Issue 4 by Catherine Owsik

November 2012

Vegas

lost in

A story of Science Formal

Neurofeedback: Change your Brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Circuits and see the world in a new way

Virotherapy: Promising New Cancer Treatment A glance into The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First boutique Laboratory

November 2012 Vol. 1 — Issue 4

Nerve Magazine

The Human Media Lab at Queen’s University. Possibly the world’s first boutique laboratory. Page 22. (Source: George Whiteside) Science

4 Vitality Insurance

A look at the vitamins that keep our bodies functioning. By Leif Simmatis

8 Cancer Research

Update: Virotherapy Promising new research uses viruses to target cancerous tumours.

10 Organic,

or Not? An analysis of both sides of the organic food label. By Olivia Kutlesa

By Genevieve Chan

Nerve Magazine

(Cover photo source: Sam Christian)

E d i to r ’ s

Technology

Reset Your Brain

Neurofeedback is the process of training your brain to use certain neural circuits over others. It has many possible applications, notably in mental health treatment. By Ralph Yeung

Exclusive Inspiration

The Human Media Lab is a treat for the eyes and the mind. By Marcin Rusak

Engineering

Integrated into Engineering

The ILC is always providing new engineering students with information and inspiration. By Alison Rockley

Lost in Vegas

Science Formal is more than an annual party, it’s an engineering spectacle. By Catherine Owsik

Our

N ot e

contributors have shown immense dedication to Nerve this month. Even with difficult midterms and pressing assignments, the students writing in this issue have gone out of their way to tackle a story and make it their own. In Reset Your Brain, Ralph Yeung even hooks himself up to an EEG machine to test out a neurofeedback system. In Exclusive Inspiration, Marcin Rusak steps into a private laboratory that is unlike any other I’ve ever seen on Queen’s campus (I’m quite jealous, actually). And multiple other students have interpreted their own topics of interest. Health is also a focus in this issue. With winter cracking down on us, we’d like to remind everyone at Queen’s to keep an eye on both their physical and mental health. It’s going to be a cold month, but try to enjoy it as much as possible! See you in a couple weeks, — Catherine Owsik Editor in chief Catherine Owsik The Mixture Editor Tyler Vance Copy Editor Geoff lundell-Smith Social Media & Marketing Manager Mary Gilaine Arkles

The Mixture

µ News Network

The anthropomorphization of science installment continues with two types of friction, static and kinetic, rub up against each other in a presidential-style debate.

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.

By Tyler Vance

Science

Vitality Insurance

By Leif Simmatis

With winter weather quickly approaching, many students are popping vitamins to boost their immune system and general health. But are vitamins really helping your body? What roles do they play in maintaining your health?

The human body is imperfect. This is a

statement that most people could probably agree with from firsthand experience; how else can we describe our susceptibility to physical injury or our dependency on synthetic medications.

and can be subdivided into two main groups: the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and the watersoluble vitamins (C and B complex).

Water-soluble vitamins are those that can, as their name would suggest, be dissolved in water Imperfection leads to incompletion. That is to and watery foods. This means that, although they say that, in all of our necessary complex bodily are easily obtained, they are also rapidly removed processes, there are key factors still missing. The from the body and so need to be replaced at least human body requires certain organic substances semi-regularly. to perform many everyday reactions. These Fat-soluble vitamins are quite functionally substances are called vitamins. distinct from the water-soluble vitamins, mainly for Vitamins rarely cross our minds, which is the reason that they are stored in tissues for much interesting considering how vital they are to our longer. This is because they are not excreted as survival. Luckily, we live in an age where most of rapidly. That being said, there are still many rich the thinking regarding vitamins is already done dietary sources for the fat-soluble vitamins (with for us. Deficiencies are uncommon because of the exception of D). Fatty fish, for example, as well varied diets and foods that are artificially fortified as liver and carrots, are rich sources of vitamin A to provide us with many of the vitamins that (although liver is also high in B vitamins). we need. Vitamin C, scientific alias ascorbic Vitamins all play vital roles in metabolism (the acid, is a popular vitamin. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the one that word vitamin is derived from the term vital amine) everyone knows to get from drinking a glass of

Nerve Magazine

(Source: Tom Varco)

orange juice or eating colourful vegetables. It has a wide range of roles in the human body. Vitamin C functions in antioxidant defense, collagen synthesis (creation), neurotransmitter synthesis and immune responses It is so imperative, that most animals have the ability to internally synthesize it themselves. Unfortunately, humans (along with chimps and guinea pigs) don’t carry this trait.

skin flaking — developed from the inability to synthesize collagen properly. Thankfully for those poor sailors en route to the New World, Native Americans provided them with cedar bark tea which contains vitamin C and helped cure them. The reason for the sailors’ deficiency boils down to (sorry, tea pun) the fact that vitamin C is watersoluble and so it is not effectively stored by the body. Thus, it must be taken in semi-regularly.

Vitamin C’s popularity may have stemmed from its role in the prevention of scurvy, a disease that used to be widely contracted by sailors. Sailors lived without fresh fruits and vegetables for months at a time, which led to a deficiency in Vitamin C. We now know that the symptoms of scurvy — bleeding gums, hair loss and

The B-vitamins are other such entities.

They all function in chemically similar ways, and so they have been given numbers that reflect this organization. There are a dozen or so, B1 through B12, which go by various names: riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folate (B9) and even more complicated ones such as pyridoxine (B6) and

Science

Most people likely don’t have a problem, but rather see taking vitamin supplements as an insurance policy. — Dr. Glenville Jones

cobalamin (B12), so called because it contains cobalt, which is quite unique indeed. They are needed for many aspects of energy metabolism and for the synthesis of different cell types. Most B-vitamins are easily obtained from eating vegetables; however, vitamin B12 is only found in meat, fish and dairy because animals have the intestinal bacteria that creates it. This commonly causes a vitamin B12 deficiency in vegans and vegetarians. However, the B-vitamins are also artificially supplemented in many foods, such as cereal. The B-vitamins are primarily co-enzymes; that is, enzymes use them within our bodies in order to function. Vitamins B6 and B12 are primarily involved in the conversion of food into cellular energy, and for this reason, a deficiency in vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 is characterized by a lack of energy.

Dr. Jones’ research primarily focuses on the fatsoluble vitamins A and D.

Vitamin A, also known as retinol,

is needed for embryological development and, as the scientific name would imply (think “retina”), for vision. However, vitamin A is also associated with a great degree of toxicity if overdosed. Ingestion of over 4000 IU (1200 micrograms) per day per kilogram of body weight can lead to the development of symptoms over the course of six months. The fluid around the brain can swell and liver damage can occur. In fact, there are anecdotes that Inuit peoples avoid eating the liver in bears and seals because it makes them sick (supposedly due to the high concentration of vitamin A in the liver). As well, there are stories of desperate Arctic explorers consuming entire animals that they kill, including the liver, and “You have a three-year supply of vitamin B12 then becoming dazed due to toxic effects and in your liver,” Dr. Glenville Jones, professor in the eventually dying. Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (DBMS), said in an interview. He continued to say Vitamin D, on the other hand, is that, with the exception of vegetarians or people actually quite difficult to attain from the diet alone; on other restrictive diets, vitamin supplements overdoses are very rare. Vitamin D is primarily in are not needed. And not just in the case of the fatty fish, such as sardines and salmon, and there B-vitamins. are reports of a Norwegian “vitamin D booster meal” composed mainly of D-rich foods, eaten “There is a limited need for one-a-days,” Dr. all at once. Aside from this extreme instance, Jones said. “The focus should be on a balanced though, vitamin D is relatively hard to come by. diet instead [of on supplements].”

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Can you identify which vitamin these sources provide? “You can count on one hand the number of [well-investigated] cases of vitamin D overdose,” Dr. Jones said. “In Poland, I gave a talk on a certain disease which prevents the breakdown of vitamin D, which affects around one in fifty thousand.” This, he adds, is one of the few ways to experience potential vitamin D overdose.

water-soluble coating on the fat-soluble vitamins will eventually break down and the substance inside will get oxidized by the water. With the recent opening of a pharmacy on campus, the point is raised: do we really need vitamin supplements?

“There is a lot of misinformation,” Dr. Jones said. “Most people likely don’t have a problem, but rather see taking vitamin supplements as an insurance policy.” This returns to the point that many of our foods are heavily artificially fortified or, in the case of vegetables and fruits, naturally fortified. For example, whole grain bread would be richer in the B vitamins than white bread, Vitamin D is needed for the proper formation of except white bread manufacturers now add all of bones and its deficiency is implicated in Rickets the B-vitamins back in post-processing. Disease. In the 1960’s Charles Scriver, a Quebec The bottom line: should you shell out for those physician, pushed for Quebec’s dairy products to be fortified with vitamin D. After he succeeded, C-boosters, or just eat a salad? Personally, the the number of annual cases of Rickets dropped lush layer of leafs wins every time. from 120 to under 10. Vitamin D is synthesized naturally in our bodies in response to sunlight. However, this means that at our latitude in Canada we are unable to make it between the months of October and April. This is due to inadequate UVB ray exposure; UVB rays breakdown are required for the breakdown vitamin of D’s precursor molecule.

Now many of our foods are fortified with both vitamins A and D (fat-soluble), even ones that would seem counterintuitive. Take, for example, water-based orange juice; in this case the fatsoluble vitamins are emulsified using starches, which suspend them in their watery environment. This is why some drinks are supposed to be shaken before drinking. Although after a while the

Dr. Glenville Jones specializes in the fat-soluble vitamins A and D on which he has published chapters in the Cambridge World History of Food, as well as the Canadian version of Dietary Reference Intakes, which is used by Health Canada to recommend daily intake levels for vitamins.

Science

Virotherapy Cancer Research UpDate: By Genevieve Chan

In your lifetime, you, or someone you know, will be diagnosed with cancer.

lthough the mortality rate of cancer in Canada has dropped by 21% in men and 9% in women over the past 20 years, one Canadian is still diagnosed with cancer every three minutes. With billions of dollars invested in cancer research each year, one has to wonder: what answers has research yielded so far? Will we ever discover a cure? Though not yet a cure, virotherapy has been been a renewed focus for cancer research in the past few years. In virotherapy, cancer cells are targeted by oncolytic viruses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; viruses that are either naturally existing or genetically engineered to target tumour cells as the site of replication and destruction, while leaving healthy cells reasonably undamaged.

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Viruses are acellular parasites that lack the structures and functions necessary to perform metabolic processes such as energy production, growth or replication. Viruses have simple constructions: they have a protein shell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sometimes surrounded by a lipid envelope â&#x20AC;&#x201C; encasing genetic information, either in the form of DNA or

RNA. DNA and RNA differ in size and some molecular components, and RNA viruses tend to be more virulent in human hosts due to their increased ability for genetic mutation. Due to their simple structure, in order to carry out any metabolic function, the virus must first attach to a host cell

and use the host’s capacity for growth and replication. The virus uses the host’s ribosomes and cellular machinery to replicate its genetic information and produce protein shells to encase the new DNA or RNA. The viruses then exit the host cell through lysis (bursting) of the host cell’s membrane, killing the cell. Given the destructive nature of viruses, our immune systems have developed a strong antiviral response upon entry of the virus. In response to viral infection, the body produces a variety of immune response cells to mark and destroy the infected cells. Virotherapy research focuses on guiding viruses into the body to destroy tumour cells. In order to do this, researchers need viruses to reach the tumour cells without being recognized and engulfed by the cells of the immune system. Along with his colleagues, Alan A. Melcher, a British professor of clinical oncology and biotherapy at the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, conducted a clinical study to test virotherapy in human hosts. 10 patients with colorectal cancer were each given an intravenous administration of reovirus, which comes from a family of viruses that usually affect the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Reovirus is one type of oncolytic virus, with the distinguishing feature of lacking an envelope, or being “naked.”

In the study, Melcher and colleagues discovered that when administered intravenously, some of the naked reoviruses quickly adhered to the circulating white blood cells of the immune system. This led to the reoviruses acquiring a “stealth phenotype” – instead of being flagged for destruction by the immune system’s antibodies, these reoviruses were carried through the circulation by the white blood cells. When the white blood cells entered the tumour cell beds, the viruses were subsequently released, infecting the tumour cells. Due to the specificity of the reovirus, the surrounding healthy cells were left unharmed. However, these research results only go so far as to tell us that it is possible for oncolytic viruses to travel undetected by the immune system and become deposited in beds of tumour cells. The actual effectiveness of this type of treatment on cancer cells is still being researched, and its viability as a treatment option is still being explored. Much of the experimentation in this field of research is done on mice, so the extension of these results and theories to human trials is a big step that only a few have begun to take. There are also many questions that these results raise. Can this type of therapy be applied to the numerous types of cancer

Dr. Roger Deeley, director of the Cancer Research Institute at Queen's, said in an email to

Nerve that, "The [virotherapy] approach shows considerable promise."

with which people are afflicted? Will it have different effects depending on the stage of a patient’s cancer? What are the side effects and associated risks? Will it only control the metastasis and development of tumours, or could it possibly completely rid a patient of cancer? Despite the uncertainties surrounding this ongoing research, these findings have planted a seed for an endeavour with great potential. Just like the first vaccine or the first isolated batch of insulin, hopefully, this will become a breakthrough medical discovery to save countless lives in the years to come.

Science

A helicopter sprays a commercial field with pesticide.

By Olivia Kutlesa

Organi 10

Nerve Magazine

An organic vineyard in Austria. (Source: Verita)

A Delicious DebaTe

An analysis of the organic label that graces our grocery shelves. Organic crops are generally free of pesticide. Organic meat products are generally free of drugs. But in Canada, is generally too general?

ic, Or Not? 11

Science

CRops In Kansas Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late June, and a NASA satellite captures crop fields in Kansas. The perfect circles are due to irrigation systems that pivot around a central point. Many Canadian farms use this same system. 12

Nerve Magazine

Science

There are several reasons to eat organic, but is eating

These reasons included taste preferences and the healthier one of them? According to a study conducted outcomes of conventional farming, which affect both by leading professionals at Stanford’s School of environmental and animal welfare. Smith-Spangler Medicine, the answer seems to be “hardly.” A team added that she learned that there was a lot of variation led by Dena Bravata and Crystal Smith-Spangler between the two farming practices. “It appears there compared the benefits of eating organic foods to are a lot of different factors that are important in non-organic foods. They seldom found evidence that predicting nutritional quality and harms,” she said. supports the idea that organic food is more nutritious, Among the various factors are soil types, weather and though it may have less pesticide exposure and fertilizer. they did not find they were associated with fewer So are lower quantities of pesticides a reason to buy health risks. organic foods? Many health professionals, including In order to confirm this bold conclusion, the those from Scientific American, don’t think so. Multiple researchers analyzed 237 papers based on various health claims have assured the public that organic food studies. However, the bulk of the studies scrutinized is grown without toxic synthetic pesticides, but this is were those that focused on the impurities of food false. Canadian organic food products are supposed products. Researchers analyzed the different levels of to be made with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, nutrients, bacteria, fungi and pesticides found in both GMOs (genetically modified organisms), antibiotics or growth hormones. However, the organic produce we organic and conventional foods. receive on shelves is still made with ‘natural’ or ‘nonTheir findings suggested no significant differences synthetic’ pesticides. in nutrient levels, except that organic foods contain The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) significantly higher levels of phosphorus. Phosphorus is very necessary in many bodily functions such as bone released their records and showed that nearly 24 formation, digestion and energy extraction. Despite percent of organically produced apples contained conducting extensive analyses, the team was not able pesticide residue. Dr. Walter Krol, who tests for to conclude that specific organic fruits and vegetables pesticide contamination commented on this. were consistently a better choice. “Some believe that “Pesticides are ending up in produce somehow and organic food is always healthier and more nutritious it’s not supposed to happen, so there are flaws in the … we were a little surprised that we didn’t find that,” integrity,” Walter said. “If [the CFIA is] concerned about pesticide residues, I don’t think it does a very Smith-Spangler said in a Stanford publication. good job of meeting those expectations.” But, they did expose that antibiotic-resistant In 2011, the CFIA documentation showed that out bacteria was lower in organically grown chicken and pork. While researchers determined that pesticide of the 112 produce samples, many contained more levels were about 30 percent greater in conventional than one kind of pesticide residue. The most common food products, no produce was consistently free of residue found within apples was the fungicide pesticides. The pesticide levels found in both food thiabendazole, which appeared almost as frequently in organic apples. One organic sample even posed a categories were within the allowable safety limits. health risk, exceeding the maximum pesticide residue The intention of this investigation was simple. limit. These organic apples were not Canadian grown, “Our goal was to shed light on what the evidence but imported from other countries. is,” Smith-Spangler said. “This is information that As stated before, certified Canadian organic people can use to make their own decisions based on their level of concern about pesticides, their budget products are supposed to be pesticide free and grown and other considerations.” In conjunction, Bravata according to regulations. However, the CFIA has claimed that there are many other reasons, which been having issues tracking how pesticide residues look beyond health benefits, to buy organic food. contaminate specific organic produce. The national

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used. Organic meat comes from livestock that was not feed any synthetic additives or antibiotics that could promote growth. It also contains higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a fatty acid that improves immune function and reduces fat deposits. The list concludes with dairy, which can be recognized with a Canada Organic Logo. For similar reasons to buy organic meat, dairy cattle on conventional farms are kept in barns for large amounts of time as to setting them out to graze. To be certified Eating organic is much costlier than eating non- opposed as organically grown cattle, the farmer must allow for organically. However, according to the Organic cattle to graze out on the pasture for as long as they Agriculture Centre of Canada there are certain food can. As a result of this, the CLA content in organic products that are worth the purchase. This includes dairy is much higher. Furthermore, there are very leafy greens â&#x20AC;&#x201D; such as spinach, lettuce, kale and collard strict antibiotic regulations on organic dairy, which â&#x20AC;&#x201D; because when they are grown inorganically they only enable the cattle to be given medication when contain high levels of pesticides to keep them looking they are ill. fresh. Also on the list are berries; Canada is unable to produce fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, Overall, eating organic produce is a personal choice. and raspberries all year long, and consequently they As provided, there are many reasons to eat organic are imported from countries with less restrictive and many reasons to be cautious when buying organic pesticide rules. Organic berries have shown to be produce. Whether you choose to eat organic or not, it more antioxidant-rich and smaller, which means that is vital to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables there are generally more per carton. into your diet instead of disregarding them for skeptical reasons. Another food to buy organic is meat. Conventionally grown livestock is raised in an environment in which the animals are over-populated, increasing the risk of disease and the amount of antibiotics and medications manager of the CFIA, Michel Saumur, has expressed that there is simply too much information missing for the CFIA to track all foods certified as organic. Saumur believes that most of the pesticide presence in organic foods has been a result of contamination in buffer zones and is non-intentional, implying that it is beyond a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control. Moreover, only 30-20 percent of Canadian organic products are grown in Canada. Most are imported from the U.S.

Technology

Reset Your

Brain By Ralph Yeung

Nerve Magazine

Neurofeedback is the process of training your brain to use certain neural circuits over others. In true Nerve spirit, Ralph Yeung hooks himself up to a neurofeedback system to discover how it works firsthand.

Within the past few years, Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has been made keenly aware of the importance of mental health. So much so, in fact, that Principal Woolf spearheaded the formation of a committee, which earlier this year outlined strategies the school will take to promote mental health. These initiatives are not without their hurdles. I once had a conversation with a psychiatrist who described relapse of mental illness as one of the more frustrating, but expected, aspects of her work. Patients often slip into negative thought

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patterns, and then keep using such patterns to process new information. This leads to patients continuously perceiving situations in a negative light.

processes. The patient listens to relaxing music during an approximately 30 minute session, during which static noise interrupts the music briefly whenever a threshold amount of these patterns are detected.

Psychotherapy aims to disrupt this habit, often “The computer is [monitoring] electrical patterns. by helping an individual recognize these patterns and consciously interrupting such thoughts when they When it sees a person go into a turbulent state, it gives them instant feedback, triggering a cascade. First thing it happen. does is trigger the orienting reflex. From there, [the brain] This technique works because the brain is plastic, does self-scanning and self-correcting,” McCulloch said. as many neuroscientists call it. The brain changes and Like rumble strips, the static sound interrupts the adapts based on demand for usage. It strengthens neural (brain) circuits that are used often, and leaves unused otherwise smooth flow of music. This shift in sound neurons malleable enough to form new circuits. It’s this causes a person to interrupt their current processing in concept that some believe are key to both the problem order to process the new stimulus (the static noise). This and the solution: the brain keeps reinforcing a circuit that interrupts signalling through the circuits being used at the processes information negatively, but it can be weakened time, and over time, gradually weakens the circuit, as it by interrupting the circuit, in hopes that a less negative is no longer used. By playing static noise when negative processes are used, the computer may target those specific thought process can develop over time. circuits for degradation. Recognizing and interrupting negative thought Yan Yu, a second-year medical student who observed processes isn’t always easy, and patients can relapse into negative thought patterns during or after psychotherapy. at KIPN earlier this year, summed up the process. That being said, what if technology can facilitate this “[Patients’] own established mental habits of thinking, most of which are subconscious, leads them to thinking pattern breaking? in a depressive or anxious way. That pattern of thinking is What if a machine can detect when we use neural so engrained, it’s subconscious, so we subconsciously get circuits which process negatively, and interrupt signalling the brain to correct itself with neurofeedback,” Yu said. with another stimulus to weaken this circuit and break This is particularly useful for individuals who are this habit? overly anxious or depressed, as it may help them break It sounds like something out of science fiction, but it out of skewed patterns of perception and help them is, in fact, the very basis of a fairly unheard of treatment relax. “Relaxation training is part of it, but it’s not just called neurofeedback. about relaxation. It’s about training stability, flexibility “It’s like the rumble strips on the highway,” says Dr. and resilience. It’s also about training the right and left Janet McCulloch, one of two physicians at the Kingston hemispheres to cooperate,” McCulloch said. Institute of Psychotherapy and Neurofeedback (KIPN). As explained by the KIPN website, an ideal brain “When you hit them, it triggers your self-orienting should be capable of switching between brain states based response. It’s the same here.” on how much attention and focus is required at the time The concept behind neurofeedback is fairly simple: (flexibility). When we don’t need to focus, it should be able representative brain activity is measured using an easily to relax. When demand is high, it should be able to focus, attachable electroencephalogram (EEG) with five and remain stably focused (resilience). Neurofeedback electrodes. A computer program monitors brain activity can help increase brain flexibility and the ability to remain for specific patterns correlated with negative thought stably focused. Essentially, it’s about training your brain

Nerve Magazine

Neurofeedback

Kingston

The electroencephalogram (EEG) attaches to your head with five electrodes. A computer program monitors brain activity for specific patterns correlated with negative thought processes. During this session, a patient listens to relaxing music and static noise interrupts the music briefly whenever a threshold amount of negative thought patterns are detected. (Source: Linda Beckett)

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Eeg Results (Source: Der Lange)

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“We hypothesize that children with FASD will demonstrate significant improvements in multiple domains of brain function after [neurofeedback] There are many benefits of using neurofeedback as treatment, and that measures of stress or depression will a potential treatment for various mental health issues. be improved in parents/caregivers [of these children],” McCulloch describes how it is personally valuable to her. Reynolds said. “For me, in psychiatry, we rarely have a tool to look at It would not be difficult to imagine other research something objectively. [Evaluations] are so subjective, whereas this is an objective, quantitative result,” she groups adopting the technology, as the equipment is fairly said. These quantitative results can also be tracked over easy to use. time and over sessions, giving numerical data to support “It probably only takes someone half an hour to learn whether an individual is responding to neurofeedback. how to use one of these,” Alex Legnini, who manages Given the benefits, it may come as a surprise as to why KIPN, mentioned as he hooked up the electrodes to my neurofeedback hasn’t become a more standard treatment head. Dr. McCulloch suggested a demonstration as the for various mental illnesses. The technological barrier is best way to understand how neurofeedback works. no longer an issue: besides the EEG electrodes, patients Alex took three minutes to attach the electrodes and simply need to install software that is compatible with measure a 30 second baseline of my brain activity. The most personal computers. But, it’s the pricing of hardware next 15 minutes (the demo is half a session length) were and software packages that is hindering neurofeedback’s a blur. I could hear the occasional static interrupting the diffusion. Professional systems sell for $9500 and soothing music, and at a certain point, I felt my mind slip personal ones, which are designed for home use, sell for into a different place. $5000 (according to one provider’s website). Nonetheless, “Like switching gears in a car,” McCulloch reflects on McCulloch says that costs are going down and that some patients end up purchasing their own systems to be used her own neurofeedback sessions. at home. Does it really work? Medical student Yu, believes it McCulloch mentions the lack of neurofeedback does, even after just one session. “Right afterwards I found efficacy studies as a problem for larger institutions that myself full of energy, so full of energy that I did my first want to collect more information about its effects before ever 10 kilometer run. That night I had trouble falling implementing it into treatment protocols. “Medicine is asleep and when I did, dreamed vividly. As I continued to very conservative, to set up a large scale study will take do neurofeedback I found myself being more conscious years and no pharmaceutical company is going to fund of my feelings.” research in neurofeedback,” McCulloch said. I didn’t go for a ten kilometer run after my session. This is not to say research studies involving I slept soundly for the first time in a week though. neurofeedback aren’t happening. Here at Queen’s University, starting in 2013, Dr. James Reynolds will be working with Dr. McCulloch, to test the efficacy of neurofeedback treatment for individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome (FASD). to self-regulate properly by helping create more efficient thought processes and their neural circuitry.

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Exclusive

Inspirat By Marcin Mazur Rusak

Nerve Magazine

tion

This photo isn’t a photoshop trick. This is the Human Media Lab in Jackson Hall (yes, on Queen’s campus). It’s being called the world’s first designer boutique laboratory.

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Nerve Magazine

(Photo Sources: George Whiteside)

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Stepping

into

the Human Media Lab on the top floor of Jackson Hall is a surreal experience. Conceptualized by acclaimed designer Karim Rashid the space stands in stark contrast to traditional University facilities. The offices and carrels have white desk chairs, which look like set pieces from a science fiction movie set, and the windows and tables themselves are incongruous shapes. The ceiling is wired with kilometres of cables to facilitate sensors and projectors wherever they are needed.

The aesthetic of the space, however, is triumphed by the research and development taking place. The Human Media Lab is working on a revolution which elevates computer technology to a whole new level. Think of it this way; gadgets like a Smartphone or a laptop are devices which we manipulate to suit our needs, but what Dr. Roel Vertegaal and his team are working on is abolishing this idea of computers as technology. Rather, they will function intuitively in the same way as a chair or piece of cutlery, perfectly befitting their purpose. Vertegaal’s office features a wall of several generations of Apple computers that serve to contrast the work taking place in the lab from the current generation of computers. The bulky and rigid construction of the old computers is a reminder of the restrictive nature of representing a multidimensional world on a flat surface. Appropriately, one of the projects the team is working on is flexible computer displays, for example a piece of paper which the user can interact with to surf the web. Among the other projects under development are organic user interfaces, interactive blobjects,

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flexible computers, and attentive user interfaces. A computer not restricted by form and space changes its applications and implications for daily human life, allowing it to function as an extension of the physical world as opposed to a representation of it. One of the areas of research performed at the Human Media Lab is organic user interfaces viz. flexible screens, spherical and cylindrical computers. What strikes me as particularly potent about the label ‘organic’ is that it is at once contradictory and entirely appropriate. The word carries a connotation of being natural, but how can a human made object such as a computer be natural? That is exactly the conundrum that is being confronted by the researchers at the Human Media Lab. Current technologies such as laptops and phones are rigid and defined, but as we know, nature seldom builds in straight lines. The computers under development will function as an extension of the body. Another project underway is termed ‘interactive blobjects’; ordinary objects which are fitted with appropriately shaped displays. The application of this research could turn something as ordinary as

Vertegaal’s office, featuring a museum of Apple computers. (Source: George Whiteside)

a t-shirt into a mood indicator, or perhaps use a sphere to function as the display of the popular Google Earth application. Instead of speaking to a flat representation of someone on Skype the interface will enable people to move freely around a room speaking via a cylindrical display of the other person. The computer will track movement and compensate for change in perspective. As Vertegaal describes, “The computer will

know its shape.” The implications are immense in a world where computer literacy is fast approaching the same level of importance as the ability to read and write. Vertegaal estimates these products will not be on the commercial market for 10 or 20 years. Although the research is just a glimpse of what is to come. “We are defining the future, and we are doing it right here at Queen’s,” he said.

Engineering

TED

TEGRA

into

Engineering

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(Source: Andrew French)

By Alison Rockley

he Integrated Learning Center, otherwise known as the ILC, was built in 2003 and is the home to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. What makes the ILC unique is that it is a live building, meaning its mechanical, structural and electrical systems are monitored and recorded for people to view. In many areas of the building, systems are visible to students through glass sheets in the floors and walls. The building is based on being energy-efficient. A complex system within the ILC monitors the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power usage, and can display exactly when and where power is being used. This allows students and faculty to track spaces of inefficient electricity use. The building is equipped with LCD monitors in the teaching studios, which give off much less heat than other monitors, and therefore saves energy (heat is simply lost energy). The ILC is also equipped with sensors inside a wall to demonstrate how insulation works, and how buildings leak and retain heat. The ILC has six air-handling units; the first of which houses the enthalpy wheel that feeds air to the other units. These units provide a specific number of exchanges per hour, which depends on the amount of people using the space at that time. The enthalpy wheel exchanges heat and humidity from one air-stream into another. Instead of discarding used building air, the enthalpy wheel saves useful energy and transfers it into incoming fresh air.

use of carpet was minimized in the design, since carpets give off a high amount of VOCs. Instead, a vinyl floor held with the least toxic glue available was chosen. It also uses high fly-ash and slag concrete to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The cast-in-place concrete in the ILC contains 50 percent supplementary cementing materials, meaning that it replaces a large percentage of cement with other materials which saves energy. To build the ILC sustainably, it was divided into two sections and each side was built using a different construction method. This allowed engineers to analyze the environmental impacts of cast-in place concrete versus structural steel. They calculated the impacts using six criteria, including global warming potential and air toxicity. Cast-in-place concrete was found to be a more sustainable building method and as a result, the larger teaching wing of the ILC was constructed using this method. The ILC also contains the first smart lighting system in Canada, which consists of lights connected to sensors that adjust to the required brightness. This is powered using solar panels on Goodwin Hall, the building immediately adjacent to the ILC. Solar panels convert light into electrical energy without any moving parts, noise or pollution.

Data recorded by the building, from the mechanical systems to the lighting, can be found The ILC has received awards for its environmental on the live building website. There are also tips sustainability. There is a Biowall located in the that people can use daily to reduce unnecessary main lobby, which acts as both a bio-filter and energy usage. You may even find inspiration for an aesthetic feature. The wall is an air filter which your own ambitious design projects. removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide from the air as it passes through the wall into the building. Materials within the building are also environmentally friendly. The

Engineering

Vegas

lost in

By Catherine Owsik

Nerve Magazine

Science Formal is an annual event orchestrated entirely by engineering students at Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University. The event takes months of work; the result is one-night of bliss.

(Photo By: Victoria Rauseo)

Engineering

A couple enjoys dancing to the live music within Grant Hall. (Source: Victoria Rauseo)

The view from the second story of the pirate ship structure, which was hand-built by engineering students. Perched on top of the mast is the Sci â&#x20AC;&#x2122;13 crest. (Source: Sam Christian)

Engineering

“

elcome to Las Vegas, Kingston, Ontario.” Well, that wasn’t exactly announced, but on

Saturday, Nov. 3,

Queen’s campus was transformed into a smaller version of Sin City for the night. It was Science Formal, an annual gala held inside Grant and Kingston Halls that may be likened to the prom of Queen’s University; only fourth-year engineering students and their dates can attend and there’s a lot of mayhem before, during and after the event. chunk of

The twist is that Science Formal isn’t just another prom; it’s an engineering spectacle, complete with rigorous planning, insightful creativity and hard labour. The labour is one of the most impressive aspects to Science Formal. Everything inside the venue, from the murals to the chairs, is handmade by engineering students and their dates prior to the event. Unless they request and receive a reduction, each engineering student must complete 40 hours of work; a non-engineering date must complete 15 hours. In addition to this, the Science Formal committee spends 13 months planning the event. It’s a lot of work for one night, but I can see why it’s worth it.

day, but the excitement builds up and hopes start to rise. It’s also the moment when we start to discuss this year’s theme: Las Vegas. How do you emulate such a diverse and frantic city? Every year the third-year engineering students vote on a theme for their Science Formal, which will occur during the following school year. The theme mostly applies to the venue’s design, but some people also make plans to dress appropriately. The Golden Ticket There’s one major hitch in the plan. Although we’ve all become excited about the event, there is a maximum number of students that can legally be inside the venue. And as it stands, Grant Hall’s capacity is lower than the number of people that want to attend. By late September, everyone is frightfully aware of this fact.

The Build-Up For me, the first buzz of Science Formal starts with girls gossiping about dates. It’s early September, and I’m still trying to figure out my fourth-year courses, but all of a sudden my friends have new worries. Who will accompany them to Science Formal? What will they wear? Where will they go Josh Randall, the Science Formal Convener for for dinner? We gossip in circles. It’s generally this year’s event, tells me that the organization unclear what is going to happen on that special and construction of Science Formal doesn’t

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A room in Kingston Hall displays photos of this year’s construction process. (Source: Victoria Rauseo) change much year by year, unless they add their tickets and, for the most part, I hear it goes specific improvements. “The only thing I would smoothly. The sale of tickets for non-engineering say is that this year we’ve really focused on being dates, on the other hand, is a totally different story. organized,” Randall, Sci ’13, said. Tara Russell, Art Sci ’13, has been in a Randall adds that this year the Science Formal relationship with an engineering student for quite committee, which consists of 38 students, was some time. She bought her Science Formal able to facilitate communication with attendees dress — a stunning, floor-length, one-shoulder, through online outlets like Facebook, Twitter and white gown — after last year’s prom season in an improved website. A quick online search shows preparation for the night. So of course, when this is true, however the Facebook group has also rumours of limited tickets spread, she reacts with become the outlet for some frustrated students. a plan. Unfortunately, an event this large has an inherent “I got to the ILC at 8 a.m.,” Russell said. She was problem of organization. Take, for example, ticket the first person in line. “I heard that in previous sales. The Sci ’13 students are the first to purchase years there had been lots of people that didn’t

Engineering

On the night of Science Formal, Sci â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14 students took over the operations: some made drinks, others carried trays of food, some even provided entertainment. This allowed all of the Sci â&#x20AC;&#x2122;13 students, even those on the Science Formal committee, to enjoy the event.

A room in Kingston Hall designed with a vault theme. (Photos by: Victoria Rauseo)

Engineering

get tickets, and I really didn’t want to be one of those people.” That day, ticket sales are scheduled to begin at the ILC (Integrated Learning Centre) at 7:30 p.m. But because tickets are a first-come, first-serve basis, eager students form a long line by noon. Most students, dates and engineers alike, sit in an orderly fashion through the halls, completing readings and assignments. Some students even cluster around laptops to watch the live stream of Felix Baumgartner’s stratosphere jump. “I think the process makes sense, it’s fair because the people that really wanted tickets got in line early,” Russell said. “Though maybe it should be held in a place that can accommodate more people, as it became a fire hazard.” By 2 p.m. the line is already longer than the number of tickets available (about 100), so the Science Formal committee begins selling tickets early. The process is slow, but simple.

hour (depending on where the hour was missed). Hypothetically, if an engineering student wished to attend the event without doing any work, he or she would have to pay an additional $450. This is on top of the mandatory $120 ticket. Even though 40 hours is precious time to any fourth-year student, it turns out saving $450 is a fair trade-off. The Work For the most part, students work on the construction and art for Science Formal in a rented warehouse about four kilometers away from campus. Generally, the warehouse is open nights on weekdays and all day on weekends. To get there, students sign up for a shuttle (organized by the Science Formal committee), which takes them to and from the site, or they find other methods of transportation.

My first trek out to the warehouse is interesting: my date and I choose to bike there. When we arrive at the site I notice there aren’t any other bikes locked up, which makes sense because I am so out of breath, but I do see many cars in At the end of the day, however, many people leave the lot. the ILC without a ticket. Over the next few weeks, some waitlisted guests are contacted saying a The first thing I notice upon entering the warehouse ticket is now available for them. Consequently, is not, as I’d expected, a flurry of sound, which these lucky guests may have just one week to find is currently a blend of dubstep music, table a dress or suit, book appointments and complete saws and mild chatter. I notice the bright lights the 15 hours of construction or art work. and the warmth. The open room is large enough to hold maybe up to five school buses, but the The Logistics students working around me have molded it into As previously mentioned, each Science Formal a comfortable workspace. One half of the room attendee must complete a certain number of work is sectioned off as a construction area; everyone hours. Failure to complete these hours results in this space has necessary personal protective in an additional cost of $10 or $15 per missed equipment (hard hat, work boots, etc). There are

Nerve Magazine

Some rooms in Kingston Hall featured smaller bands playing live music. (Source: Victoria Rauseo) about 10 students in this area and they each handle construction equipment with ease. I casually stroll over to the art half of the room. This space is busier; there are constantly new construction pieces to paint, wire-frame structures to create and murals to decorate. Each Science Formal Art Manager has designed decorations and murals for a section of Grant Hall or Kingston Hall. In total there are over 200 murals, each one measuring eight by 10 feet. In order to properly finish these in time, the managers have their designs traced out and marked with numbers that associate with a specific paint colour. In this way, volunteer engineers and dates may easily

paint without adding their own “creativity.” Even toddlers can paint by numbers. The work is tedious, but with good company the 10 or 30 hours is eventually completed. The Final Week For the six days immediately prior to the event the construction and art projects are moved from the warehouse onto campus. It’s a frantic time dubbed Final Week. Grant Hall is open all day, and the work seems never ending. In the halls we cut vines, paint poker chips, fold tissue flowers… and meanwhile hundreds of engineers are working together to construct a two-story pirate ship (among other pieces) right in the middle of Grant

Engineering

Hall’s auditorium.

forward to most out of the entire night, because he thinks Grant Hall will be too hectic. This is Grant Hall has been the main venue for Science where he can relax with close friends. Formal since the event came to campus decades ago. It’s fitting because the clock-tower building Specific groups then break off for dinner is so iconic of our university, and the large room reservations around Kingston. My group indulges is fitting for a night of dancing and mingling. And, at Chez Piggy, a fancy French restaurant, and as Randall said, because Grant Hall is attached eventually we return to campus for the opening of to Kingston Hall, which features smaller themed Grant Hall at 9 p.m. rooms, people are able to switch between crowded dance floors and intimate rooms with ease. The night is spectacular. There’s laughter, dancing, “What makes the night special for attendees is food, and of course drama, but it all adds up to one the level of detail and commitment we put into it,” joyous night that I’m sure no attendee will forget. he said. “It’s not just a dance, it’s an experience.” Everyone admires the decorations; many laugh when they see that one item they spent countless Each room in Kingston Hall is decorated with a hours working on. I hope everyone made it to the different design. There’s a casino, Caesar’s Palace top of the pirate ship at least once, because that is and even a tempting vault. It all takes your breath a very special view of Grant Hall. I exit the building away. Unfortunately, even with limited ticket sales, with sore feet and I can’t help but feel thankful. I there are still too many attendees to have them know this year isn’t over, but as with prom, it feels all inside Grant Hall at once. So if you slip into like one more sealing kiss goodbye to my school. Kingston Hall to admire the detailed art, there’s a chance the main room in Grant Hall could reach Three years ago the class of Sci ’13 met during capacity and leave you standing in line. Frosh Week, and back then it was pretty easy to question their ability to work together. They almost The Night didn’t become a year when it took them over three It’s finally arrived. It’s the first Saturday of November, hours to defeat the Grease Pole. But now, they which is when Science Formal always falls, and I have come together for another major obstacle. take the morning to forget about assignments and They worked together for months to plan, build deadlines. Each engineering discipline has their and decorate a breathtaking night. And they did own Wine and Cheese Mixer, and as 3 p.m. rolls it very successfully — they channeled Las Vegas’ around I head to Clark Hall Pub on campus with excitement and energy into one beautiful event — some of my close friends. The Wine and Cheese congratulations Sci ’13, you are now a class that is a lovely tradition that allows friends to mingle is ready to graduate. and relax. I even see a mechanical engineering professor dressed up with his students. One of my friends notes that this is what he is looking

Nerve Magazine

(Photo By: Sam Christian)

ÂľNews network

The Mixture

Walking outside recently, many people have been struck by the realization

By Tyler Vance

that each breath is now producing a small cloud of nicotine-free smoke. Further observation will soon lead to the ghostly image of water, once so fluid and happy, now petrified into shiny wells of slippery danger. With the coming of ice comes the dawn of such great activities as sledding and skating, but it also leads to the now treacherous walks that haunt our waking hours.

This unfortunate danger is caused by a reduction in that mythical force called friction, which is a material-dependent entity that resists the relative motion of two objects in contact with each other. This resistance can occur either between two objects that are stationary (static friction), or between two objects that are moving relative to one another (kinetic friction). The strength of each is determined by their respectful coefficients of friction: scalar quantities with differing values for differing surfaces and environmental conditions. So, as winter slides in, these coefficients will slowly decline due to all the aforementioned solidified H2O. Yet with friction decreasing beneath our feet, and friction increasing in our Southern neighboursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; political race, I wonder if North America is at a net change of 0.

STATIC AND KINETIC PARTICIPATE IN A COEFFICIENTS DEBATE WITHIN THE MIND OF DERANGED SCIENCE MAJOR MODERATOR: ARTHUR-JULES MORIN

MORIN: Good evening from the cluttered mind of some overworked science major. My name is Arthur-Jules Morin, from the University of Legendary Physics, and we are here

for the first of many Coefficients Debates. Over the past few decades we have accumulated a number of questions from concerned citizens of the physical world that will provide the direction for this debate. I am sure both candidates will operate against their urges to go over time, for we want to reach as many questions as possible. And now, please join me in welcoming our coefficients.

(APPLAUSE)

MORIN: Gentle-measurements, thank you for coming this evening. As you both know from empirical observation, STATIC won the coin-toss, so this question will be directed to him first.

QUESTION #1: Hello. I am from the Northern states and winter is approaching soon. Being a mother of three I am often concerned about the safety of my children during this difficult time. What will you, as the coefficient for static friction, do to ensure my children’s safety? STATIC: Well, first I would like to thank you for being here during this episodic mental charade. You’ve asked a really great question, one that plagues a lot of parents. As winter approaches, we find that a lot of the surfaces that we once found rough and safe are no longer so. Roads become covered with ice, reducing the once steadfast grip of our tires; sidewalks become deathtraps. It seems almost like two surfaces just can’t interact with any level of consistency anymore.

However, as the coefficient for static friction I can tell you that it is my duty and solemn responsibility to make sure that your shoes and your tires remain planted firmly in place. While some other candidates have tried to claim the monopoly on motion related issues, almost all of our everyday activities rely on two surfaces remaining static whilst in contact. The Static friction party has, and always will have, a solid mandate of opposing any motion between two surfaces in contact, thereby facilitating such essential everyday habits as walking, driving and even just standing still. Whenever your children take a step I will be there to ensure their safety. When your family is driving up to your mom’s house for Thanksgiving, I will be watching all four tires. You have my word. MORIN: KINETIC, the question pertains to the subject of children’s safety during the winter. KINETIC: Thank you, Morin, and — sorry, what was your name, Miss? QUESTION #1: Coulomb.

KINETIC: And thank you, Miss Coulomb, for your wonderful question. I must agree with my rival that this time of year is difficult for us all. The ice will be here soon and we shall all have to prepare ourselves

for it. But, while STATIC claims that he will “oppose all motion between two surfaces,” I am afraid to say that he mis-spoke. What he meant to say was that he will “oppose all motion between two surfaces up to his set Fmax at which point he will give up entirely and let gravity do the rest.” This is an unfortunate truth, but a truth nonetheless. Static friction has shown the people of the physical world time and time again that the big promises they make of resolve and steadfast interactions only last so long. And I think we all know what happens after they let it slide!

In spite of the dangers of winter and the headaches they cause parents, which I can empathize with, I know that my children love winter. They love going outside in the fresh air and staying active and healthy by skiing, sledding and skating. As you all know, these pastimes can be hazardous as well as fun. That’s why kinetic friction is there to regulate the motion of the two surfaces by applying consistent force opposite to the motion. When your kid is at the top of the hill about to go down on some flimsy piece of plastic, STATIC’s role ends as soon as they start moving. The rest of the way down I will be there to maintain a resistive force against over-zealous gravitational efforts, and at the bottom of the hill, as gravity stops, I will prevent a Newton’s First Law fiasco of never-ending movement. Then, and only then, will my esteemed opponent wake up and realize that anything has actually happened. MORIN: STATIC, I know you have a response to that.

STATIC: You bet I do. These allegations about dropping the ball or “letting it slide” are — are just ridiculous, especially coming from kinetic friction. Many years ago, my party worked together with the auto industry to increase safety during the winter. Our goal was to protect the citizens of the physical world from the inadequacies of kinetic friction.

If we can recall for a moment that anti-lock brakes were designed so that when a person slams on the — the brakes in response to some obstacle on the road — which there are plenty of, I’m afraid to say — the tires will keep rolling for a little while longer. Why would you want that? It is because rolling provides way more traction than sliding, which, as KINETIC pointed out, is his domain. Due to the horrible inadequacies of kinetic friction, it is actually better for a vehicle’s wheels to keep spinning than to come to a complete stop and slide. Therefore, the strength of Static friction keeps everyone, including you, Miss Coulomb, safe and sou— KINETIC: I can’t see how your inability to maintain your “domain” of work is my fault. STATIC: Anti-lock brakes are just another proof of our—

(CROSSTALK)

KINETIC: Tell that to the kid at the top of the hill. MORIN: Gentle-measurements . . .

STATIC: You couldn’t tell that to the kid at the top of the hill if it wasn’t for static friction, as he’d never stay put again!

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MORIN: Please, we need to move on. We have another question from a concerned citizen. This one is for you, KINETIC. KINETIC: Good; I welcome it. Hello there.

QUESTION #2: Hello. I was wondering how you intend to foster good relations with your environmental variables, as well as with other forces that operate daily on physical objects?

KINETIC: An interesting and extremely relevant question in this day and age. As you are probably aware, being a coefficient of friction isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a material quality; it is a system quality. This means that everything from the consistency of the surface to the temperature and atmospheric properties have to be considered. It can be a lot of factors to juggle, but I ran on a platform of Dynamic Friction and I intend to work in concert with our environment. As for the other forces at work, I believe we have to try and maintain a healthy relationship with both the forces that aid us and those that oppose us. The Normal Force is one of our strongest allies, being the force created from the pressing of two surfaces together. It provides us with the quantitative language necessary to express our magnitudes and goals against the forces that offer resistance. With its help, we should maintain a peaceful state with our fellow forces.

MORIN: STATIC, it is all yours. The question relates to the etiquette with which a coefficient interacts with its surroundings and foreign forces. STATIC: Thanks, Morin. That is indeed a great question, especially at such tense times as these. My rival has mentioned many important points that I wish to rectify in his wake. I do agree that we must foster relationships with our allies, such as the aforementioned Normal Force. That said, the kinetic administration has portrayed friction to foreign forces as weak, allowing them to rally against our magnitude and direction.

It is time to get tough on Gravity, which acts against us more often than not. In order to create a strong image for friction, we require a large magnitude of force, one that KINETIC cannot provide. It is a fundamental fact that the coefficient of static friction is always stronger than that of kinetic friction. When it comes time to provide a force of friction to counteract the components of gravity, the Normal Force will require the factor whose strength is up to the challenge to aid it. KINETIC: It is interesting that you should call it a fundamental fact. Is that a fact for all surfaces?

The Mixture STATIC: To my knowle—

KINETIC: So your knowledge never encompassed the experiments done on dual surfaces of Teflon, where the two coefficients were pretty much equal in magnitude? STATIC: And how often in life do two surfaces of Teflon inter—

KINETIC: Well, if it is fundamental, as you said — as you promised it was, then —

(CROSSTALK)

MORIN: Please, we must—

(CROSSTALK . . . possibly an inaudible derogatory comment towards a mother) MORIN: There are more quest— . . . hello?

STATIC: —I know what I’m doing. I have a plan. I have direction.

KINETIC: No you don’t. You are a scalar quantity. All you have is a magnitude and units. For example: Big Mouth. MORIN: That is quite enough! I would ask you both to refrain from further outbursts. We must carry on. Now the next question is for you, STAT— QUESTION #3: Um, actually, I would like to ask this question to both parties at the same time.

MORIN: (sigh) Fine. If the world can’t follow simple rules, then why should physics? (inaudible grumbling) QUESTION #3: Thank you. The both of you are coefficients of friction. You are both skilled in resistive force, but for different situations. We people of the world require you both to work together, complementing each other’s weak points and serving those who rely on your consistency and dedication for safety. When you bicker and banter, you reduce our faith in both of you. You damage your cause through openly hostile attacks and cripple any hope of us all working together to find a bipartisan solution. KINETIC: . . . I’m not hearing a question.

QUESTION #3: My question is . . . what’s up with that? KINETIC: . . .

STATIC: Um . . . entertainment?

MORIN: Well, I suppose this would be a good time for a commercial break!

(APPLAUSE. FADE OUT.) 46

Nerve Magazine

Empirical Deduction through “Witty” Deduction: What natural phenomenom will occur on Nov. 14? Drawing with CHEMISTRY! Do you see the cat face?

H3 C H3 C

Remember, remember the 14th of November Night within day, tick by tick Darkness post-dew, lunar triumph to view But only in the South Pacific

OH OH

H3C

CH3

Popular Proteins for Kids The Linus-Blanket complex demonstrates very strong binding, due primarily to nostalgia bonds.

Kd =

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Nerve Magazine — Vol. 1, Issue 4