One more "sorry I couldn't be there" note here. I was so tired yesterday, and I totally forgot the R-Spec meeting. So pity that I missed this wonderful talk. Thanks to Nancy for the summary.
Ruhan On Feb 4, 10:15 am, Jonathan Sherwood <[email protected]> wrote: > I'll pitch in my yes vote. > Can we set it up to allow certain people to post? Obviously, we don't want > anyone in the world posting updates, but I don't think we'd want just one > person with access, either. > > -- > Jonathan Sherwood > Sr. Science & Technology Press Officer > University of Rochester > 585-273-4726 > > > > On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 10:09 AM, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I can put up an R-Spec page on Facebook, if there's no objection. > > > It only takes a few minutes and we can easily post announcements, > > events, videos, pictures, link to our website, etc. > > > On Feb 4, 10:01 am, Jonathan Sherwood <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > I had been wondering about R-SPEC on Facebook. I don't know enough about > > it, > > > other than that it's a good way for people to keep abreast of what we're > > up > > > to. > > > But I think Pat's right - we need to promote individual meetings to some > > > degree. The D&C would run it in their calendar, and we can make sure > > other > > > places such as Writers and Books have it posted. > > > > -- > > > Jonathan Sherwood > > > Sr. Science & Technology Press Officer > > > University of Rochester > > > 585-273-4726 > > > > On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 9:10 AM, Pat Rapp <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Or, perhaps more fitting to this group in particular -- as the atheist > > > > otters on South Park say, "For science's sake." > > > > : ) > > > > > All kidding aside, I agree that it's unfortunate that there was such a > > low > > > > turnout when we had a guest speaker of such high caliber. > > > > > Having said that, there are times when one just cannot get to a > > meeting. > > > > Work and school are priorities. What we should do next time is try a > > little > > > > harder to promote the event -- submitting to the newspaper, blogging > > it, > > > > facebooking it, etc. That way, even if the regular R-Spec crowd is > > unable > > > > to > > > > attend, maybe the wider general public would show up. > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Dave Henn" <[email protected]> > > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 9:00 AM > > > > Subject: Re: DNA in action! > > > > > I'm sorry I couldn't be there, too. That's a lot of "I'm sorry I > > > > couldn't be there" posts. Of course, in my case, living 350 miles away > > > > during the week makes attendance a tad more difficult even if one > > > > doesn't have, er, scheduling conflicts. Had I been in town, and > > > > assuming I had functioning transportation, I probably could have found > > > > a way to juggle my time to squeeze in an hour or two at the talk. This > > > > probably not too subtle hint is not directed at any one person but is > > > > prompted by the cumulative weight of apologies for not being there. > > > > It's once a month, for God's sake (or, for the agnostics and atheists, > > > > goodness' sake, or, for the evil, for badness' sake, or, for the > > > > neutral, for whatever's sake, etc.). Same bat time, same bat channel > > > > next month. > > > > > Dave > > > > > P.S. We don't own a dog house, but I should probably build a nice one > > > > so when I come back to Rochester I can be comfortable. :-P > > > > > On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 8:44 AM, Jonathan Sherwood > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Yet another "sorry I couldn't be there" note (at least I have only > > two > > > > > more > > > > > months of Tuesday night classes!) > > > > > That video was stunning. I've forwarded it to half a dozen > > biologists. > > > > > > -- > > > > > Jonathan Sherwood > > > > > Sr. Science & Technology Press Officer > > > > > University of Rochester > > > > > 585-273-4726 > > > > > > On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 8:37 AM, Eric Scoles <[email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > >> Yes, thanks from me, too -- I really wanted to be there, I'm sorry I > > had > > > > >> to leave. Maybe we can get a panel together sometime, and promote it > > > > more > > > > >> heavily. Nancy and Mark for a start. Any other gene-iacal > > suggesticons? > > > > >> Get > > > > >> some real speculative juju moving. Other than Alicia (would it be > > > > awkward > > > > >> being on a panel with your manager?), do we have any biologists? > > > > > >> On 2009-02-04, Pat Rapp <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > >>> Thank you for the summary, Nancy. I am so disappointed that I had > > to > > > > >>> miss > > > > >>> it! > > > > > >>> ----- Original Message ----- > > > > >>> From: [email protected] > > > > >>> To: [email protected] > > > > >>> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 6:58 AM > > > > >>> Subject: Re: DNA in action! > > > > > >>> Last night's R-Spec meeting was fascinating -- it was too bad that > > only > > > > >>> seven people could make it. Mark Zahn, Alicia's boss, spoke about > > > > >>> Biodefense. He slanted his talk toward practical knowledge for SF > > > > >>> writers > > > > >>> who want to include weaponized genemods in their stories, and he > > did a > > > > >>> wonderful job. > > > > > >>> He talked about which pathogens best lend themselves to > > modification > > > > >>> (Ebola, for instance, has a very small genome and produces only > > eight > > > > >>> proteins, which means there's just not room enough in the cell to > > fit a > > > > >>> lot > > > > >>> of extra, genetically engineered stuff.) Mark covered the assembly > > of > > > > >>> viruses using sequencing data and "off-the-shelf" sections of DNA. > > He > > > > >>> talked about the origins and spread of epidemics. I hadn't known > > that > > > > >>> the > > > > >>> natural host for influenza was an Asian species of duck, and that > > the > > > > >>> way > > > > >>> vaccine makers guess at which strains of flu will hit in a given > > winter > > > > >>> is > > > > >>> by examining ducks in late summer. > > > > > >>> The talk also covered what you need for a rogue genemod lab to > > > > weaponize > > > > >>> pathogens: off-the-rack equipment, experienced talent, and no more > > than > > > > >>> a > > > > >>> few million dollars. What the Russians may or may not have been > > doing > > > > >>> in > > > > >>> this regard was discussed, including a recommendation for Ken > > Alibek's > > > > >>> scary > > > > >>> book BIOHAZARD (which I have read -- it's horrifying). Mark > > finished > > > > >>> with > > > > >>> an overview of surveillance techniques used to spot and track > > epidemics > > > > >>> so > > > > >>> that appropriate measures can be taken, including quarantine if > > > > >>> necessary. > > > > > >>> Thank you, Alicia. It was terrific. > > > > > >>> _________________________- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
