It seemed like a good idea at 1:45 am.
30 August 2008
29 August 2008
A friend of mine
I had the fortune tonight of sharing dinner with one of my closest friends. It was a goodbye to each other and a goodbye to summer. His school year has already begun. He moved into his sort of on-campus, sort of off-campus apartment, and quickly assumed an astounding number of responsibilities at his university. I am always impressed by how many different roles he alternates between each day. I imagine his schedule like a bookshelf, the spaces between each edition's pages condensed as he squeezes in a new activity.
It is easy to collect experiences in college. The ingredients for something interesting—music, books, beer, friends—are all there, all the time. It can be hard, though, to integrate each colorful moment into a cohesive life. As a student, you're constantly switching frames. In the course of a day: a child, an adult, a performer, an observer, a novice, an expert. How do you know who to be when? Some people try everything, looking for the perfect fit, as though something outside of themselves will define who they are. Some people just ask other people, latching on to the personalities and hobbies of their friends. Others escape the question by getting drunk a lot, maybe to make the world look as wobbly as they feel. Naggingly the issue of identity appears and reappears for everyone, asking to be defined and revised repeatedly.
The reason I admire my friend is because he never seems confused about any of this. I know he too is actively figuring out who he is, but his focus always seems steady. He is always the same person, himself, his wonderful self, no matter where he is or what activity he's doing. He doesn't pretend to be interested in anything he's not. He does care passionately about everything he does.
Tonight he showed me a professional-looking coloring book that his brother, a graphic designer, had made for him for his 21st birthday. Each page has a different object or person on it, each representing a significant moment in his life. The ones from his childhood in Israel show lemons and Kinder Eggs, while the more recent pages include spot-on depictions of Bill Clinton and Larry David. The drawings are simple, just computer-drawn lines and shapes, but every page glows with authenticity and life. They are, like he is, eclectic but connected, serious and funny, a complete but growing collection.
28 August 2008
Wedding Chemistry
How very un-chic it would be to arrive at a wedding bearing teeth that clash with the bride's white gown. To prevent this from happening to me at my sister's upcoming nuptials, I have been wearing Crest Whitestrips. While applying them the other day, I started to wonder how they worked. So I looked it up.
The active ingredient in Whitestrips is hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, which looks like this:
In hydrogen peroxide, oxygen exists in a 1- oxidation state. Due to its place in the periodic table and its electron configuration (1s2 2s2 2p6), oxygen normally has a 2- charge. When hydrogen peroxide undergoes a reaction, the oxygen in it is usually recombined into another product. In most products, oxygen will become 2-, therefore reducing the original charge. This means that the oxygen has gained an electron, which holds a 1- charge, over the course of the reaction. Charge must be conserved during any reaction. Therefore another compound must have lost an electron, or become oxidized. Because the oxygen in hydrogen peroxide is so easily reduced from 1- to 2-, it can be considered an excellent oxidizing agent of other compounds.
You could say that oxidation "breaks up" an existing compound. Reduction-oxidation reactions are generally displacement or double displacement reactions, which reassemble the elements of the reactants into two novel compounds. This is what makes them so good at re-colorizing complexes. When redox occurs, the molecules responsible for staining are destroyed. Their components are recombined into something new. When you put a Whitestrip on your teeth, the hydrogen peroxide seeps through the pores in the enamel and oxidizes stain deposits in the matrix of the enamel, thereby removing them.
And what about teeth whitening by lasers? The light emits photons which are absorbed by electrons in the organic inter-matrix material, moving them from their ground state to a higher valence shell. When the electrons eventually return to their ground state, they emit a photon. This effectively breaks the bonds that held together the stain deposit. This method can more effectively penetrate deeper stains in tooth dentin, like those that sometimes result from childhood antibiotic use.
Huh. A little Googling goes a long way.
The active ingredient in Whitestrips is hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, which looks like this:
In hydrogen peroxide, oxygen exists in a 1- oxidation state. Due to its place in the periodic table and its electron configuration (1s2 2s2 2p6), oxygen normally has a 2- charge. When hydrogen peroxide undergoes a reaction, the oxygen in it is usually recombined into another product. In most products, oxygen will become 2-, therefore reducing the original charge. This means that the oxygen has gained an electron, which holds a 1- charge, over the course of the reaction. Charge must be conserved during any reaction. Therefore another compound must have lost an electron, or become oxidized. Because the oxygen in hydrogen peroxide is so easily reduced from 1- to 2-, it can be considered an excellent oxidizing agent of other compounds.
You could say that oxidation "breaks up" an existing compound. Reduction-oxidation reactions are generally displacement or double displacement reactions, which reassemble the elements of the reactants into two novel compounds. This is what makes them so good at re-colorizing complexes. When redox occurs, the molecules responsible for staining are destroyed. Their components are recombined into something new. When you put a Whitestrip on your teeth, the hydrogen peroxide seeps through the pores in the enamel and oxidizes stain deposits in the matrix of the enamel, thereby removing them.
And what about teeth whitening by lasers? The light emits photons which are absorbed by electrons in the organic inter-matrix material, moving them from their ground state to a higher valence shell. When the electrons eventually return to their ground state, they emit a photon. This effectively breaks the bonds that held together the stain deposit. This method can more effectively penetrate deeper stains in tooth dentin, like those that sometimes result from childhood antibiotic use.
Huh. A little Googling goes a long way.
26 August 2008
Hardcore
I spent most of my summer studying for the MCAT. Now it's over. That's a relief.
I know some pretty dedicated pre-med students, but one test taker I saw today makes them all look like feckless English majors. (Kidding.) Before the test began, this girl strode into the waiting room wearing hospital scrubs—beneath the hemline of which lurked a gnarly caduceus tattoo.
23 August 2008
Susu Bakery Boutique, Wellesley
While sitting inside the restaurant you might begin to feel that you and your teacup have been sent back to another time and place, into a society of women who wear cream-colored silk blouses and use the word "salon" in its original meaning. The bathroom has a fabulous chandelier.21 August 2008
A beautiful day in the neighborhood
While walking our dog Pablo today, my mom and I met J. She was wearing a red and purple striped jumper over tights and waving to us from her driveway. "Hi," she said. "Do you know how old I am?"
Quickly J. established that at four, she was older than Pablo, who is two, but that Pablo was older than her brother M., who is one. M. was also outside, trying to pedal around the driveway on a plastic bicycle while his grandmother steered the handlebars. J. was absorbed only in our conversation. She asked: Where did we live? What was our dog's name? Was he a nice dog? J. turned out to be a little person with surprisingly big questions and interesting ideas. She was, as most four year olds are, brilliant.
She understood how to generalize information: "You're my neighbor?" she asked. Then she pointed to the house across the street, saying, "They're my neighbor," and pointed to the house beside hers, "and they're my neighbor," and pointed to the house beside the house across the street, "and they're my neighbor."
She wondered about homologous structures: "Where are the dog's eyes?" she asked, which is sort of unclear now that most of Pablo's face is hidden beneath a thick white shag. "Does he have a chin?" Sort of, my mom answered, but not the same shape as a human chin. "Does he have cheeks?" Good question.
J. was also seemed to know a little bit about genetics: "You have blue eyes," she told my mom. "Why don't you have blue eyes?" she asked me.
And then she offered a fashion analysis: To my mom, she said "You have blue earrings!" And to me, "Yours are red."
J. kept the conversation going for fifteen or twenty minutes, all the while showing off dance moves and sometimes bravely edging towards Pablo. My mom, a pediatric nurse practitioner, responded honestly and appropriately to all of J.'s questions. I added to the conversation occasionally, but never with the fluency of my mother. After over thirty years caring for children, my mom can immediately recognize the stage of a child's cognitive and social development and the specialness of his or her personality, then respond accordingly. I aspire to this level of human understanding. She has taught me that big obtuse philosophies may not change the world, but treating children with respect will.
We needed to walk Pablo ("Why do you walk him in that direction?" "What is a leash?" "Do you have to hold the leash there?") but J. wouldn't let us go until she had tried to pet him. Finally, courageously, she put a tiny hand to his big hairy head. He miraculously calmed down — after all, he's only a baby himself — and rewarded her with a velvety lick on her palm. Meanwhile M. had toddled over to J. at the front of the driveway, his grandmother following behind. Pablo was, as dogs will be, very interested in M.'s diaper. My mom and J.'s grandmother shared a good laugh over that. "Why do dogs like diapers?" J. asked. Pablo offered M. a kiss. M. smiled a wide, baby-toothed smile, and laughed the sweetest laugh.
Eventually we made a few small steps down the street, waving goodbye to M., J., and their grandmother. They waved back, each one calling good bye, lined up at the edge of their driveway as though posed for the loveliest summertime family portrait.
Quickly J. established that at four, she was older than Pablo, who is two, but that Pablo was older than her brother M., who is one. M. was also outside, trying to pedal around the driveway on a plastic bicycle while his grandmother steered the handlebars. J. was absorbed only in our conversation. She asked: Where did we live? What was our dog's name? Was he a nice dog? J. turned out to be a little person with surprisingly big questions and interesting ideas. She was, as most four year olds are, brilliant.
She understood how to generalize information: "You're my neighbor?" she asked. Then she pointed to the house across the street, saying, "They're my neighbor," and pointed to the house beside hers, "and they're my neighbor," and pointed to the house beside the house across the street, "and they're my neighbor."
She wondered about homologous structures: "Where are the dog's eyes?" she asked, which is sort of unclear now that most of Pablo's face is hidden beneath a thick white shag. "Does he have a chin?" Sort of, my mom answered, but not the same shape as a human chin. "Does he have cheeks?" Good question.
J. was also seemed to know a little bit about genetics: "You have blue eyes," she told my mom. "Why don't you have blue eyes?" she asked me.
And then she offered a fashion analysis: To my mom, she said "You have blue earrings!" And to me, "Yours are red."
J. kept the conversation going for fifteen or twenty minutes, all the while showing off dance moves and sometimes bravely edging towards Pablo. My mom, a pediatric nurse practitioner, responded honestly and appropriately to all of J.'s questions. I added to the conversation occasionally, but never with the fluency of my mother. After over thirty years caring for children, my mom can immediately recognize the stage of a child's cognitive and social development and the specialness of his or her personality, then respond accordingly. I aspire to this level of human understanding. She has taught me that big obtuse philosophies may not change the world, but treating children with respect will.
We needed to walk Pablo ("Why do you walk him in that direction?" "What is a leash?" "Do you have to hold the leash there?") but J. wouldn't let us go until she had tried to pet him. Finally, courageously, she put a tiny hand to his big hairy head. He miraculously calmed down — after all, he's only a baby himself — and rewarded her with a velvety lick on her palm. Meanwhile M. had toddled over to J. at the front of the driveway, his grandmother following behind. Pablo was, as dogs will be, very interested in M.'s diaper. My mom and J.'s grandmother shared a good laugh over that. "Why do dogs like diapers?" J. asked. Pablo offered M. a kiss. M. smiled a wide, baby-toothed smile, and laughed the sweetest laugh.
Eventually we made a few small steps down the street, waving goodbye to M., J., and their grandmother. They waved back, each one calling good bye, lined up at the edge of their driveway as though posed for the loveliest summertime family portrait.
20 August 2008
Crudite
Without an accent, looks like erudite.
Sounds like it should be said with a flick of the wrist while wearing a striped boatneck or beret.
Tastes good at the beginning of the party.
Feels soggy when you return to the table three hours later.
Too crude for restaurant fare, too 'dité for college dorm parties.
The perfect side to pick at during nervous moments at a barbecue. I like carrot sticks best, stuck jauntily out the front of a mouth like a watery orange cigarette, then chomped. What would I know, though; I've never smoked a cigarette.
After years of mispronunciation ("Hey, is there crew-day-taaah over there?"), I think I owed the word some respect and pontification.
Sounds like it should be said with a flick of the wrist while wearing a striped boatneck or beret.
Tastes good at the beginning of the party.
Feels soggy when you return to the table three hours later.
Too crude for restaurant fare, too 'dité for college dorm parties.
The perfect side to pick at during nervous moments at a barbecue. I like carrot sticks best, stuck jauntily out the front of a mouth like a watery orange cigarette, then chomped. What would I know, though; I've never smoked a cigarette.
After years of mispronunciation ("Hey, is there crew-day-taaah over there?"), I think I owed the word some respect and pontification.
17 August 2008
Top 10 Summer Acquisitions
I have amassed a large number of small treasures this summer. My favorite kitschy delights are listed below, in order of acquisition. Maybe you will enjoy them as much as I do! Probably not.
1.) Gulf Music by Robert Pinsky
I heard Pinsky, a former poet laureate, read two of his poems at a Josh Ritter concert in June. Intrigued by his style — and its similarity to Ritter's lyrics — I bought his newest anthology. It hasn't become my favorite book of poetry, but look at that cover! I think I have developed a newfound appreciation for dust jackets. Also, this would be perfect if you had a very small coffee table and were looking for a very small coffee table book.
2.) "Hugo Guinness Dog Show" tote bag
My sister bought this bag for me as a gift after I helped her draft her wedding registry at New York boutique John Derian. The two of us share an affinity for any object that bears a resemblance to our dog, Pablo. The pup on this tote bag, designed by artist Hugo Guinness, appears to have fewer legs than Pabby, but close enough. What this canine lacks in looks, he makes up for in odor: One rainy night the bag got soaked and, I swear — it smelled just like wet dog.
3.) New Balance SL-1fit 873 Lightweight running shoes
New running shoes! My mom and I have become running partners this summer, making slow laps around the gravelly Brookline Reservoir. These beauties clash perfectly with any and all of the running shorts that I own. That's on purpose. I think it's always best to look brutally unfashionable while exercising so as to draw the least attention possible to yourself.
4.) Complete Crossword Dictionary, Let's Make Doll Furniture by Eileen Mercer, and Opening the Medical Profession to Women, by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
My brother and I salvaged these classics off a cart of books at the library. Each cost just 25 cents. It was hard to pick which we wanted when so much knowledge could be bought for just a quarter! (We also found a used band-aid inside a copy of the OED, but that was the opposite of a treasure.)
5.) Two vintage necklaces
I bought these at my favorite Jamaica Plain thrift store, now called 40 South Street. The co-owner told me that the leaves are made from antique plastic, which was meant to impress me. It did! I bought two. They just don't make plastic like they used to.
6.) Handmade ceramic bowl
My parents brought back this ceramic bowl from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they were traveling earlier this summer. The craftsman was a ten-year-old boy, selling pots for money to go to school. My parents met his mother and aunt, whom they said were kind and conversational. I think this pot is beautiful. It's hard to see in the photo, but the rim of the bowl is smooth and the cream scalloping is incredibly precise. Also in New Mexico, both of my parents won colored corn necklaces in a competition sliding down a sand dune. (My mother earned second farthest; my father, most acrobatic.)
7.) CosmoGIRL! September 2008
Quick, buy this magazine and turn to page 136! That's my girl Vanessa! She interviewed Ann Brashares, author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I am so proud. Also, for those of you who had been thinking about Lauren Conrad's soul a lot lately, it is in fact not tortured, which I think is great for her but probably bad for her reality show career.
8.) Handmade dragon notebook
When I ran out of pages in the lovely A4 notebook I was using for MCAT preparation, I thought I would have to settle for an ordinary Five-Star. How uninspiring, I know. But on a trip to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, my mom met a street vendor selling notebooks that she had designed and hand-pieced. When my mom presented me with one of the artist's dragon notebooks, I wondered aloud what she thought I was into these days. She explained, however, that the dragon was meant to empower me as the test draws nearer. Yes!
9.) Postcard from Greece
One of my best friends sent me this from Athens. My favorite part is the stamp, which depicts a centaur carrying a bow and arrow. He looks strong; perhaps an Olympian? If a centaur tried to compete in the Olympics now, he would be accused of gene doping and probably barred from competition.
10.) The Human Evolution Coloring Book by Adrienne L. Zihlman and The Fold-Out Book of the Human Body: Classic 1906 Edition by Alfred Mason Amadon, M.D.
What better way to relax after a day of studying science than to color science? Or to fold out science? I found these while shopping with a friend in the bargain books section. Let's be serious. I would have splurged if I had to.
1.) Gulf Music by Robert Pinsky
I heard Pinsky, a former poet laureate, read two of his poems at a Josh Ritter concert in June. Intrigued by his style — and its similarity to Ritter's lyrics — I bought his newest anthology. It hasn't become my favorite book of poetry, but look at that cover! I think I have developed a newfound appreciation for dust jackets. Also, this would be perfect if you had a very small coffee table and were looking for a very small coffee table book.2.) "Hugo Guinness Dog Show" tote bag
My sister bought this bag for me as a gift after I helped her draft her wedding registry at New York boutique John Derian. The two of us share an affinity for any object that bears a resemblance to our dog, Pablo. The pup on this tote bag, designed by artist Hugo Guinness, appears to have fewer legs than Pabby, but close enough. What this canine lacks in looks, he makes up for in odor: One rainy night the bag got soaked and, I swear — it smelled just like wet dog. 3.) New Balance SL-1fit 873 Lightweight running shoes
New running shoes! My mom and I have become running partners this summer, making slow laps around the gravelly Brookline Reservoir. These beauties clash perfectly with any and all of the running shorts that I own. That's on purpose. I think it's always best to look brutally unfashionable while exercising so as to draw the least attention possible to yourself.4.) Complete Crossword Dictionary, Let's Make Doll Furniture by Eileen Mercer, and Opening the Medical Profession to Women, by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
My brother and I salvaged these classics off a cart of books at the library. Each cost just 25 cents. It was hard to pick which we wanted when so much knowledge could be bought for just a quarter! (We also found a used band-aid inside a copy of the OED, but that was the opposite of a treasure.)5.) Two vintage necklaces
I bought these at my favorite Jamaica Plain thrift store, now called 40 South Street. The co-owner told me that the leaves are made from antique plastic, which was meant to impress me. It did! I bought two. They just don't make plastic like they used to.6.) Handmade ceramic bowl
My parents brought back this ceramic bowl from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they were traveling earlier this summer. The craftsman was a ten-year-old boy, selling pots for money to go to school. My parents met his mother and aunt, whom they said were kind and conversational. I think this pot is beautiful. It's hard to see in the photo, but the rim of the bowl is smooth and the cream scalloping is incredibly precise. Also in New Mexico, both of my parents won colored corn necklaces in a competition sliding down a sand dune. (My mother earned second farthest; my father, most acrobatic.)7.) CosmoGIRL! September 2008
Quick, buy this magazine and turn to page 136! That's my girl Vanessa! She interviewed Ann Brashares, author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I am so proud. Also, for those of you who had been thinking about Lauren Conrad's soul a lot lately, it is in fact not tortured, which I think is great for her but probably bad for her reality show career.8.) Handmade dragon notebook
When I ran out of pages in the lovely A4 notebook I was using for MCAT preparation, I thought I would have to settle for an ordinary Five-Star. How uninspiring, I know. But on a trip to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, my mom met a street vendor selling notebooks that she had designed and hand-pieced. When my mom presented me with one of the artist's dragon notebooks, I wondered aloud what she thought I was into these days. She explained, however, that the dragon was meant to empower me as the test draws nearer. Yes! 9.) Postcard from Greece
One of my best friends sent me this from Athens. My favorite part is the stamp, which depicts a centaur carrying a bow and arrow. He looks strong; perhaps an Olympian? If a centaur tried to compete in the Olympics now, he would be accused of gene doping and probably barred from competition.10.) The Human Evolution Coloring Book by Adrienne L. Zihlman and The Fold-Out Book of the Human Body: Classic 1906 Edition by Alfred Mason Amadon, M.D.
What better way to relax after a day of studying science than to color science? Or to fold out science? I found these while shopping with a friend in the bargain books section. Let's be serious. I would have splurged if I had to.15 August 2008
From a master
"There seemed to me an integrity, an essential goodness, about a life in science, a lifelong love affair."
- Oliver Sacks, Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
09 August 2008
There's a party going on right here
One of my only responsibilities as the maid of honor for my sister's upcoming wedding was to plan her bachelorette party. She is a modest bride, disdainful of anything flashy or overly planned. I therefore expected that she would request a characteristically low-key evening of dinner and drinks with me, my mom, and her closest friends in Manhattan. (Upon telling these party plans to a friend who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland this fall, he responded: "What? That's all she wants? Here it's called a 'hen party' and women go wild. Shouldn't you at least eat a lot of chicken or something?") But it turns out that I misjudged my sister's preferences. Forget an evening on the Upper West Side: Her bachelorette party has been a full-weekend affair. Actually, forget New York altogether: She chose to celebrate the last days of her swinging single life at our parent's house, with her fiance.
In the city, my sister leads a hectic life as a marketing consultant for several clothing companies. Sometimes a working girl just wants to spend a weekend wearing a tiara with a margarita in hand, watching the Olympics while singing along to Billy Joel. It's the best party she could have asked for, she said — which means that I've done my job. I even bought drink umbrellas.
A guest who really knows how to dress for a party
06 August 2008
Absencia and Adobe Photoshop
I have been busy studying and helping my family get things in order for my older sister's wedding, all of which has left little time for blog posts. One particular wedding task has been a very welcome distraction from my MCAT books: designing album covers for CDs that will be given to the guests.
I made several variations on the same theme. I'm hoping that my sister chooses one of these three drafts:
I made several variations on the same theme. I'm hoping that my sister chooses one of these three drafts:
01 August 2008
Animal altruism
Lately I have been thinking about kin selection, the biological principle of altruism. Intuitively, kindness seems to be uniquely human. Many taxa, however, provide for and protect those in need. Diverse species of animals have adapted to defend their relatives from dangerous circumstances. Most are motivated to propagate a genome similar to their own. Animals — humans included — are, after all, moved to action by the selfish struggle to promote their own biological identity. Perhaps this (well-known) explanation for self-sacrifice is not wholly pleasing to our fleshy human ears. The evolutionary definition altruistic behavior seems to muddy our ethical understanding of the virtue, which is characterized by selflessness. Maybe we are too eager for the natural world to conform to our personal ideals, rather than consider ourselves products of evolution. Why else would David Attenborough be anthropomorphizing all those poor animals on the Discovery Channel?
Simply put: Altruism derives from the behavior of animals. In an essay from his book, Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History, Stephen Jay Gould points out that this makes kindness as primal as brutality.
Mattathias Schwartz' article, "Malwebolence", about the online trolling sub-culture, has caused me to consider the origin of brutality among people. Which acts of meanness are pre-meditated? Which are spontaneous? More importantly, why would some people gravitate toward harming the vulnerable or weak when helping them is equally natural? But now I am overextending the principle of kin selection; now I am asking why people do not act unselfishly, defending the welfare of people from whom they have nothing to gain genetically.
The messy realities of being human are, of course, too great for evolutionary principles (or any of my blog posts) to describe with precision. Humans are not the only proprietors of culture, but they are the ones whose effects on one another most concern me. New technology, most notably new communication media, is constructing an intricately interconnected but fragmented society that I struggle to understand. All I hope is that altruism, with both its biological and ethical connotations, continues to be selected for in our species.
Simply put: Altruism derives from the behavior of animals. In an essay from his book, Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History, Stephen Jay Gould points out that this makes kindness as primal as brutality.
Mattathias Schwartz' article, "Malwebolence", about the online trolling sub-culture, has caused me to consider the origin of brutality among people. Which acts of meanness are pre-meditated? Which are spontaneous? More importantly, why would some people gravitate toward harming the vulnerable or weak when helping them is equally natural? But now I am overextending the principle of kin selection; now I am asking why people do not act unselfishly, defending the welfare of people from whom they have nothing to gain genetically.
The messy realities of being human are, of course, too great for evolutionary principles (or any of my blog posts) to describe with precision. Humans are not the only proprietors of culture, but they are the ones whose effects on one another most concern me. New technology, most notably new communication media, is constructing an intricately interconnected but fragmented society that I struggle to understand. All I hope is that altruism, with both its biological and ethical connotations, continues to be selected for in our species.
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