Girls and physics- yayy!!

Girls & physics- yayy!!

My comment on the Guardian article:

It doesn’t surprise me as much as it should that hardly any girls are going into physics. Sad, but girls and boys seem to have become further separated into camps since American TV & culture have overtaken individual national trends over the last 50 years. The 15-year-old girl next door started high school insisting she must do agriculture, but has since discovered make-up, high heels and alcohol and switched to “cheer-leading“/calisthenics as her main interest. Gahhhhh!!! When I started high school in 1964 (yikes!), there was probably some sort of “girls are dumb” talk around whether to study science or not, but at the time, I was socially very unaware. This was in NSW, Australia, where in high school, if you took science and maths, you did it as a whole unit of study, so you couldn’t pick and choose between biology & physics – we also took geology for 4 years. I was a sickly little kid who was also the class “brain” and I had no thoughts about school subjects other than to do the ones I enjoyed: Science, Maths, English, French & Art. I didn’t like History or Geography, so I got out of those as soon as I could. I loved Physics because I had been reading sciencey books and doing my own little real life experiments since I was around 8 and no one had ever discouraged me or made fun of me – so I was lucky being rather isolated/insulated! The only thing that prevented me going on to a career in astrophysics, which I really wanted to do, was the lack of clarity about how there could be a job in it, and the fact that there were no role models presented [I was in a country school with really good teachers but no other professional role models other than the local doctors). I chose to do Medicine at university because I thought I had a good idea what doctors did every day! Although I changed direction several times, I still maintain an interest in the sciences and admire the local Professor of Photonics, who is female, as she has become internationally noted for her drive and intelligence in research, plus she’s a lovely sociable person who looks OK, has a family and does normal things! People should look up Professor Tanya Monro at the University of Adelaide. She’s the foundation professor in the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (fancy physics)- have a look, parents and girls. Unfortunately we can’t prevent the local newspapers from prettying her up in nice clothes and jewellery for official photos, but she’s really quite human!

Interesting that an article on a similar theme of excluding science from “general knowledge” appeared in The Telegraph of all places yesterday:

Knowing about science is not a trivial pursuit

In this link they mention:  ”An artist once told the great physicist Richard Feynman that, as a scientist, he couldn’t appreciate a flower’s beauty: “You take this all apart and it becomes a dull thing.”… as if science is anti-beauty and anti-the arts! This is exactly the sort of talk that puts girls off doing science right at the precise time when they could get a great start in a lifelong interest and career.

NB. Tanya Monro herself replied about 5 minutes after this blog post appeared. She must have good spotters!

It’s been a while

For the past 12 months I have deliberately not blogged much here because I wanted to use all my writing energy for finishing my MPH dissertation. Since there are only a few minor changes for me to make on that, I’m having a go at a brief blog.

Being brief is difficult now as I have heaps of topics that need some background investigation before I write about them. This isn’t exactly obsessional behaviour, but I do like to have a set of pix and links for each blog post in the hope of stimulating people to explore and have a go at something new. This time I’ll just get in some practice. If you want to know more you can research the question yourself and do your own blog post!

I have re-conquered most of my depression this year, with the help of my old shrink (whom I’d seen a few years ago for about 6 months) and some concentrated self-talk and exercise. The first thing my shrink did when I saw her in March was to recommend I start having large doses of liquid fish oil and a big fat glucosamine capsule every day! This was a new approach for her AND for me, as her training had been heavily on the psychoanalytic side but she and I both decided that was NOT the approach for me. After my first session, I trotted off to the large public hospital in the city (Royal Adelaide Hospital), where the Health Promotion Unit has a small store, dispensing various items recommended by local doctors at virtually wholesale prices. I collected my fish oil and tablets and after taking the fish oil once, I found it was quite pleasant taken in a shot glass over a mouthful of cranberry juice! Then I went to the pathology collection centre and let them suck quite a lot of blood out of me into big fat syringes for a heap of blood tests.

A week later I fronted up to the shrink to hear about the results of the blood tests and discovered quite a few startling facts about the meagre state of my blood’s contents! It turned out I was massively deficient in thyroid hormone (helping explain why I felt so sluggish & wasn’t responding well to my anti depressants [ADs]) and Vitamin D. The shrink decided to reduce my ADs by 25% to kick the side effects [the zinging noises & "brain zap" effects of venlafaxine, as described by many people] and to test out if the increased thyroxine and Vitamin could have positive effects on me. The plan was to try to reduce the ADs down to a minimum where I was functional and happy while the side effects were minimised. 

I have always been deliberately tolerant of side effects as I figure that depression is the worst feeling in the world for me, while friends have dropped like flies after trying venlafaxine because of the various different effects it’s had, including extreme nausea & retching! To cut a long story short, I started to feel better both mentally and physically within 2 weeks of the new regime! I am FREE OF SIDE EFFECTS except when I exercise vigorously towards the end of the day and then I only get a little buzzing in the head- nothing spectacular. What’s more, that effect lasts only about one minute, then I’m fine. I’ve been motivated enough to keep going to aquarobics classes every week, even when friends don’t pick me up and drive me in when they go. I’ve also been able to resume quite a bit of the regular housework, in spite of developing nasty osteoarthritis in both my wrists. I’ve stayed reasonably motivated with my MPH work, although when my supervisor didn’t give me any feedback for nearly 2 months, I slacked off, rather bewildered.

Feeling so well has been great at home because it seems to have cheered up my partner [Spotrick] so that he helps out more with the daily chores etc. This in turn has a positive feedback effect for me and there you are! My shrink has agreed that I’d best stay on the same level of ADs for a while now until I finish the MPH in a few weeks’ time. After that, we’ll try to get them down even further, gradually, until I start to get a bit too slow and then we’ll rack them up a little and continue along that track. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back into my hobbies fully then, as  haven’t knitted, sewn, quilted etc in many months, despite wanting to. I feel too guilty devoting time to hobbies and blogging while the damned MPH is unfinished. Here’s hoping I’ll be up there on stage in my fancy cap & gown come April 2013!

Australian investment banker who chained fake bomb to teenager sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail

Australian investment banker who chained fake bomb to teenager sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail – Winnipeg Free Press.

This guy has got me stumped. WTF? Is/was he insane? Or is he a poorly developed psychopath? And they say he mistakenly entered the wrong house and terrorised the wrong person. Huh? I would have liked to be a fly on the wall during his court appearance.

That poor girl- had her Higher School Certificate disrupted by this criminal and still managed to get top marks. Good on her. If you know her, give her a hug!

Generous me (?)

I’m a bit sensitive, I can over-think & sometimes worry about what I’ve said or done later on. I’m a lot better than I used to be and more certain of the “rightness” & “ownership” of my thoughts, words & actions. However, I can get “attacks” of self-obsession when I’m more depressed, but nowadays my victories are far more often than my defeats.

As I reminded a blog-friend [?fiend?], I can be very assertive about discounts when checkout operators ring up the original, non-discounted price- I just say “No!, I’m sure you’re mistaken. Please check.” Always works.

As readers of my blog might have noted a few weeks ago, I have had a rough patch on the artistic side of my life, involving a cafe owner who went back on their word to hang my photographs AFTER I had spent Spotrick’s money on the frames. It upset me a lot for a day or two, I felt so exploited and guilty as well. Then I decided to  take a positive step and approach the local Council Arts Officer, who came up with great solutions for me and I’m fine about all that now.

Two of my sushi dishes

This week I even fought off a gallery owner who had mistakenly deposited $800 in my bank account when they asked for it all back. Previously I had celebrated selling some glass work at their gallery after having zero income from it for many years. I’ve been pleased & happy about the sales for weeks now- told all my friends etc. But THEN I got a phone call from the gallery proprietor saying the mistaken deposits had occurred. Although I explained that I had no job or independent income she asked if I could make an arrangement with Centrelink to pay the money “back to her” gradually! Great idea- except I don’t get any benefits through Centrelink- I’m totally dependent on Spotrick. There was no way I could pay back all the money, although there was half of it remaining in my bank account. I told the woman I was willing to pay back half voluntarily but there was little hope I could obtain any more money for the rest. She called me mean, unethical, a thief & other things, which I felt very hurt about.

However, armed with the mental strength from all my recent therapy, thyroid level correction,  fish oil & Vitamin D oil supplements, endorphins from exercising & renewed strength & less nagging pain in my hands due to arthritis treatment, I was determined to stand up for myself. So I calmly & assertively said to her (after nearly crumbling & bursting into tears),“YOUR MISTAKE LADY! I’m keeping half because I’ve already spent it quite innocently.” Buggered if I was going to make Spotrick pay for their mistake in not being able to distinguish a glass artist from a printmaker who had the same name! And “Perhaps you can let me speak to the other artist and we can come to an agreement that both of us have sold things through the gallery & we can share the losses as well as the sales?” But no, she wanted the whole lot back, without a legal leg to stand on. She told me I would get a call from her accountant but I didn’t. The accountant probably told her she’d done her cash by depositing it in my account! I have voluntarily deposited half the total in the gallery’s bank account & I’m totally happy with the outcome & my own behaviour now.

Two bee rose

 I reckon they are lucky I am a fair person by actually giving half back. I said NO & I’m happy- no guilty thoughts at all. Yayy!!!

PS. You wouldn’t believe it, but the gallery has now rung me a few days later saying they deposited ANOTHER $800 by mistake in my account. I was just about laughing my guts out, but I demurely got online right then, during the phone call & transferred it all back to them. Talk about incompetence- they’ll have to pull up their socks in their accounting department! They didn’t even notice when I thanked them via email for the original unexpected deposit by saying “Wow- thanks for selling another piece of my GLASS” when the stuff they had sold were prints! Any more deposits will immediately be spent on more frames for my photo exhibition!

REPLY

Wilted

The cafe who had asked me to provide framed photos for their walls has cancelled right after I ordered the frames, matts & prints.

I am totally wilted & numb. What will I do to get some self esteem back? And the dollars of friends who invested in me?

Not good, not feeling good.

I think we’re right. Vitamin D

Friends and I have had many conversations on the subject of why so many people have depression these days. I’ve also noticed that many are far more depressed than you would imagine, given their overall life circumstances.

Recently, I found I am massively deficient in Vitamin D and am now taking a course of oral doses in oil for six months to build up my levels so I won’t get brittle bones (osteoporosis). Previously I had no idea I would be deficient- it was detected by a canny shrink who ordered a pile of blood tests. Once I’m off the oil, I’ll take the same capsules you can get in the supermarket or pharmacy, which have a much lower dose but maintain a healthy level in the blood.

Lovely natural melanin

Looking at the wider world, there is general agreement that there are many more depressed people coming forward for help these days than you might expect from historical numbers. It’s not just that there is less stigma and more (and better) treatment available- there seem to be more individuals who are moderately to severely distressed than there ought to be along with more eating disorders. My mum would have been missed in statistics collected from doctors and hospitals when she was alive, but I realise she was depressed during most of my life. She seemed to suffer in silence and I insensitively thought she was “acting the martyr” when I was really young because she would sing these dirgey songs around the house which she ascribed to her own mother’s influence! There were obviously a dour, depressive bunch of Scots to some extent, conforming to stereotype. I suppose there was no useful treatment in those days any way, so they would have suffered like most did before Prozac.

Fair skin & freckles!

Why are so many depressed AND Vitamin D deficient? My friends and I think it is simply lack of sunshine. The human species seems to have evolved to derive a lot of benefit from exposure to sunlight, which they were able to gain from their first forays out of caves to hunt for animals during the day time. Apparently the hairier humanoids died out in favour of our smoother-skinned ancestors who had less natural sun protection. Some races evolved dark melanised skin which allowed sufficient absorption if they lived near the Equator and most Scandinavians in the far North, with their fair hair and skin, manage to absorb enough if they spend plenty of time outdoors during summer. A few of us unfortunately have very white skin with just a few patches of melanin, ie. freckles, so we can burn in the sun before we absorb what we need. All this Slip Slop Slap that served to protect us from harmful burning & skin cancer via sunscreen, protective clothing & hats has made a heap of people (mainly Australians I think) quite deficient in Vitamin D. It would be interesting to do a genetic survey alongside a study of average sunlight exposures of people with different skin colours at different latitudes (Equator to polar circles). I know there is some scientific data around, but haven’t heard of a comprehensive inquiry into the surge in depression vs. Vit D & skin colour. Most American people with dark Negro skin derived from their Equatorial African ancestors live too far North to gain Vitamin D from the sun, even if they’re farmers or roofers. They should ALL be on Vitamin D supplements these days, with indoor occupations being the norm. Since most fair-skinned people also work indoors, they need Vitamin D as well, even though they would derive great benefit from time in the sun every day.

Now that modern living has influenced the amount of time we spend outdoors during daylight by making us work indoors on machines & computers, the human race in the form of our common gene pool, may have failed to adapt to our changed “normal” environment. Perhaps the surge in obesity recently is an evolutionary strategy by the human body to acquire more Vitamin D from food rather than from sunlight? Obviously oily foods like potato chips & bacon don’t contain much of the most suitable oil, but our genes are not intelligent, they just drive our urges and actions.

We haven’t taken much notice of a 2008 study reported first in the Harvard Women’s Health Watch and later in other publications that encouraged everyone to get extra vitamin D unless they had a largely outdoor occupation. This site explains about Vitamin D in everyday language with a sprinkling of medi-talk. It’s not intended as a substitute for consulting a qualified doctor about your individual needs, but is very clear about the huge importance of Vitamin D for a healthy life.

Recently the New York Times health blog had a good piece on Vitamin D, prompted because the writer was continually being asked for advice! There doesn’t seem to be any high-profile campaign in Australia to encourage people to get a sufficient dose of Vitamin D, just the occasional TV advertisement, conveyed with no real passion. On the other hand, there is still plenty of publicity on preventing skin cancer by using sunscreen and avoiding the hours of the day when sunlight is strongest! It’s a dilemma!

Victory Hotel Dinner 28th April 2012

This post is a reply to a summary of the blog post by Shane Barker on

McLaren Vale Wine Functions – Unearthing Grandfathers (DeadReds) Wine Dinner

held at the Victory Hotel, Aldinga, South Australia on Saturday 28th April, 2012.

Ready set eat

Thirty members of the Dead Reds Wine Group, convened by Charlie Robinson, descended on the venue via a hired bus driven by the long-suffering Ron Corso. We were treated to a fantastic mini-degustation menu of

Starters: Chicken, Lime Leaf & Coriander Spring Rolls with Chili Sambal &

Myponga Beach salt & pepper Squid with Lemon Aioli accompanied by an Eden Valley Riesling from Karra Yerta 2008 (NOT local);

Entree: Springdale Farm Rabbit Pie with sauteed Brussels Sprouts, speck & jus

Mains: Scotch Fillet Steak on a Potato & Thyme Galette or;

Pork Rib, Accompanied by a Kay Brothers Dry Red Mataro [lately Mourverdre] and a Rudderless Grenache (made from grapes grown around the Victory Hotel) or;

Coopers Beer-Battered Kangaroo Island King George Whiting & chips.

followed by a cheese course: Mature Cheddar with home made lavosh, muscatels, quince paste & apple slices. Accompanied by a 2010 Vintage Shiraz from Graham Stevens Wines.

All courses were accompanied by interesting and appropriate wines, presented by Shane Barker, with a short wine options game between main and cheese courses. Everyone concluded they would gladly do the whole thing again in a month or two’s time.

Shane holds forth

I really enjoyed the whole affair and would love to do it again! However, there was one big surprise [to me a little disappointment]; I thought we were going to be TASTING some McLaren Vale grandfathers, ie. old wines. The much more recent offerings presented were pleasant enough, but to me not exactly characteristic of the traditional McLaren Vale we know & love. I guess it was not what I expected because I didn’t plan it or own it! Thank you Charlie & Shane for making it the dinner it was.

My favourite “thing” of the evening was the presence of Colin Kay- an iconic McLaren Vale Grandfather! I would love to sit next to him at dinner and extract some more tales related to establishing the vineyards and evolving the wine styles that led to such gems as Kay’s Amery Shiraz. I was also pleasantly surprised that a winemaker at 72 was in such fine mental and physical shape, as some I have known have been just the opposite! It is encouraging when I think of my friend’s son, Chris Thomas [Thommo], who is not of huge physical stature, but seems to be heading towards a long life in the winemaking business! He’s currently maker at Dowie Dooleand I was worried that all the alcohol was going to ruin his liver before forty, but Colin Kay has reassured me there’s hope for the little guys yet! [Sorry Chris- you've always been slapped in the face with the fact you're no Brendan in the size department!].

The venerable Colin Kay

As for the food- perfect choices by the planners & chef. I want the rabbit pie recipe, please chef! Apart from the choices, there may have been a little under catering with the spring rolls and the cheese. Several (four at least) didn’t get any spring roll, although others were sharing out plenty of remaining baby octopus at the end of entrees. When the cheese came along, there was plenty of accompaniment (yummy quince paste, muscatels and delicate apple slices) but the cheese itself disappeared far too quickly compared with the generous second glasses of port! My partner is still suffering from the second port (it’s Monday morning & he has that reflux thing).

The wine options game was a lot of fun BUT, Mr Tasting McLaren Vale…most of the attendees were NOT sophisticated nor experienced wine buffs- more enthusiasts. Therefore, demonstrating that two different years of Zinfandel from the same (small, as yet not widely known) maker, was a bit beyond us. Sure, some people who had visited the Vale recently knew about Inkwell, but some of the older, less regular visitors had never heard of it, let alone appreciated their Zinfandel. Let’s face it, Zinfandel is not something we are expert at consuming from McLaren Vale. Maybe 3 of us knew that Cambrai had done some Zinfandel many years ago. But there is a sharp division in the ages of people at the dinner- oldies who are 50 or more and maybe have had good personal cellars in the past but may have eased back now & youngsters who are either experts on new wines or who drink mainly for pleasure, not enlightenment! Most of us know McLaren Vale for its Shiraz and more recently for GSMs. The older peeps like me also still love the old ports, whether Tawny or Vintage, but youngsters may have never tried them! There are also some lovely young whites happening that people might like to explore as well!

Treasure chest of wines

Finally, if I was doing another wine dinner for Unearthing [whether it was featuring grandfathers human or vinified], I would feature wines more generally agreed as characteristic of the region at the core of the tasting line-up, perhaps provide some tastes (not full glasses) of contrasting/educational wines and I would tell people about why each wine has it’s particular characteristics. For instance: what about the seasons or earth in the vineyard produced the differences? Guide people to where the taste might be happening, eg. can they taste the difference in length of palate, acidity, tannins, as well as the colours you pointed out.

Vigorous discussion

So, having done the full crit, I must now prepare myself for a visit to the Vale to get re-educated about what it’s doing these days; (apart from drowning myself every Wednesday & Saturday in wines made by Chris Thomas from his time at Fox Creek, Serafino, Boars Rock & Dowie Doole)!
Are you up for it, Shane?

Popocatépetl

Reblogged from words hanging out to dry:

Popocatépetl

This a sound poem which plays with the sound of words and revels in the responses and rhythms they stir up. At the end it features actions which only work in live performance, rather than on the printed page.

NB Popocatépetl is the second highest mountain in Mexico, and an active volcano

Popo cate petl
Poppa cata petal
Pot a cat a petal…

Read more… 76 more words

Topical Popocatapetl Clever & amusing poem about a volcano that is becoming topical at the moment

Southern Aurora

Aurora-australis from NASA ISS

The Southern Aurora or Aurora australis is a lighting phenomenon [not lightning, the ziggy zaggy stuff] seen in the Southern Hemisphere towards the South Pole. It is rarely seen in mainland Australia and not often in Tasmania. However, New Zealand often gets a nice dose and I remember it there from my childhood. It always filled me with awe.

Therefore, I am posting a link directly to another blog that has a great summary of the Auroras, both North & South, we have experienced over the latest sun flare period from March 12th to 18th, 2012.

Thank you A Know.

Auroral sightings, March 2012

Conservation & aesthetics

Dead Rainbow Lorikeet

Yesterday a huge flock of “Rosellas” flew over the house. They’re really Rainbow Lorikeets, but it’s my generic term for smallish brightly coloured Australian birds, especially seen in the distance. These gorgeous creatures usually come and sit in the Liquidambar tree next door and strip it of seeds (or something since they’re not supposed to like seeds) in a day or two, meanwhile posing for the occasional photograph.

I always love to see the birds arrive and thought no further about them until I went out to the road to move my car back into the driveway. there on the ground was a poor little bird struggling in the dust on the edge of the footpath, trying to pull itself along by pecking at the ground- to no avail. I didn’t know what had affected it, but I carefully picked it up and got an old cat cage out of the carport to provide a safe resting place until it recovered (I thought).

Again- out to move the car, but- another bird on the ground! This time it was well and truly deceased- the ants had started; so I placed it in our garden while I planned on its disposal.

Underwing colours- superb

After the car was safely in the driveway, I returned to the live bird. It had climbed up the side of the cage and looked lively. However, when I placed some sunflower seed and water inside with it, it just dropped dead! Sad. I imagined I was helping conserve this bird, even though with thousands around, I guess this one didn’t need my charity. Sadly we bundled both birds into a bag, sealed it and placed it in the garbage bin.

When I hopped onto the internet to verify my identification of the birds, I discovered they were indeed Rainbow Lorikeets and additionally that most lorikeets eat only nectar and occasionally binge on fruit- not usually eating seeds. However, the Rainbow Lorikeet is known to accept seeds, especially sunflower ones. Reading further about the birds, I saw an article about a strange disease noted in Australian bird colonies-

Here’s an extract from the above extract:

“Rigid legs/clenched feet — this is a reasonably common problem with all lorikeets. The bird is unable to perch or stand and therefore cannot fly. I have not been able to discover the cause of this condition but feel it is a secondary problem caused by kidney infection. This is purely supposition, but in the absence of other explanations I treat in the following way. Firstly, it is important, as in the treatment of a swollen chest, that the bird is kept erect and not allowed to lie on its chest. It will require hand feeding and a course of antibiotics to counter the infection. I massage the stiff legs and gently open the feet, letting them close around my finger. I then am able to stretch the legs and bend them at the joints. When this physiotherapy is showing signs of success I place the bird in a cage with narrow bars laid on its side to give a ‘ladder’ for the bird to climb and thus exercise the legs. Improvement can be slow but 1 have released birds that have recovered from this condition. If, however, after three days there is still no sign of movement in the legs or feet, the condition is unlikely to respond-to treatment.” [Accessed at http://www.birdcare.asn.au/pdf/loris.pdf]

Gorgeous colours, red beak

Both the birds I had “rescued” had this peculiar back-stretching of the legs and such tightly balled up feet/claws that I could not unfurl them even though they weren’t in rigor mortis. I’m used to seeing a dead bird assume the pathetic “feet in the air” posture, with legs projecting straight up with gently relaxed claws, not this weird stiff pose. I wonder if these birds were suffering the odd disease mentioned by the Bird Network? I thought they had merely flown into power lines and been stunned, then fallen.

If anyone has any ideas, please comment. I’m puzzled, though not necessarily hugely distressed. What is killing the cute little creatures that I’m so used to seeing all around the Unley High School [yes, Julia Gillard's school is just over the main road] and the conservation area next door?

While researching this post I came across another blog post that was very appreciative of Rainbow Lorikeets, much to my delight! See:

Think & Be Inspired’s post at:

http://www.thinkandbeinspired.com/2011/07/a-group-of-rosella-birds-taught-me-a-valuable-lesson-today/