BERKELEY science review Spring 2006 Issue 10 Berkeley vs. Intelligent Design The Dawn of Multicellularity Ethical Technology Licensing BERKELEY SCIENCE REVIEW SPRING 2006 1 Plus: BSR turns 10 & Origins of Chocolate & A Star is Born & Congress 101 & Pennies from Hell BERKELEY DEAR READERS, science It is my pleasure to introduce you to this, the 10th issue of the Berkeley Science Review. Beginning with our first issue published five years ago this spring, the BSR has time and again brought you the best of Berkeley’s research in areas as diverse as astronomy, ethnobotany and immunology. For review me, this is the 4th issue I have taken part in–and it really does keep getting better and better! Editor in Chief In this issue we take a look back at some of the BSR’s memorable stories and give you updates on the latest progress (p. 6). Jessica Porter New this spring, Michelangelo D’Agostino takes a hard look at UC Berkeley’s role in the Managing Editor controversy surrounding teaching evolution in public schools (p.31). Former BSR editors Temina Madon and Heidi Ledford tell us about how scientists can talk to policy makers (p.43), Wes Marner and what to expect from the world of intellectual property licensing (p.36) respectively. Jesse Dill Art Director and Harish Agarwal report on a possible resolution to a long-standing debate over star formation (p.12). Returning “Who Knew” columnist Louis Desroches debunks another science myth–the Jack Lin legend of the lethal penny (back cover). Copy Editor Also new to the BSR, starting this fall we will be offering paid subscriptions to the magazine. Tai Po Ping So if you want to guarantee delivery of each BSR right to your door, or if you want to read our Editors submission guidelines, peruse past issues, or check our upcoming events page, visit our website at Meredith Carpenter sciencereview.berkeley.edu. Michelangelo D’Agostino In the spirit of reflection brought on by this anniversary issue, I want to thank all of the editors, Charlie Emrich writers, layout staff, illustrators, donors and, of course, readers who have contributed to the success of the Berkeley Science Review these past five years. Many of our ranks have gone on to Wendy Hansen exciting careers in science journalism, public policy, and academia–and we continue to rely on Jacqueline Chretien incoming Berkeley students of all types to keep the magazine running. Charlie Koven In looking back on our first Editor in Chief’s opening letter, I realized that his comments were just as true, and possibly more chilling today than ever. To quote Eran: “If my advisor knew how Chief Layout Editor much time I’ve spent on this…he’d boot me out the door. I’d be working at Andersen Consulting as fast as you can say ‘creative business solutions’.” Andrew DeMond Layout Editors Enjoy the issue, Charlie Emrich Wendy Hansen Jessica Porter Kathryn Quanstrom Printer Jessica Porter Sundance Press © 2006 Berkeley Science Review. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without express permission of the publishers. Financial assistance for the 2005-2006 academic year was provided by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; the UC Berkeley Office of eth Vice Chancellor of Research; the College of Natural Resources; the UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly; the Space Sciences Laboratory; the UC Berkeley Office of Research and Development; and the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). Berkeley Science Review is not an official publication of the University of California, Berkeley, or the ASUC. The content in this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the University or the ASUC.Letters to the editor and story proposals are encouraged and should be e-mailed to [email protected] or posted to the Berkeley Science Review, 10 Eshelman Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720. Advertisers: contact [email protected] or visit http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu COVER: S INGLE-CELLED ORGANISMS SUCH AS THOSE IN THE DRAWINGS ON THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS BY W. S AVILLE KENT MAY REVEAL HOW ANIMALS EVOLVED TO BE MULTICELLULAR. S TORY ON PAGE 16. BERKELEY SCIENCE REVIEW SPRING 2006 3 review Categories Current Briefs 06 We Just Turned 10 10 Like Beer for Chocolate 08 Labscopes 12 A Star is Born 12 Current Briefs 14 Mammoth Rocks 26 Main Features 16 United We Stand 48 Outreach 18 H2YDROPOWER 50 Book Review 20 Earthquake Prediction 51 Who Knew 22 Seeing Chemistry 24 Faster, Better, Smaller Main Features Others 26 Getting Back To Nature 43 Congress 101 31 In The Matter of Berkeley 48 Field Trip v. Berkeley 50 Slow Food 36 IP: Ideas for Purchase 51 Who Knew 40 Science And Sustainable Development Our 10th Issue We’ve just turned 10! The BSR has covered a lot of ground since we (issues, that is) began, but since we’re always looking forward, we never get a chance to look back. Here, we SPECIAL follow up on a story from each of our issues... ne of NASA’s many recent science successes, ur second issue found Jessica Palmer exploring the Othe RHESSI satellite is still taking pictures of Olighthearted world of fruit fly gene names like cheapdate solar flares, four years after its 2002 launch. Designed (flies carrying the mutation get drunk easily) and the Monty and built at the Berkeley Space Science Lab, RHESSI Python-inspired I’m not dead yet (for longevity). But one gene, was profiled in our first issue. It has been instrumental Pokemon, has really been in the news recently. An acronym in studying solar flares—huge bursts of energy Image Courtesy of NASA for POK Erythroid Myeloid ONtogenic, the Pokemon gene rreleased from the sun was found to be associated with some human cancers. This tthat can wreak havoc on electronics here on ddiscovery prompted headlines like eearth. Despite having an original mission life ““Pokemon Causes Cancer,” leading oof only 2–3 years, RHESSI is still going, and has PPokémon USA to exert its legal eeven trained its sights on Earth, imaging the rright to the trademark over the ggamma rays let off by lightning strikes. Pictures ccartoon character. The gene is SU IS E aare downloaded to a dish in the Berkeley hills nnow called Zbtb7, but geneticists SU dduring its six daily passes. Who knows, it might IS E aare undaunted—2006 has already F 1 A 0 bbe above you right now. —CE wwitnessed the christening of enigma, L L 0 ɱ2 S P 2 R 0 sserpentine, and big bang. —MC I 0 ɲN G 2 anomachines! The word doesn’t roll off the tongue like n our Spring 2003 issue, Julie Waters N“micromachines”, but they are coming nonetheless. They’ll be Ireported on the successes that Geoff replacing microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, which now Marcy and colleagues have had in spotting operate air bags and high-def TVs. Temina Madon explained planets orbiting distant stars. At the how the Maboudian lab was advancing SUE time, they had discovered over 100 SU IS IS E the “MEMS“ revolution” by studying the extrasolar planets orbiting 10 stars. S F matmateriale properties of these devices and Marcy and his band of planet hunters P 3 A 2 R 0 L 0 0 ɳL 2 0 I N 2 improving their fabrication. Now were optimistic about the upcoming ɴG MEMS have shrunk into NEMS, and mission of NASA’s Terrestrial Planet a nano-electromechanical revolution has begun. Today, the Finder, a satellite designed specifically to identify new planets. Maboudian lab is trying to make synthetic nanohairs that Since then, the news on planet finding has been mixed: While mimic the surface of the ultra-sticky gecko foot to generate Marcy and colleagues have brought the list of known extrasolar adhesives that stick to any surface, finally affording Lionel planets to 172, the orbiting Planet Finder mission has been, in Richie his dream of dancing on the ceiling. —WM NASA-speak, “deferred indefinitely” due to budget cuts. —CK Photo courtesy of Kellar Autumn STAFF AUTHORS Aaron Golub Jessica Palmer Aaron Pierce Heidi Anderson Michelangelo D’agostino Ainsley Seago Jinjer Larson Adam Schindler Heidi Ledford Mike Daub Amber Wise Joel Kamnitzer Ainsley Seago Jane McGonigal Nathan Bramall Andy DeMond Josephine Lee Alan Moses Janes Endres Howell Nathanael Johnson ur first 9 issues were a lot of work and a lot of fun. Just yesterday, it seems, the BSR was merely an idea. Since Angie Morey Kaspar Mossman Allison Drew Janet Fang Noah Rolff Anna Ross Kira O’Day Alysia Marino Jeffrey Natchtigal Noam Sagiv Antoinette Chevalier Kristen DeAngelis Aman Singh Gill Jennie Rose Padraig Murphy Bryan Jackson Letty Brown Angie Morey Jennifer Skeene Prayana Khadye then, grad students from all over the Berkeley campus have been slaving away to bring you what’s now the top C. Ric Mose Lisa Green Angie Morey Jennifer Skene Rachel Shreter O Carol Hunter Merek Siu Annaliese Beery Jess Porter Rachel Teukolsky Carol Hunter Michaelangelo D’agostino April Mo Jessica Marshall Rebecca Sutton Charlie Emrich Padraig Murphy Ariana Reguizzoni Jessica Palmer Robert C. Froemke pop-sci student journal in the country. (our opinion) Chris Weber Paul Chang Aubrey Lau Jimmer Endres Roger O’Brient Christopher Weber Sarita Shaevitz Audrey Huang Josephine Lee Russell Fletcher Colin McCormick Sherry Seethaler Ben Gutman Joshua Garret Ruth Murray-Clay Dan Handwerker Tania Haddad Bill Monahan Julie Walters Sahelt S. R. Datta Huge thanks go to everyone who helped along the way: the authors, editors, and layout people; the artists and Delphine Farmer Teddy Varno Brendan Borrell Karen Levy Sarita Shaevitz Donna Sy Temina Madon Carol Hunter Karen Marcus Shefa Gordon Dula Parkinson Thomas Thomaidis Chad Heeter Kaspar Mossman Shena Gifford Elissa Preston Tony Le Charlie Emrich Kira O’Day Sherry Seethaler photographers; all the faculty members we’ve badgered for stories; all of our advisors for “not minding” that we Eran Karmon Tony Wilson Charlie Koven Kristen DeAngelis Sheyna Gifford Heidi Ledford Tracy Powell Cheryl Hackworth Letty Brown Shirley Dang Jane McGonigal Una Ren Chris Weber Lisa R.