Epigenetics and Memes

For my seminar today, the speaker is going to be lecturing about "epigenetics" for two hours. Now, this is a word I probably hadn't heard before reading an insightful review on the topic.

Basically, epigenetics asks the questions about both nature and nurture when determining a phenotype. Epigenetic inheritance is when the experiences of parents directly affect the expression of genes in offspring. Also, the initial definition of the word "meme" comes in to play here. It was thought that memes explained epiginetic inheritance.

However, findings in the field of epigenetics hold little clout, as there is not enough evidence to back up the claim of gene rememberance. The article also brings up Lamarckism, the concept that we all remember from high school biology, in which Lamark thought that giraffes had developed long necks due to generations of giraffes stretching their necks to reach food, thus affecting DNA. Instead, epigenetics inheritance does not rewrite DNA, but modifies the gene expression in offspring. This must be where the whole "If your maternal grandfather was bald, you'll be bald too" thing comes from.

I like this stuff. I can't wait until my seminar later.

Obligatory wikipedia links:

• Epigenetics

• Meme

Found in a file on my phone

Once upon a time, I sat on the warm pavement of my parents' driveway on a summer evening. The sun was setting, and for some reason I couldn't stop typing horrible metaphors and other nondescript descriptions. These entries got saved in my phone. I will share them with you now:

Melon colored twilight
Somebody else's pillow
Cat created blindness
Still except for the airconditioner
Downtown blues flow
Pay parking forever
Concrete train car
Fluffy white panther
Smile on your back
Bruised earth knee
Polka in stripes

---

That is all.

Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems. This comic is great.

That's all I have to say.


http://cowbirdsinlove.com/450

Sufjan Stevens- Chicago

For some reason, this song popped in my head. I am not a huge fan of Sufjan Stevens, but I have to admit that his Illinoise album is pretty awesome. I like his music, but I don't really like his voice.

Anyway, this is one of his hits from 2005, "Chicago."



Lyrics:
I fell in love again
all things go, all things go
drove to Chicago
all things know, all things know
we sold our clothes to the state
I don't mind, I don't mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

I drove to New York
in the van, with my friend
we slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
in my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

if I was crying
in the van, with my friend
it was for freedom
from myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things know, all things know
(I made a lot of mistakes)
you had to find it
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things go, all things go
(I made a lot of mistakes)

LAN PARTY WEEKEND

It is officially Spring Break. I have approximately 10 days without class. I am spending three of them at a LAN party and the rest of the time at my parents house, keeping a watchful eye on my father. It will be an interesting week.

First off, I am at a REAL LAN PARTY right now. I've been here since about 1pm and it is now 7:45 am the next morning... I haven't slept and I don't know if I will for a while. There are about 50 people here in a stinky smelly basement... huge CRT monitors on long tables facing blue-painted concrete walls. Almost everyone that is still up is playing World of Warcraft. So far, we have played WoW, Warcraft 3, and Left 4 Dead. It has been an interesting experience so far it has been pretty fun. I'm getting very tired. However, there are only so many stinky smelly couches in this stinky smelly basement. At this particular instant in time, all of the couches are taken by stinky smelly sleeping nerds. I'd sleep on the floor but it is dirty and stinky/smelly.

I'm thinking about replacing my CPU fan yet again. Earlier, whilst running WoW, my computer topped out at about 80 degrees celcius. This problem was fixed by removing my new power supply from the case and setting it on top of the computer. Right now, with no games running, I'm at 46 degrees celcius. *sigh* I think it's time to invest in a new case instead of worrying about it. When I spend time in Duluth with my father, I will put it in a new case. I believe that I also need to help my father install a video card.

I have a feeling this blog entry will become rather long and rambling... so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. Perhaps I'll write another post later today. But, yes, LAN parties are alright.

You are obviously very intelligent...

It have come to realize that people tend to tell me:

You are obviously very intelligent...

What does this mean?

Do I appear unintelligent but because people know I have completed a bachelors degree and am in a graduate program, I must be intelligent and they are just reassuring themselves that this is the case?

Or do I actually appear intelligent and people are so in awe of my brainpower they must say it out loud as some sort of compliment?

I vote for the first one.

Best webcomic about grad school... ever.

Piled Higher and Deeper is the best comic about the graduate student experience. Not only is it funny, but it almost always nails what it's like to be a grad student. I might have to buy one of the books just to put on my coffee table.

Check it out at phdcomics.com

A sampling of my favorites: