http://catalyst.rice.edu Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:14:30 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Summer and winter breaks signal a migratory response in some students to leave their pencils and books behind for warmer climates. Rather than coast to the beaches and resorts, students from the Rice chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) leave the hedges several times a year on humanitarian projects. Formed in ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/19 Consider the relationship between the bee and the rose. One may wonder about the nature of this relationship and the manner in which it developed. Although conventional knowledge holds that the bee adapted to the pollination patterns of the rose, some consider the reciprocal situation equally possible; that the rose ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/17 Looking back on the years I have lived in the central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, one of my lasting memories takes place in the small, crowded kitchen of our home. Upon our first arrival to the country, my parents and I were strictly warned by other Korean expatriates that ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/10 Most innovative scientific ideas initially face vehement opposition, followed by a gradual process of testing and evolving into a universally accepted dogma. Religion and politics — and their delineation of ethics and morality — have historically played a large role in the scientific process, and ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/12 In a list of the most important materials in nanotechnology today, carbon nanotubes are ranked near the top.1 Consisting solely of carbon atoms linked in a hexagonal pattern, these cylindrical molecules are far longer than they are wide, similar to rods or ropes. The prefix nano- means one billionth, which ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/13 Contrary to popular belief, the number of neurons in the human body is not fixed at birth. Through a process called neurogenesis, stem cells continue to differentiate into neurons throughout adulthood at specific regions of the brain — namely the olfactory bulb and hippocampus. The olfactory bulb is responsible for ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/15 Abstract Only recently has the U.S. public become aware of the dangers of antibiotic resistance. Overuse of antibiotics is chiefly responsible for the proliferation of super-resistant strains. An intimate understanding of resistance mechanisms will prove crucial for continued success against pathogenic bacteria. Traditionally, antibiotics have targeted processes such ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/21 Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) is a computer simulation technique that studies particle models by stimulating the time evolution of a system of interacting particles. MD is commonly employed in materials science, nanotechnology and biochemistry to study various processes at the atomic scale. The techniques of MD have also been adapted for ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/23 Abstract One of the most significant developments in the field of Raman spectroscopy was the discovery of Surface-Enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Raman signals from the early days of SERS were known to be enhanced by a factor up to a million-fold, and more recently by extraordinary factors of up to 1012-14. ... http://catalyst.rice.edu/archives/25