Third Saturday Seminar 2010-2011
Return of the Elders, Unleash your Wisdom
Session 05
9:30AM til 12:00 noon
3200 College Park Drive – Conroe, TX – 77384 – 936.273.7000
Larry Loomis-Price, PhD
Science is just facts; just as houses are made of stone, so science is made of facts; but a pile of stones is not a house, and a collection of facts is not necessarily science.
Jules Henri Poincare (1854-1912) French mathematician
Dr. Larry Loomis-Price majored in biology and chemistry at MIT and earned his PhD in biological chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley. He worked for fifteen years in medical research (first in the U.S. Army and then at the Jackson Foundation, a non-profit research institute) developing vaccines for the prevention of malaria, hepatitis C, and HIV. He also taught in the biotechnology graduate program at Johns Hopkins University. After moving to Texas in 1999, he taught as an adjunct at Lone Star College-Montgomery while studying psychology part-time at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Loomis-Price started full-time at LSC-M in 2002, serving as director of the Biotechnology Institute from 2002 to 2008. He was the primary investigator on “Biotech-Success,” a National Science Foundation project to interest minority and other underserved populations in the sciences. He is now a full-time professor of biotechnology at LSC-M. Dr. Loomis-Price received the NISOD Faculty Excellence Award in 2010. He is Faculty Senate Vice-President and serves as advisor for the bio-fuels working group, a student organization that reclaims waste vegetable oil for use as diesel fuel. He has been awarded a sabbatical next year to teach part time while working at a local bio-fuels plant.
Some of you will remember Larry’s excellent lecture last year on Biotechnology to the Science Seminar
Larry will talk about:
How does DNA “fingerprinting” work? Should you have your personal genome sequenced? If you get sick, will gene therapy or stem cells help you? The human race has learned more about biology in the last 10 years than everything we knew before then. This great leap forward is largely due to new methods in understanding and using DNA. Knowledge of DNA structure has lead to new ways of amplifying it (pcr), sequencing it, and manipulating it, including analytical techniques like DNA arrays and even potential new treatments for disease such as gene therapy. In this lecture, I will first review briefly the new techniques in DNA technology. Then I will discuss how use of these techniques has lead to advances in forensic science, in molecular evolution, in early detection and diagnosis of disease, and in revolutionary new treatments for congenital conditions, cancer, and AIDS.
Current Events: As usual we will start out with current events One of these will be next month’s (April 16th) subject
Remember the session we did on Black Swans? 01/17/09 Session 5 Black Swan Well, it seems that “black swans” are on the move big time and are becoming a way of life.
North Africa and the Middle East, One war ending, one sustaining and a brand new no-fly zone. What’s the Plan, What’s the goal? Regime change? Who’s in charge? Read the text of the UN Resolution, via The Guardian (UK) here
From the United Nations’ press release on the ‘No-Fly Zone’ authorization:
Adoptingresolution 1973(2011) by a vote of 10 in favour to none against, with 5 abstentions (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Russian Federation), the Council authorized Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory — requesting them to immediately inform the Secretary-General of such measures.
Recognizing the important role of the League of Arab States in the maintenance of international peace and security in the region, and bearing in mind the United Nations Charter’s Chapter VIII, the Council asked the League’s member States to cooperate with other Member States in implementing the no-fly zone.
Read more here
I made this comment in last month’s meeting notice. It still seems relevant.
Well, it appears that this chain of events is rocking the North Africa and the Middle East. If this democracy thing can find a way to actually happen, this could make al Qaida irrelevant (redundant?), and confuse everybody else’s relationships. For instance, Israel’s. As the people in each country break loose of their despotic governments, perhaps, much in the same way as the signers of our Declaration of Independence and Our Constitution and it’s Bill of Rights, purposely leave behind the feudal baggage of the “Old Country”.
Even though the potential continuous spread of democracy and civil rights may make the whole world a nicer place, nothing at this point is certain. There is a lot to do. A lot of groups who claim to have similar interests, will find they all have different opinions of how to achieve them. Will the need to negotiate compromise cool the flame of freedom? We all need to care, and, if it’s not al Qaida, there will be similar forces who will try disrupt the peace that needs to grow. (For instance arms merchants.)
Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan , 400 miles of coastline inundated, maybe 15,000 people lost.. Beside the waves that crossed the Pacific Ocean and close to the speed of sound and wrecked a few things on our west coast; some fear waves economic repercussion; because large and or critical chunks of the planet’s industrial and technological production uses components manufactured in Japan. Truth be told, the surface of our planet is not as solid as we think. Plate tectonics will explain that massive plates are constantly shifting as they sit on an ocean of magma (liquid rock).
We do have a planet-wide monitoring system constantly gathering data to be able predict when the next big events will come. We know a lot, but as you can see, it is not perfected.
In spite of the dire reports from the worlds media, we are starting to hear about how the Japanese are reconstructing their lives and their relationships.
Then there is the question of the future of nuclear power. The Fukushima Reactors are of the boiling water (BWR) type. They have some advantages but higher risks of contamination than Pressurized Water Reactors such as those at the South Texas Project (90 miles south of us) Wikipedia gives a quick education about the boiling water reactors, and a sortable list.
The Lone Star College Montgomery ALL Program
A.L.L. Classes
Map of campus and parking lots
Third Saturday Seminar
To refer to an ancient Chinese saying, our world is in interesting times and individual citizens are assaulted with a blinding array of propaganda from every conceivable source. The Third Saturday Seminar is about demystification of what is going on around us. Time will also be spent on current events. (Class will meet on 3/26, 4/16, 5/21. Note that March date was adjusted for Spring Break). 5 Sessions. No fee.
Lone Star College -Montgomery B102
16637 Sa 2/19 – 5/21 9:30 a.m. – Noon
Come, join the discussion! Let’s see if there is hope!
Public Service Announcements:
1. “Ethics in Search of Truth” Lyceum Lecture, 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, April 7th. Room B-102. The public is invited
The Lone Star College-Montgomery Lyceum Speaker Series in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Department invites the community to discover Ethics and The Use of Force through a presentation entitled “Ethics in Search of Truth” by Dr. Sam S. Souryal, professor of Criminal Justice and Ethics at the College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. A multi-lingual educator, Dr. Souryal has lectured in England, Germany, China, Taiwan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other nations. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Souryal was a police officer in Egypt. Dr. Souryal’s extensive practical and academic experience is of particular interest in light of the recent events unfolding in the Middle East.
The event will take place at Lone Star College—Montgomery, Room B-102 with a reception beginning at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, April 7th. The public is invited to all Lyceum Lectures.
2. Millbend Coffee House Presents Chuck Pyle, Saturday, April 9th @ 8pm
The one and only “Zen Cowboy” comes back to play Millbend Coffeehouse. Flawless guitar mastery, a smooth yet soulful voice, songwriting that ranges from thought-provoking and philosophical to whimsical and humorous, and a cheerful and compelling stage presence – few performers possess all of the aspects of a great entertainer in such abundance.
“Pyle has a light, charismatic voice and a virtuosic guitar style that is both refined and impressive.” – Acoustic Guitar Magazine
“Chuck Pyle’s songs, playing and singing are transporting.” – Sing Out
Jack Motley Talented local singer-songwriter Jack Motley will open the concert.
Visit Millbend.org for more information, to reserve seats, or to inquire about performing/opening at the Millbend Coffeehouse,
contact us via pat.hanna (at) earthlink.net or call (281) 350-3052 or (936) 273-0610
3. The old Coffee Pot is dead
Sometimes a carry box of coffee shows up but nothing is organized. There are three excellent sources of very good coffee not far the college.
* Starbucks on the north side of Hwy 242 just east of Woodforest Bank.
* Caffe’ Diem and/or Brooklyn Cafe, both on the south side in the College Park Plaza shopping center.
* There is also a McDonald’s on the south side east of the shopping center and next to the Tradition Bank.
I will continue to bring donuts.
See you Saturday and Don’t Panic,
Curt Gibby
Director, Third Saturday Seminar
P. O Box 73207
Houston, Tx 77273
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