Fandom High School

Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 23 Apr '08

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:14:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Science is far too wide a topic to properly cover in a semester," announced Mohinder, propped up behind his desk, fingers drumming in the absence of a coffee mug. "But I hope you'll have found something of interest, and that you remembered to study for the final." He grinned at the last.

Mohinder moved around the desks, placing papers on desks as he went. "You have until the end of the lesson to complete this, but you may, of course, leave earlier. If you feel sure of your answers."

Back at the front of the room, Mohinder nodded. "Good luck."

[~~Wait for~~ One last OCD is up.]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 16 Apr '08

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:28:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"To conduct scientific research has, until recently, been the reserve of those with the ability to fund it - historically this has meant patronage or the self-funded enthusiast and now scientists studying at the cost of an institution or business. Governments can and do cut costs - particularly where there is no immediate practical application," said Mohinder.

"NASA budgets are cut dramatically, and drugs research is the province of a few pharmaceutical companies. When the outcome is uncertain and any potential gain distant research becomes difficult even to start." He went on to discuss military funding.

"Does the source of funding for research affect the science? Can such research be unbiased, or are company interests always at heart?" Mohinder continued more lightly, handing out notes, "More immediately, can you persuade your classmates to fund one of these projects?"

[OCD is ~~waiting~~ up]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 9 Apr '08

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:23:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Our current best estimate for the age of the earth is some four and a half billion years," Mohinder called from the small cliff created by the Danger Shop. The remainder of the landscape largely consisted of a pebble-washed rocky beach and an uneven cliff face that he scrambled down to the class.

"During that time there have been a number of extinction events. The most recent some 65 million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs," Mohinder paused. He had heard the stories. "Most of them. More than 99% of the species that have ever existed only do so now in the fossil record, in fact we may be currently undergoing an ELE," he said brightly.

"Fossiled remains are the mineralised footprints of our history," and Mohinder went on about the process of fossilisation and discovery.

"Take what tools you need," he gestured at the ~~moddable~~ pile, "And good hunting!"

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 2 Apr '08

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:30:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

Mohinder was a little more subdued this week.

"Alchemy is one of the forerunners of modern chemistry, an attempt to better understand this world around us without the rigorous framework that we would recognise as a science today."

Mohinder took a coin from his pocket and flipped it up in the air. "A common theme throughout the centuries is the search for right circumstances to turn base metals into gold. Although these claims are unverified the belief in them remains constant, a common need to believe in what - " Mohinder took a breath "at least, so far - seems beyond the reach of our chemical and physical sciences."

"Would you maintain a belief in the weight of so much evidence against it?" he asked, looking at the coin in his hand, before pocketing it again.

Turning back to the class, Mohinder told them, "The closest we can come to this is plating one metal with other. Try using this setup to change your metals."

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 26 Mar '08

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:27:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

The classroom looked normal enough, helix model, bananas, glassware and cardboard boxes on desks and one more enthusiastic than normal geneticist standing in the front.

"Deoxtribonucleaic acid," said Mohinder brightly. "Our DNA is the building bloc that defines us, who we are. At least that part of us which is physically determined. DNA is organised into genes which make up chromosones that form a genome that describes an individual who is an example of the variation within a population." He took a breath.

"Adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine," the words rolled off his tongue "are the chains that link us with every other living thing. And although the human genome - and that of several other species - have been mapped there are so many opportunities ready to be explored." Mohinder ~~voiceovered~~ spoke for several minutes before bringing himself to a halt with a grin and a, "Sorry, this happens to be my field."

"You may have been wondering about the bananas," Mohinder said. "They're here for you to extract DNA proteins from, not to eat." Hopefully he hadn't need to have said that at the start.

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 19 Mar '08

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:08:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Ionizing radiation, in large, uncontrolled quantities can be lethal," said Mohinder, as he passed out film badges. "It can kill or mutate cells, but unless you're unlucky enough to experience a nuclear explosion or lab accident you should be fine."

He picked up a device from the desk and pointed the receiver around the room as it crackled. "Background radiation is largely low-level and harmless," started Mohinder as he continued on.

"You all have Geiger counters to try using," said as he pointed them out. "And be careful using the X-ray scanner."

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 12 Mar '08

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:11:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

Mohinder was standing at the front of the classroom, conducting a discreet headcount as everyone arrived.

After a few moments he began, "Science - and scientists - cannot exist in the world alone. We are surrounded by a mesh of ideas and culture that shape scientific thought as much as any great discovery." Mohinder gave a shrug. "All too often science is distorted in fiction, whether by a twisting or complete fabrication of the facts, a demonisation of the scientists involved or changes to the procedures involved."

A pause and a grin. "You learn to live with it. Or you never watch a film again."

Mohinder turned to the class. "What are the worst fictional examples of science have you seen? Would you change things for scientific accuracy, and if so, how?"

OCD ~~waiting~~ is up!

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 5 Mar '08

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:08:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

Approximately ten feet inside the Danger Shop there was a deep, sharp crack in the earth, marring the otherwise gentle rolling countryside. Mohinder was pacing back and forth on the far side as he waited for the class to assemble.

"Today we'll take a look at mechanics, or more precisely ballistics," said Mohinder. "The science of projectile in..." A cannonball crashed into the ground at his feet, and rolled into the gap below. "...motion." Mohinder glanced back over his shoulder, hoping his programming had been correct. He talked on, briefly covering ballistics, and turning to focus on early siege warfare.

"I won't ask you to move the world with your levers," he said, looking from the ~~moddable~~ materials, tools and paintballs by the edge of the gap to the ~~equally moddable~~ walls and towers on his side. "Try building something that will mark your mark."

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 20 Feb '08

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:24:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

Mohinder was perched on the front of his desk as the class assembled, holding a glass beaker of colourless liquid in front of him. When everyone had arrived he pulled a dollar from his pocket, held it in the liquid, and then set it alight. The note remained intact, as the liquid burned, and Mohinder began, "Organic chemistry. Originally believed to contain all the reactions necessary for light, now used to denote any molecule with a carbon-hydrogen base." and continued on.

The note's flame reached Mohinder's fingers and he dropped it, intact, on the desk, extinguishing it. "Aah." Mohinder looked back at the class. "Alcohols are a branch of organic chemistry, and aren't limited to ethanol, the more popular and intoxicating compound. Alcohol is flammable at low temperatures," he said, holding up the glass. "As are water-alcohol mixes."

Mohinder talked for a few more minutes, including the fermentation of alcohol from glucose. "You have in front of you all the necessary parts to create ethanol. But do resist the temptation to drink what you produce."

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 13 Feb '08

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:15:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Human anatomy," said Mohinder when the class assembled. "A field in which the primary European text for over a millenia was largely based on the vivisection of dogs."

"There have been a number of religious prescriptions against conducting dissections, and although some of the earliest we know of were committed almost a thousand years ago they remained a relative rarity. Criminals could be sentenced not only to death, but also dissection. For the more serious offences."

Mohinder pointed at the diagram on the board behind him, contining a brief outline, "Circulation, digestion, respiratory, nervous, but one of the earliest system to be mapped was muscularskeleton system." And then in further detail.

"I won't ask you to commit any misdemeanors in class," and Mohinder smiled at that, "But I do want you to assemble the human skeletal system from the modelled bones in front of you," and he nodded at the boxes on the students' desks.

[OCD is live. Have at it.]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 6 Feb '08

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:45:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Good afternoon," Mohinder hailed the class, idly tossing an apple into the air. He caught it, and weighed it thoughtfully in one hand before continuing.

"Apocryphally, Isaac Newton was struck by an apple and inspiration for universal gravitation under a tree in Oxford." Mohinder gave a grin. "We have rather more evidence that he went on to codify three laws of motion," and continued on. "During the time he wasn't drinking undercover with counterfeiters or disputing the origins of calculus, an argument halted only temporarily by his rival's death, that is."

"Much of Newton's framework depends on an idealised environment. Your desks are set up with air hockey tables." Mohinder gestured at the apparatus on the desks. "It's a near frictionless environment, so try to use them to test the laws of motion - before doing anything else with them."

[~~Waiting for~~ OCD up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 30 Jan '08

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:15:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"I can't teach class today, I have a headache," Mohinder - this time wearing the more traditional white coat - said, holding a straight-face for a few seconds. "Or rather," as he put a small bottle of pills on the desk he was leaning against, "Today we'll be looking at pain relief."

"We're all wired to feel pain," continued Mohinder. "An individual warning system, without which our lives would almost certainly be much shorter. Alleviating pain takes one of three major pathways - inhibiting nerve endings at the pain site, numbing the central nervous system or local anaesthetics."

Mohinder went on to briefly touch on pain medications in general, before turning and sketching out a chemical formula on the board behind him, still talking. "Salicin was discovered as the active ingredient in willow bark, developed into salicylic acid, which was converted into sodium salicylate, before modification by a German chemist finally produced aspirin."

Looking back at the class Mohinder said, "This included testing of the experimental drugs on the chemist's father - now considered something completely unethical. You have salycilic and acetic acid on your desks, and also coats and goggles. Be sure to wear them when you use the equipment in front of you to prepare aspirin."

[OCD is up]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 23 Jan '08

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:58:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Good afternoon," Mohinder greeted the class from his position at the front of the room. "I hope you've completely recovered from the effects of the weekend."

"This planet alone contains a fascinating array of biological organisms. Current estimates are of some nine million, of which humans - Homo sapiens sapiens - are only a small fraction."

"What makes a fish a fish? What difference is there between a rose and a lily? How can we tell? Animal, vegetable or mineral? The taxonomy of species acknowledges the evolutionary history of an organism, but also tells us about what makes them unique, what makes them special." Mohinder continued on into a digression on species classification.

"How would you classify some of Fandom's more unusual examples of wildlife - the gremlins or teal deer for example?" asked Mohinder. He pointed at the photographs on the desks - different ~~moddable~~ plants and animals. "Systems of organisations are only used as long as they're useful to us. How would you classify these - which are closely related or complete strangers?"

[OCD is up!]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 16 Jan '08

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:11:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

The Danger Shop appeared to be set up as a normal classroom, bits and pieces of technical equipment lying around. It was only on looking up that would show any difference - an almost pitch black space, scattered with stars.

"We are all insignificant." Mohinder looked enthused at the idea, as he continued, "Occupying only a little space and time on a minor planet, under an ordinary star which is itself one among many, in one of innumerable galaxies. On such a scale our actions are unimportant." He paused, "Though I doubt that will work as an excuse for a missed class."

"But five hundred years ago the most common view was of an earth-centric universe." Mohinder briefly covered the leading figures, behind that change of thought. He picked up a handheld telescope from the desk at the front of the classroom. "The invention of the telescope finally meant there was the opportunity to back their claims with evidence."

"There are, in front of you, all you need to build a refractive or reflective telescopes. Pair up, and take a closer look at the stars." Mohinder pointed up.

[OCD is up]

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Discovery & Invention, Period 5, 9 Jan '08

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:14:00 GMT

Posted by: offthelisthero.livejournal.com

"Good afternoon," Mohinder was leaning against the board at the front of the classroom; list in hand he wondered which names matched which faces.

"As some of you may already know, I am Dr Mohinder Suresh, and this is Discovery and Invention. My background is in genetics, but this course will, I hope, take your interest in at least one of the branches of our scientific tree." He handed out the syllabus as he spoke. "I'm available after class and during my office hours and feel free to talk to my TA, Max Guevara."

( Whee, experimental design )

[OCD is up, have at it!]

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