9Sep/095

Date

by Mike

Image Text: Well, the kid's definitely getting the biology geek phenotype.

Punnett squares are simple diagrams used to determine the odds of a particular offspring genotype (genetic make up) given the genotypes of the parents.  The phenotype is the physical manifestation of the genes in the organism and doesn't always correlated directly to strict genotypes.  Some genetic characteristics (like color blindness and eye color) can be easily traced using Punnett squares because they are the result of one clearly dominant gene and one clearly recessive.  Other traits like height are a blend of multiple genes.

An interesting thing to note:

The male's parents were both colorblind but that is a recessive gene on the X chromosome.  For his mother to be colorblind she must have had two copies of the gene.  This man now carries the gene on his X chromosome so he will only pass it on to his daughter.  She will be a carrier but will have normal color vision so long as this woman is not colorblind.

Filed under: Biology, Genetics, Love 5 Comments
7Sep/099

Blockbuster Mining

by Mike

Image Text: The 2007 Bridge to Terebithia trailer put me off too much to see that particular movie, but I am cautiously optimistic about Where the Wild Things Are.

Michael Bay ruins everything.

Filed under: Movies, cynicism 9 Comments
12Aug/090

Haiku Proof

by Mike

Image meta text: "After somewhere around 40 hours, there's no academic reason to go to the class. Only go for the hallucinations."

The Greek mathematician Euclid proved there are an infinite number of primes (though not through haiku).  Basically, you start by assuming the opposite- that there are a finite number of primes.  Multiply all of them together and add 1.  Then you ask what are the factors of that new number.  It's not divisible by any of the primes because it would yield a remainder of 1... so either there is a prime number you forgot that wasn't in your original set or this new number is prime.  In either case, you just proved the set of primes can not be finite.

Also, there's no proof that after 48 hours of sleep deprivation math lectures get ANY more interesting.

Filed under: Math, Poetry No Comments

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