

This doesn’t necessarily mean more boys have ADHD, there is evidence for a clinical bias towards diagnosing boys with this disorder.

9

Science

Hit ‘Till it Hurts

By Alison Rockley

A scientific look at concussions. How are they impacting our athletes?

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(Graphic by Patrick J. Lynch)

11

Science

Head injuries are a common sight for varsity teams like the Golden Gaels.

Nonetheless, they are fighting hard this season.

(Source: Jeff Chan)

H

ead injuries have recently become one of the most discussed issues when it comes to sports. This is rightfully so, because it has been found that it takes just one brutal blow to the skull to decrease a person’s longevity, both mentally and physically.

In the 2011 NHL season, with a total of 82 games, there were at least 90 serious head injuries reported; likewise, the 2011 NFL season reported a whopping 162 head injuries. William Moodie, Sci ’14, is a defensive lineman for the Queen’s University varsity football team. He says that Queen’s is seeing a similar trend. “By the time you get to the university level, there are not many players that have not suffered from a head injury or concussion,” he said.

Lately, high profile injuries to star players, such as Sidney Crosby, have caused fans and players alike to urge leagues to re-evaluate the rules regarding hits to the head. However, despite increased preventative measures, it’s not always enough to prevent a concussion from occurring.

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Nerve Magazine

A concussion is a form of brain injury caused by an impact or shake to the head.

Generally, it’s a simple injury to attain, and yet the consequences may be very severe. The human brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, both of which are encased by a hard skull of bone. The cerebrospinal fluid acts as a cushion that can serve as protection in cases of light trauma. However, with a more severe impact, the fluid may not absorb the entire impact created by the force, causing the brain to bang into the skull. A major rotational force then moves the brain, disrupting activity in the midbrain and diencephalon (lobes involved with such things as motor function, vision and the involuntary nervous system), causing the effects of concussions.

The majority of concussions occur without a loss of consciousness, but there are many symptoms that can indicate head trauma has occurred. The severity of the injury is dependent on several factors, including the force with which the head is hit, as well as if the brain has already sustained injury in the past. Some people are able to recover from

a mild concussion within a couple of hours and they may simply have a feeling of being dazed, confused, or having a headache. In more serious cases, concussions can cause long-term problems that affect physical, emotional and cognitive functions, and they may experience temporary or permanent memory loss.

“

accumulated tau proteins post-concussion and is expressed through symptoms of aggression, memory loss and depression. Unfortunately, it is most often diagnosed post-mortem.

By the time

The main way to protect the head from injury in contact university level sports, such as football and hockey, is by wearing a helmet.

During the post-hit Helmet sales have increased there are not diagnosis process, doctors ask greatly over the past couple many players patients a variety of questions years, attributed to an increase to test the patient’s cognitive in comfort and protection. A that have not ability. In more severe cases typical helmet is believed to a CT scan or MRI may be disperse approximately 75% suffered from a required in order to ensure the of the force of a blow to the brain is not bruised or bleeding. head. They generally contain head injury or a Treatment for head trauma a layer of foam, and when the typically involves plenty of head is hit the foam crushes, concussion cognitive and physical rest. lessening the force, as well as increasing the head’s stopping Unfortunately, people time. In cases of severe who have had concussions impact, helmets may not be have a much higher chance of sufficient enough to absorb getting another one, especially if there are still enough force to stop the brain from hitting lingering symptoms from the previous head the skull. trauma. This is because concussions cause chemical changes in the brain, including a With an increased awareness of the possible decrease in the neurotransmitters severity and high occurrence of head injuries, that pass on chemical signals. This leaves many ex-athletes are promoting the safety the brain chemistry unbalanced and as a of players. For example, famed hockey result, reactions to stimuli and behaviours player Mark Messier, who sustained multiple may change. Furthermore, these chemical head injuries throughout his career, and has changes make a person more susceptible to started the Messier Project, aimed to reduce injury. concussion rates though public awareness as well as product development. With the NHL Multiple concussions can also greatly implementing new rules about head shots and increase a person’s risk for degenerative fighting, and the NFL cracking down on helmetbrain issues later in life. Chronic traumatic to-helmet hits, professional sporting leagues encephalopathy (CTE) is one such progressive are taking steps towards decreasing the head brain disease; it occurs as a result of injury rates.

you get to the

,

.”

13

Science

DNA:

Dark Matter Junk?

Nope, it’s Actually Useful

By Olivia Kutlesa

14

Nerve Magazine

S

ince its’ colossal discovery in 1953, DNA has been of immense interest to the scientific world. This hereditary molecule is present in all life forms, transferred from parent to offspring, and confers all behavioural and morphological traits coded by genes. But until recently 99 percent of DNA was dismissed as ‘dark matter’ or even, as the media put it, ‘junk.’ These vast sections of DNA were named ‘junk’ because they lacked genes, stripping them of their ability to code for proteins.

Evidently, this “acclaimed” fact was difficult to grasp for scientists and on Sept. 5, 2012 the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project counterclaimed this fact by providing the first comprehensive view of how the human genome actually functions.

ENCODE has proved that over 80% of ‘useless’ DNA is involved in vital biochemical processes, specifically the regulating of protein-coding genes and determining where they are produced. Without it the human genome operating system could not function; hence these bits of DNA have been conserved throughout our evolution.

This is perhaps the largest discovery concerning the human genome since it was first fully sequenced in 2003. At this time, scientists identified each individual “building-block” nucleotide inside the DNA that comprises the collective human genome. Ultimately, they discovered the ingredients, but the world of science was rocked with a surprise; only 2% of

15

Science

establish disease aggressions, human height and whether your body will form parts of a Imagine the human genome as a toolbox: liver or parts of a fingernail. the 21,000 genes that a human being has (as Additionally, the project’s findings help to discovered in 2003) are the functioning tools.

ENCODE has now revealed that the 10,000 clarify why it is that humans only have about non-coding regions of DNA actually regulate 21,000 genes while simple organisms such as our genes and control their functionality with mice, tomatoes and apples have more. The answer, as it appears, is extreme versatility; vast versatility. even though we may not have a larger quantity Dr. Ewan Birney is one of the leaders at of genes, we know how to manipulate them in the ENCODE consortium. “Our genome is complex ways through the use of non-coding simply alive with switches: millions of places regions that produce ssRNA molecules. that determine whether a gene is switched on Though approximately 8% of the human or off,” he said. Essentially, these large noncoding regions provide the duct-tape and genome still remains unmapped, this project weights necessary to turn a screwdriver into has been acclaimed as a major achievement. In total, the raw data that ENCODE has mustered a hammer. exceeds 15 trillion bytes — all based on their About 18% of this “junk” DNA regulates 1600 sets of experiments utilizing over 147 gene action by synthesizing a type of single- types of tissue. The institution invested $123 stranded RNA molecule (ssRNA). These million dollars into the project, $43 million molecules act as DNA regulators by binding into the pilot project with an additional $125 to certain sites along the DNA, which in turn million spent on a technology development may activate or deactivate a gene. Depending and model organism research. As research on the type of gene, the ssRNA molecules can continues, more will be invested. even control the amplitude of gene expression The international ENCODE project is (how much or how little of the gene’s protein is synthesized). Such molecular differences one comprised of over 500 scientists, in 32 human DNA is involved in protein generation.

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Nerve Magazine

Taking the Junk out of our DNA. (Source: Catherine Owsik)

labs, worldwide. Canada is not a part of the list of participating countries, which includes the United States and the United Kingdom.

Their collaborative sets of 30 papers have been published in many scientific journals including Nature, Genome Research and Genome Biology.

comprehension of the gene operating systems, including how our bodies are able to compose organs on such macro-scale levels and what abnormal actions occur that cause a disease to begin and then spread.

Albeit, the project has revealed that genome complexity is so extensive that perhaps the 21st century may very well pass without ever Ultimately, this newfound information truly understanding it. will aid scientists in forming a better

17

Technology

Blended Learning — Ontario is Adopting i

On th 18

Nerve Magazine

ve

e a L rning a f o p C s u u r C e

By Marcin Rusa k

it.

Do you accept it as well?

L

earning is integral to the advancement of humanity and the method by which we parse and acquire information is evolving rapidly. The blended learning model – a format which combines digital or virtual resources with tangible interaction – is changing how we traverse the complex environment of the natural world.

Although the virtual lecture is relatively new at Queen’s University, initiated with high enrollment in introductory courses in 2011, it has been in practice across North America for much longer. Courses such as first-year psychology, geography and sociology are currently offered in this format. One can imagine why the model is attractive to post-secondary institutions as a useful tool to enhance student participation and accommodate different learning styles. It also facilitates distraction and cost saving for university administration.

The challenge of blended learning is adapting the model to fit the pedagogical goals of the institution.

population expansion, but also threatens to serve as a quick cost saving solution.

The use of blended learning can be used to equip students with a comprehensive skill set for interacting in a technological environment.

The most comprehensive method of teaching is immersion, but the blended model implemented at Queen’s still has an in-person component. At the risk of serving as more of a crutch than a tool, blended learning should complement and not detract from original and creative thought and reasoning.

The potential of the technology needs to be mediated carefully in order to be used as According to statistics Canada, post- an effective teaching tool in an environment secondary enrolment has increased by where sensory stimulation is widely and over 10% since 1991, with the majority of easily available. new students aged 17 — ­ 19. Such a sharp Only the truly captivating content has a increase in enrolment strains the potential of chance of being consumed and digested faculty, staff, and university resources while by the student. Giving the student control class sizes continue to grow. Blended learning over the temporal flow of the lecture could offers respite from the problems created by

19

Technology

Blended Learning — Ontario is Adopting i

“It felt too casual.”

“It didn’t use much of the potential of video.”

“Many students tell me that they love the convenience.”

work one of two ways. If they can pause, fast-forward, and rewind, they might use the control to skim through or to revisit sections they didn’t understand. The challenge comes in providing resources which must be not only engaging, but concise in a manner which holds students’ attention.

Admitting that he was accountable for not being motivated to watching keenly he said, “I was just as lazy as with other classes, but it was easier.” According to the student, the interactive potential of blended learning was not being used to the fullest. “The lecture format could have had more effort put into it, different shots or something. It didn’t use For example, a fourth-year Queen’s much of the potential of video.” engineering student took Human Geography, Professor Sidneyeve Matrix in the GPHY 101, as a blended course. “It felt too casual. Just lying in bed watching lectures on Department of Film and Media at Queen’s Human Geography felt more like watching a offers FILM 240, Media and Popular Culture, entirely online. She says she hears positive television show than learning,” he said. things from students.

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it.

Do you accept it as well?

(Source: Catherine Owsik)

“Many students tell me that they love the convenience,” she said. The course includes live lectures called “webinars” as opposed to pre-recorded videos of the professor talking.

The course also includes twitter feeds and online reminders for students, it’s a prime example of complete technological immersion.

the shelves you are more likely to encounter something unexpectedly interesting or helpful.

For post-secondary institutions such as Queen’s that want to offer the best possible education for their students technology is impossible to ignore; learning technologies must be considered carefully and used as a supplement and not a replacement.

“Until all of the kinks are worked out there are going to be growing pains,” Matrix said when commenting on how the blended model Editor’s note: The student interviewed for his differs from full online immersion. opinion on blended courses requested to Searching the online catalogue at a remain anonymous. Many students had similar library is extremely useful, but while browsing requests when asked about this topic.

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Technology

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Printing With Plastic

By Ralph Yeung 3D printers, which produce plastic objects based off computer blueprints, have many applications. In this photo, a 3D model of a patient’s hip has been printed at the Human Mobility Research Centre (HMRC) in Kingston, ON. The 3D model will subsequently be used to create a custom-fit device to accurately drill into this patient’s hip. But biomedical applications aren’t where the practical applications of 3D printing stops.

Popular website “Kickstarter” even has a project to sell inexpensive printers so that any individual may purchase one of these futuristic machines.

(Source: Ralph Yeung)

23

Technology

(Source: Ralph Yeung)

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Nerve Magazine

From applications that alert

people that you’re running late to Bluetooth activated coffee machines, one trend in technology is increasingly clear: people want customizable technologies that fill very particular niches in their needs and wants. There’s one problem: specificity is hard to mass produce, and custom craftwork is never cheap.

The price tag of such uniqueness easily becomes overwhelming for any developer or consumer.

Which is why people have decided to print them instead.

In the past year or two, the technology behind 3D printing has really come into the spotlight. The idea is simple: digital blueprints are made via a computer program, the digital prints are sent to a printer, and immediately layer upon layer of polymeric material is printed out until a full, 3D object is created, exactly to specifications. There are few boundaries to what we can print and there is no shortage of ideas, either. “’Thingiverse’, a repository of digital designs, has over 30,000 [blueprints of] “things” and is expanding rapidly,” Joshua Pearce, a Queen’s mechanical engineering professor, said. The “things” on the website range from garden fences and gears to model toys and even cat costumes (complete with missiles of course). Users are free to download the blueprints and create the objects via their 3D printer.

Last year, Pearce pioneered a competition at Queen’s that challenges

students to use his 3D printing prototyping machine to create engineering solutions to pressing human development needs.

“When we first started the contest it had mostly toys and things for your printers. Now there is everything from scientific equipment and tools, to art and useful household items,” he said. Since then, many successful open source designs have spawned from the competition.

“Every time someone posts another open design, the value of a 3D printer goes up,” Pearce said.

It’s become such an inspiring technology that the United States’ President Obama recently decided to invest in the development of 3D printing technology. He listed it as one of the critical innovations that will most likely have widespread impacts on production and the economy.

O

ne might imagine printing off machine parts and gadgets, but this technology has heartwarming tales in biomedical applications as well. At the time she was born, Emma Lavelle was diagnosed with arthrogryposis, a condition that shortens certain joints. The condition left her unable to properly use her arms, that is until researchers at Alfred du Pont Hospital for Children in Delaware decided to help. They wanted to downsize an existing metal exoskeleton prototype they had developed for adults with similar conditions. Unfortunately, at just two25

Technology

years-old Lavelle required something much smaller and lighter than the exoskeleton they already had. On top of this, her childhood rapid growth would guarantee that a new exoskeleton would be needed every few months.

“That’s when we thought, we have this … 3D printing machine and we could print it out for her,” Dr. Tariq Rahman, part of the team that built Lavelle’s skeleton, said in a video documenting Lavelle’s case. According to Whitney Sample, the engineer who worked with Dr. Rahman in the design of the exoskeleton, the plastic material used to make Emma’s prosthetic is the same material used to make Lego blocks. The result was a newly designed, custom-fit, lighter exoskeleton that could be worn by Lavelle, allowing her to move around with a prosthetic that aids her arm movements.

Best of all are the implications for maintenance of the exoskeleton: if a piece breaks (as may be common with an active toddler), a replacement may be easily printed and sent to the family.

“This is one of those industries that matches perfectly with 3D printing, because we need custom everything,” Sample said in the video. The video concludes with a heart-felt testimony of Lavelle’s “magic arms” and a hug between mother and daughter that may have otherwise never occurred.

And this is just one example of 3D printing’s major biomedical applications.

Here at Queen’s University, Professor 26

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Pearce had a personal experience with 3D printing’s biomedical applications involving his family.

“My wife recently hurt her ankle and needed an ankle board. I looked online and the good ones were selling for over $100. That seemed silly so I spent a few minutes [designing] and printed out one,” Pearce said. “[It] is parametric so if anyone else ever needs one, they can change to fit their needs and print [one off] easily.”

For anyone interested, a 3D printer retails at about $20,000 to $30,000 and each cartridge of polymeric material is about $250. Additionally, you may need to account for the cost of energy to run the printer — large objects may take up to 36 hours to print.

B

oth Emma’s and Dr. Pearce’s experiences closely mirror research happening at the Human Mobility Research Center (HMRC) at Kingston General Hospital.

At the HMRC, multi-faceted research groups develop a multitude of prototypes for prosthetics and rehabilitation devices.

In a field that continuously manufactures unique hardware prototypes, the value of 3D printing is immediately obvious. “Any time we want to see something [in reality during] the design process, we can just print one,” Dr. Tim Bryant, who specializes in engineering artificial joints, said.

To give an example, Dr. Rudan and Dr. Kunz of HMRC have published a scholarly article on a novel guidance device for

Things on Thingiverse (clockwise from top-left): “Battle Kitten Ayumi” by AminimalStudio, “Sam’s Gears” by pleppik, “Human Inner Ear” by neurothing and “Bump Bangle Dual” by BSchuler.

27

Technology

(Source: Bart Dring)

hip surgery that is totally customized to each patient. A computed tomography (CT) scan of a patient’s hip joint is used to create the blueprint of the surgical device, which will fit perfectly around the patient’s hip bone during surgery. At the top of the device is a component that has a drill hole precisely calculated to be the optimal entry point for a prosthetic device to be implanted into the patient’s hip.

This precision in rod insertion directly translates into better results for the patient. The idea behind a tailored, locally made surgical device sounds expensive, but one of these devices could be printed off for $150-$200, which pales in contrast to if one of these had to be custom-made from solid metal.

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Outside of medicine, 3D printing has many other applications. There are groups that are thinking bigger, both metaphorically and physically. For example, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis’s group at the University of Southern California have presented their prototype 3D printer that can build a house in 20 hours, using a variety of materials.

Pearce emphasized that 3D printing is not a technology restricted to researchers and creating proof-of-concept designs.

“3D printers are already used in highend manufacturing and are standard for rapid prototyping. I think in the next five years they will be common in schools and libraries and perhaps soon after that it will be an item that is not out of place in

(Source: Ralph Yeung)

people’s homes,” he said.

If a 3D printer becomes as ubiquitous as the computer, one can imagine just how many open source blueprints there will be, if the current reservoir isn’t impressive enough already. Pearce reflected on his now free, publically available ankle board design. “In this way, we all become wealthier. This is the real secret of the open source hardware movement,” Pearce said. Of course, this would then have drastic ethical impacts: what can we print, and what can’t we print at home?

There are some who are already vocalizing about the dangers of access to technology like this. Some believe that it will make weapons more accessible.

Others, like NASA, believe in the technology’s ability to achieve great progress for building research facilities in less hospitable places like the moon and are investing heavily into the technology.

In the end, all this author can think of, in terms of ethical and practical implications, is one infamous quote from an anti-piracy advertisement from long ago: “You wouldn’t steal a car…”

No, I wouldn’t.

But I might just print one.

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Engineering

A Roadway Revolution Solar roads are at the forefront of new “green� ideas. The concept is simple: replace the asphalt in roads with durable solar panels. These panels would take advantage of the open space to generate electricity to power homes, electric cars, and much more. This method may have great potential to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

By Elena Routledge

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A

bout 5 million kilometers of paved road currently exists in Canada and the United States alone. This length is equivalent to driving along the Earth’s equatorial belt over 120 times — road trip anyone?

According to a study done by the American Geophysical Union in 2004 there is over 75,012 square kilometers of pavement (including parking lots and driveways) in the United States alone. Now, imagine if this area was covered by solar panels instead of pavement. Imagine the power.

An American company, Solar Roadways Inc, is trying to make this radical idea become a reality. They have created “Solar Road Panels” which can withstand the weight of cars, and can essentially be built right into the ground. The company has

The layers of a Solar Road panel.

From top to bottom: (1) the durable, translucent, textured glass layer, (2) the electronic layer with LED display and (3) and the base-plate layer to transmit power.

(Source: Solar Roadways)

(Source: Tomasz Sienicki)

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Engineering

determined that America’s paved roads alone could potentially produce over 13,961 billion kilowatt-hours per year if roads were replaced by solar panels.

To put this number into perspective, that is three times the amount of electrical power expended in the United States annually. Solar Roadways Inc. is a project born from the necessity to find a solution to Earth’s rapidly changing climate — what the company terms as the Global Warming Crisis. Their ultimate vision is to cover all sun-exposed paved surfaces in America with “Solar Road Panels” in hopes to eliminate our dependency on gasoline and diesel to fuel our vehicles. It is a big idea that is surrounded by a myriad of skepticism, but it’s making headlines.

messages and road lines to be displayed on the road for increased night visibility.

The heating element can safely melt snow and ice off the road during the winter.

The electronics layer contains a microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensing loads on the surface and controlling the heating element, lighting and communications.

This electronics layer is what makes Solar Roadways such an intelligent highway system — it is almost as though the road is rippling with life beneath your car’s tires as you drive.

Finally, the bottom, waterproof baseplate layer distributes the solar power collected by the PV cells. The power and data signals provided by the Solar Roadways can then be connected and cott Brusaw, the founder of Solar delivered to any home or business, simply Roadways, is an electrical engineer through parking lots and driveways. from Idaho who has spent the past The benefits of such a system five years working on the concept of are absolutely indisputable. First and “intelligent pavement”. Solar Roadways foremost, solar energy is “clean” energy: would generate electricity, act as a power it produces no carbon dioxide, sulfur grid and even melt snow and ice. dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or any other

S

The intelligent pavement would be laid down by linking square, 12-foot panels.

Each of these panels is composed of three basic layers: the strong, translucent road surface layer, the electronic layer and the base-plate layer. The top layer of a panel is a high-strength, waterproof, textured glass that provides traction for vehicles (it has about the same traction as asphalt), and yet it still allows sunlight to pass through and reach the PV cells.

Just beneath this highly textured glass lies the PV cells, LED lights and heating elements. The LED lights allow warning

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air pollutants. This starkly contrasts to other electricity produced by burning fossil fuels.

Another major benefit of using roadways to implement solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is that undeveloped land need not be touched — one of the common arguments against solar power is that it takes up a lot of room, but using roadways eliminates this issue.

Brusaw imagines a future when the solar energy collected off the road would allow all-electric vehicles to recharge

The benefits of such a system are absolutely indisputable ... Of course, these high-tech solar panels do come with a hefty price tag of roughly $10,000 per panel, and each panel would have to be maintained and replaced every 20 years.

essentially anywhere, making these vehicles much more economically viable.

The company has already been successful in completing the first phase of their Small Business Innovative Research contract. This contract, awarded to them by the Federal Highway Administration of the United States, was based upon the condition that they develop a fully-functioning prototype of their solar roadway concept in a parking lot. Parking lots are good test sites for the solar panels because the vehicle traffic is lightweight and slow-moving, and the parking lot can be easily monitored 24/7.

in the long-run because they would provide vast amounts of electricity to homes and businesses across the nation. The power collected by the PV panels would also allow all-electric vehicles to recharge essentially anywhere, making these vehicles much more economically viable. Of course, these high-tech solar panels do come with a hefty price tag of roughly $10,000 per panel, and each panel would have to be maintained and replaced every 20 years.

If all of America’s highways were to be replaced with Solar Roadways in one go, it would cost a whopping 56 trillion dollars.

To gain a fuller perspective in regards to the fiscal feasibility of Solar Roadways, Nerve sought out the views of a Queen’s Commerce student who is also the previous Finance Manager of Queen’s Solar Design Team (QSDT), Ahrun Thiyagarajah.

Brusaw also envisions the solar panels in driveways, patios, playgrounds and residential streets. Since their success in building this parking lot prototype, Solar Roadways has been awarded a follow-up $750,000 for phase two of their contract.

Furthermore, Solar Roadways Inc. hopes (Elena Routledge): Having had to have a working prototype installed in experience managing grant money for the parking lot of a McDonald’s in the QSDT, what challenges are faced in using near future. this money to take a “green” idea like this to the prototype stage, and then to the product stage? esides its fundamental benefi as an (Ahrun Thiyagarajah): In the case of the environmentally attractive system, Solar Roadways boasts significant solar roadways, the work that is being done economic benefits. For one, Solar by Mr. Brusaw is directly aimed at proving Roadways essentially “pay for themselves” its commercial application right now, so

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Engineering

their challenges are very unique to their circumstances. Specifically, I think you will find that the direct involvement and funding by the U.S. Government puts much more pressure on them to demonstrate that the roadways are a viable option that can be implemented in the near future. […] They are moving more towards the product stage, and focussing much more on demonstrating that it can be financially feasible – that costs can be cut down to a level where full implementation of these roads are possible, while still achieving the efficiencies that are sought. This can be a difficult task.

(Routledge): In the words of Scott

Brusaw, “[You] need to start off small: driveways, bike paths, patios, sidewalks, parking lots, playgrounds. This is where

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Solar PV fields, like this one in Germany, are very effective at capturing solar energy. However, they cover a lot of useable land.

(Source: JUWI)

[we] learn our lessons and perfect our system. Once the lessons have been learned and the bugs have all been resolved, [we’ll] plan to move out onto public roads.” Why would you say is it so fundamental to “start small”?

(Thiyagarajah):

Starting small is critical, in short, because you have to prove that the technology is feasible before it can be implemented. […] An undertaking of such a project requires a substantial financial investment, and it is something that is very hard and costly to undo (entire roads!). For this reason, you

want to make sure that the technology is tested, scalable, and better than any alternative before you go through with the implementation phase.

(Routledge): Do you believe that Solar

Roadways is a realistic plan (or will be a realistic plan in the near future) or will it prove to be too difficult and costly to implement?

(Thiyagarajah): In terms of how realistic Solar Roadways is right now, I am not sure that a wide-scale implementation of it will be possible in the near future. This, in large part, is due to the fact that solar roadways will involve immense complexities in terms of dealing with governments, etc., which may prove to be difficult to accomplish across the vast regions of Canada and the United States (the bureaucratic red tape alone is challenging to overcome).

However, what I do believe is that if the costs can be brought down, and the technology does prove to be feasible, then we can move towards small-scale implementations of it in different cities and towns. What this will do is provide a concrete example of its implementation and effectiveness, which may encourage further developments of solar roadways across the country as its benefits become more apparent. Again though, this is all dependent on the success of Mr. Brusaw and his team in demonstrating that solar roadways are a feasible alternative, and that they can be engineered at a costeffective rate.

Thiyagarajah’s skepticism over the realistic nature of Solar Roadways is shared by many people — there are many reasons to question the feasibility of such

an endeavour. The complexities of the project are an overwhelming reference to the fact that great engineering feats must be accomplished before the panels can be fully implemented. Essentially, despite the incredible power of the idea (literally), Solar Roadways is a project still significantly deep in the prototype stage.

Queen’s Professor Joshua Pearce focuses much of his research in applied sustainability and solar photovoltaic cells.

He said there is a major issue with Solar Roadways in that the cars driving over the road will disrupt the intake of solar energy, which will “kill solar performance.”

“There is no question that fossil fuels as a whole are a zombie energy source - dead but still walking. Solar will push them out with time, but this technology is unlikely to be the one that does it,” Pearce said.

Perhaps one day we will look upon the development stages of this new technology with a knowing fondness, just as we look upon the time when cars were ridiculed as impractical. There is no denying that this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about transit just as automobiles did. After all, we are often told that things of grand accomplishment are unrealistic.

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The Mixture

Days of

A Teleplay Script for:

Leaves Our

By Tyler Vance

photos by Catherine Owsik

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It’s fall again. The time of year where shorts fade to pants, and the greens of summer transform into a marvellous bouquet of yellows, oranges and reds. Many of the inner workings of this fabulously aesthetic process are still a mystery, but a few things are known for certain: it is understood that the actual colour change is the result of an increased degradation of chlorophyll (the green pigment in leaves) relative to another group of pigments, called the carotenoids (orange and yellow pigments). Interestingly enough, these carotenoids are present all year long in the leaf, but only get to shine when chlorophyll concentrations are reduced. Alternatively, some leaves actually begin to produce an additional pigment called anthocyanin

Nerve Magazine

(a dark red to purple pigment) during autumn, adding to the array of colours seen. We also know that the process is tied in to the environmental changes of reduced daylight and temperature, and the stresses these ambient conditions can place on leaves.

I can imagine that for a temperature sensitive structure whose main reason for being (photosynthesis) is reliant on lots of sun, autumn and winter may not provide the most welcoming environment. So the next time you see a beautiful autumn backdrop, pause to think about the poor leaves and their hardships during this very stressful time of year. I know I will.

DAYS OF OUR LEAVES – EPISODE 172: GREEN WITH ENVY LEAF CELL: THYLAKOID MEMBRANE — MID-DAY

SCENE 1

On Screen: We open on the familiar set of the thylakoid membrane. In the centre of the room, Chlorophyll paces back and forth in obvious agitation. Clutched in between the two oxygens of one of its ester bonds is a PIECE OF PAPER, shaded pink.

CHLOROPHYLL (muttering) How could they do this to me? Don’t they know what I’ve given this company? I put my life into this thing, my whole life! I mean, how many double bonds have I shifted around for them? How many chances to go see an Endoctyosis with the guys have I passed up? I could have gone, but then who would make sure the damnable Photosystems got their precious high energy electrons? No one, that’s who.

The membrane shifts open to reveal Carotenoid, who walks onto the set trying to hide a gleeful resonance state. The music begins to play the INTRIGUE THEME. CHLOROPHYLL Have you seen this nonsense, Carrie?

Chlorophyll holds out the paper and shakes it in front of Carotenoid’s face. Carotenoid does not move to take it from him.

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The Mixture

CAROTENOID I have indeed. Quite unfortunate, really. “An increased degradation of the Chlorophyll in the cell.” I imagine you are quite upset about all this.

CHLOROPHYLL You’re damn right I am! I mean, what kind of organization does this to a compound? Especially a vital, hard-working compound like myself. I mean, I’m a Primary metabolite for crying out loud.

CAROTENOID Yes, you are quite important aren’t you? Hard to imagine what we’ll do without you.

CHLOROPHYLL Okay, what’s your deal? What’s with all this excited electron activity?

CAROTENOID I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would I ever be happy that you’re going away? What could I possibly gain by your degradation?

The walls on set start to slowly change colour from their usual bright green to a rich yellow to an orange hue. [Note: consult with Hugh in lighting for proper colour variant.] Chlorophyll looks around, his Magnesium ion visibly vibrating in agitation. Music switches to HIGH-PITCHED VIOLIN TRILL THEME. CAROTENOID (mockingly) Oh. Don’t you like it? I think it’s beautiful.

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CHLOROPHYLL What in the name of the EM Spectrum is going on here?

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CAROTENOID I know, it’s quite the change. We haven’t seen these royal hues around much, which is odd because they’ve been there this whole time. As long as the leaf has been, actually. And yet, in spite of their beauty they were clouded, veiled, shoved into the back corner to be outdone by some gaudy emerald rays, spewing forth from a selfish, inconsiderate, conjugated thug.

CHLOROPHYLL It was you! You were behind this! Oh, jealousy has turned you a very sick colour indeed!

CAROTENOID Interesting you should say so, considering the phrase is “green with envy.”

Chlorophyll moves forward as if to strike Carotenoid with some form of nucleophilic attack.

CAROTENOID

Oh, calm down. I had nothing to do with the decision to degrade you. I just happen to benefit from the results. I mean, why should I have to live in your metaphorical shadow? My colours are just as beautiful, my contribution just as great. Do you know that my brother lives in some subterranean vegetable and gets to spend all of his time just reflecting orange light? Guess what they call the vegetable . . . guess. A carrot! It’s like they named it after him. He runs the place.

Why can’t that be me? You, that’s why.

CHLOROPHYLL If it wasn’t you, then who was it? Was it Ethylene? It was Ethylene, wasn’t it?

That damned noxious hormone. She’s had it in for me ever since—

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The Mixture CAROTENOID Okay, first of all her name is Ethene. Has been since IUPAC came around, like a century ago. And second of all, stop blaming this molecule or that and look around you. The times are changing. There is less and less light every day, and the temperature is dropping steadily. With all that stress and so little gain, how much longer did you think you could continue riding the Photosynthesis Privilege Express? Don’t tell me you haven’t seen the rising number of free radicals around.

CHLOROPHYLL But the glucose. We need that to . . .

CAROTENOID We needed that. As I said, the times are changing and we have to change with them. We will still have the mitochondria, after all.

We zoom in to catch every twitch of emotional activity throughout Chlorophyll’s electron field. The music switches to SAD PIANO THEME, as Chlorophyll slowly walks towards the outer membrane. He looks back over his bulky side chain to Carotenoid.

CHLOROPHYLL

I hope you enjoy your new position. We’ll see how long it will last.

CAROTENOID

Oh, fear not. I have a feeling my reign will be a long and joyous one.

Chlorophyll exits. The camera remains on that point in the membrane and zooms in subtly. The SAD PIANO THEME slowly fades into silence. Suddenly, the membrane reopens and a new character walks in. As he enters, the walls quickly change from the yellow-orange to a deep red.

CAROTENOID

What? What is this? Who are you?

ANTHOCYANIN Why hello there, my good stranger. Just came in on the Metaboli Trolli, as it were.

The name is Anthocyanin. A fine establishment you’ve got here. I hope you don’t mind red!

Carotenoid stares at the newcomer as each carbon in its chain holds perfectly still.

CAROTENOID So close . . . I was so close.

END SCENE 1

Director’s Notes: Nice scene, good emotion. I’ll make sure to get the actors to really sell it.

Some issues with the company bigwigs. Seem to think that kicking Chlorophyll off the show will lower ratings.

They’re worried about the show being cancelled. I told them it would be fine!

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Will keep cast and crew informed.

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Nerve Magazine — ­ Vol. 1, Issue 3