The Alex Foundation

The Economist's obituary page is generally dedicated to influential leaders and academics. It recounts the accomplishments of authors, politicians, civil rights activists, royalty, journalists and names what we otherwise should know. Amazingly, the individual mourned on its pages in September 2007 is not one you would like call a person (1). Alex the African Grey was one of the best know animals in the world for over a decade as his accomplishments shattered our understanding of the limits to cognition in other species. The Alex Foundation is the organization which helps support the research of Dr. Irene Pepperberg (2).


Dr. Pepperberg began her research to probe the degree of difference between human and animal cognition. She had the underlying suspicion that animal thought was far more complex the contemporaries believed. With formal training as chemist, she recognized that only with rigorous application of the scientific method could she discover what animals were really capable of. While much of the early work in animal communication was done in our closest relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, Dr. Pepperberg had a new idea. Why not work with an animal that can speak?

Anecdotal evidence for the vocal prowess and intellect of parrots abounds amongst zoo keepers and pet owners. Many of us have see parrots perform in shows where the sing and identify objects correctly by name, but do they have any comprehension of what they say? Decades of work supported in part by The Alex Foundation says yes, yes they do.  While this might still seem amazing to some, Alex quickly learned to label objects such as toys and foods. When asked what an object is he, and the other grey parrots worked with, consistently give the correct name. Further than just memorizing a list of nouns, Alex was able to  recognize the concepts of color, shape and even number and apply them to novel situations. This is best captured by viewing him in action as in the short video below:




What this research represents is clear evidence that the brightest of animals overlap with humans on the intelligence scale. Because parrots are so evolutionarily distinct from humans this suggests that intelligence can be generated in many ways. This communication puts parrots on chimpanzees in the domain of animal intelligence, but with brains hundreds of times smaller and morphologically very different. This tells us that intelligence isn't just an evolutionary fluke in apes but a survival strategy stumbled upon by many animal lines. By comparing how our own minds work with those of parrots, we can begin to deconstruct what learning and cognition are at their core. This work also helps elucidate the essentials of language and the root forms needed to communicate. 

I find the ideas presented by the research performed under and by Dr. Pepperburg to be simply amazing. For all the insights it provides however, funding from conventional foundations and government grants has often been a challenge (3). The Alex Foundation has been a primary source of funding for these research projects as well as out-reach to help improve the lives of parrots around the world. As she continues to contribute to scientific literature on the development of communication and the cognitive ability of grey parrots Dr. Pepperburg elucidates the nature of thought and how rich and wondrous our companions on this planet can be.


1. The Economist: Alex the African Grey Obituary:  http://www.economist.com/node/9828615
2. Dr. Irene Pepperberg, Brandeis University Faculty page: http://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=2d3923e829d95e3849ac8001f5c5fa254b5cf400
3. Alex and Me, Dr. Irene Pepperberg, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0061672477

Save The Children Fund

I am usually skeptical of things being advocated to me on the street. There is no time to verify what they are saying nor am I usually at my sharpest when caught off guard. So whenI was asked to donate to a charity I hadn't heard of by someone on the street corner, I told her I would look it up and then consider donating.  I'm pleased to report that it would have been a fine idea for me to give on the spot. The group seeking funds was The Save the Children Fund, a significant contributor to humanitarian efforts focused on children's welfare globally. 3

Save the Children got its start in 1919 when founders Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton sought to relieve the starving children of the nations involved in World War I. In the early 1920s they dedicated much work to feeding and providing education for children affected by the Russian famine as a major contributor to the Russian Famine Relief Fund. This eared their recognition by the League of Nations and linked them with other international charities. Ultimately, Eglantyne would outline the five major points which were incorporated into the Geneva Declaration by League of Nations. These points became the basis for the UN's  Declaration of the Rights of the Child They have retained a focus on benefiting the children and youths of regions in distress.1 


The Charity Commission for England and Wales  lists the organizations scope of activities to cover alleviation and prevention of poverty including health care, education, training as well as famine relief. These activities are undertaken in a number of ways. While Save the Children does offer and commission research and program grants, it performs a great deal of services itself. 2 


Once recent example is the Numeracy Boost program to further mathematical literacy. This program is currently active in Bangladesh and Malawi and is targeted at giving children basic math skills needed for daily life and provide the required background for further education. Children in some communities were found to have difficulty with even basic arithmetic such as subtraction and division.These concepts are used constantly in trade, transportation and cooking yet generations went without clear comprehension of them or how they can be applied to their regular activities. While currently initially designing and running these programs, Save the Children intends for local education boards to adopt and take over allowing them to move to more communities. 4 This could also help communities incorporate math education into their regional culture, taking ownership of the projects and making the program even more targeted at their childrens regular encounters. 


Another major focus of the organization is more direct studies on the health issues affecting children. A painful report form the Save the Children Fund brought forward an often neglected factor in juvenile suffering. Save the Children recently reported on the health effects and predominance of teenage pregnancy. This report found that a shocking 1 in 5 girls have at least one child before the age of 18, may of them having multiple children in under two years. Both early age birth and and repeat pregnancies have serious complications. Girls bodies are not sufficiently developed to carry children there is an increase in most birth related complications as well as fatality. There is a 60% increase in infant deaths when the mother is 18 or younger 5. It also found that there were many misconceptions about birth control in nations with the highest rates of teen pregnancy. This often coincided with early life marriage, more than 10 million girls were married before the age of 18. The report is formatted to highlight the problems and offers suggestions on where governments and NGOs can overcome these issues.

The activities and reports of this organization are too numerous to summarize here. I have highlighted two recent programs which show both the educational development side and direct health work of Save the Children. From what I can tell, and the United Nations seems to agree, Save the Children is another of the great organizations helping to improve the lives of the generations that will shape the future.






1. Wikipedia Page


2. Charity Commission UK 

3. Charity Navigator 

4. Voice of America: Numeracy Boost

5. Every Woman's Right: How family planning saves childrens lives

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commision

June is international gay pride month. There have been parades, meetings and other events all over the world I thought it was time to do my part and help support gay and lesbian rights as we celebrate diversity.
Around the world, many nations still have homosexuality as a crime punishable by imprisonment and even death. In the United States the population is strongly divided on the status same sex marriages should have. Starting in the late 1960s and 1970s gay rights have been a major issue in human rights discussions.


One of the leaders in supporting increased security and rights for sexual minorities around the world is the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). From the organizations founding in 1990 by Julie Dorf the it has reached out from its initial work in the United States and started to take action across the world. Notably they offer support in developing nations of the middle east and Africa. Their early victories include lobbying for the repeal of anti-sodomy laws in Soviet Russia in the early 1990s and establishing the first cases where asylum was granted to individuals being persecuted in their home countries on grounds of sexual orientation. The IGLHRC has participated in United Nations events for nearly two decades. In 1994 they brought lesbian issues to the worlds attention at the 4th World Conference in Women. This movement help found the Pink Triangle Coalition, active mostly in the early 2000s and focused on brining forward the specific persecution of lesbians in NAZI Germany. They have continued to gain support and influence international policies to fight civil and humanitarian injustices.

Their regularly published reports are both publicly available and submitted to national and international organizations to publicise the states of gay rights globally.In 2011 the IGLHR collected information by interviews with locals and cooperation with local organizations such as Pink Life of Turkey and Filipino Freethinkers. This information was reported directly to the UN and will be used in the Human Rights Committee's list of issues for 2012. This is hardly then end of their activities as comparable work has been done in Africa, South America, Asia, Pacifica and continue to provide assistance to individuals in North America and Europe who are in crisis.  Their commitment to work in nations where homosexuals are most at risk is particularly interesting. They work on emergency responses to arrests and murders in nations where same sex intercourse or relationships are illegal. This includes Iran, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has previously stated that there are no homosexuals to avoid discussing his policies in more detail (AFP). 


In additional to performing investigations and reporting to political organizations. They help organize public events for out reach and community building. By bringing gay and lesbian issues to the public awareness, they promote further discussion of events and issues many of us are unaware of. The IGLHRC has been a major force for good in working for equal rights for all. 

94 Elements

The world made of of the 94 naturally occurring elements. Each of these are uniquely entangled with humanity. From the hydrogen that lead to the rise and explosion of the Hindenberg blimp to plutonium used in nuclear bombs. While chemistry and physics classes explore the properties of the elements themselves, the 94 elements film project seeks to explore the interface of these irreducible* particles of the world and the people who inhabit it.

Project director and film maker Mark Paterson told Alok Jha of The Guardian's 'Science Weekly' podcast that his interest in the elements was sparked by the discovery that our finite resources are expiring for many of these elements. While we have not lack of oxygen and silicon, despite their necessity, while the indium we use in TVs and other everyday digital devices could run out in ten years at current usage rates. These facts don't regularly make it into public consciousness. We seldom think where the materials for making our machines and buildings come from but their generation and gathering can often have a huge human impact.

94 Elements isn't just the film project of a single group, though it started much that way. The project seeks to fund independent film projects from publicly open submissions. Thus the project provides two benefits; informing the world of issues surrounding elements and providing funding to independent films. The first film was produced in October 2011 and only a few elements have been covered this far.

What are some of the issues? Already in the first films the lives of people affected by increasing consumption of minerals. Covering Copper, Copper: Acid and Dust, show a snapshot of the lives of young men gathering copper dust from discarded circuit boards to cell to factories. This requires used of dangerous acids which can injury the people using it and destroy the soil. Seeing this as a mode of life, people working with the waste of technology without having experienced the devices benefits was eye-opening.

I would love to see this work continue. They currently have a funding site on indiegogo.com ( a crowd sourcing service site). If this peaks your interest as it has mine, consider following the project to updates on productions and releases. Contributors get say in which films get made and additional news on the project.

Best as always!

*So elements can be further broken down into particles but these particles are like ingredients that mix in different portions to make each element.

Feel free to recommend other projects and groups in the my comments or by e-mail!

References and links:
Guardian Interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2012/may/01/94-elements-human-life-chemistry?INTCMP=SRCH
Guardian Podcast: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/audio/2012/jun/04/science-weekly-podcast-unconscious-mind?INTCMP=SRCH
Website: http://www.94elements.com/
Donate: http://www.indiegogo.com/94elements

BioBus!

Hop on the BioBus!

Have you ever used a scanning electron microscope? Taken pictures of your own cells at such high magnification that you can see their compartments? Met someone who used those tools as a professional scientists? Most of us can’t say ‘yes’ to any of these questions. Thanks to the work of the BioBus thousands of kids or New York City and across the country can say they’ve done it all.

The BioBus is a public outreach project focused on giving children first hand experience using high-tech microscopy to see how real cell biology work is done. It has been enthusiastically embraced by the schools it visits, enjoyed collaboration with leaders in academic research and gained the support of the biotech industry. The center piece of the BioBus project is in-fact a bus. It has been adapted to contain a top of the line microscopes but is still mobile and brings high tech labs to low-income schools. This gives many students a chance they might not otherwise have to interact with real scientists and understand how biological research is done. This innovative educational tool started as the dream of a single young man who wanted to bring the joy and excitement of scientific discovery he found as a PhD student to all people. Dr. Ben Dubin-Thaler is still the Chief Scientist of the BioBus and was kind enough to take the time to speak with me about his work.

His enthusiasm was immediately evident as the first several minutes of our conversation were about my own work. We had plenty to talk about as I am currently working on a PhD in cell biology and use microscopy almost everyday. Far from having taken at step back from the scientific community he was curious about the technical detail of my imaging tools and the ideas I explore. This intrinsic ease of conversation and infections passion have no doubt aided him in and garnering the wide rang of support and success the BioBus enjoys.

WP: You have a strong background in research, bud did you have any previous work to prepare you for the non-scientific aspects of running the BioBus?

Ben: I had a very fruitful Ph.D., co-authoring 9 peer-reviewed journal articles. I’ve always loved teaching and won awards for undergraduate instruction and volunteered at neighborhood after-school programs (while a graduate student), where I experienced the joys and challenges of working with low-income communities in Harlem.”

WP: When did you first start thinking about running a public education program?

Ben: “Having been born into a family of physicists and biologists, I’ve grown up being confronted by the mystery and beauty of the natural world and was always encouraged to play and experiment. While in graduate school , I noticed that when other people had the chance to play and experiment, they became excited and happy about science. This contrasts what often happens while sitting through lectures or reading textbooks. The BioBus is my way of bringing the fun and excitement of scientific experimentation and play to all people.”

The progress on this goal has been tremendous. From the bus’s christening in March 2008 in Brooklyn the bus has visited over 300 schools and had more than 50,000 people view or perform experiments. During the school year they visit a school almost every day. Most of these schools are in low-income areas of New York but the bus has gone on cross-country tours and visited other cities in the north-east. They have programs for all grades kindergarten through 12^th .

Teachers at these schools report that the BioBus visits always cause quite a stir, with kids talking about the visits for weeks afterwards. Ben has seen this himself when they return to schools and students can tell him what they learned and did over a year ago. There has been a focus on the low-income areas because kids there generally have less exposure to professional scientists. More often than not, the people running the BioBus are the first actual biologists, or researchers of any sort, students have met. Getting this exposure can trigger the realization that science isn’t the domain inconceivable geniuses, but that “science can be done by everyone” and it’s actually “not to difficult”.  This idea and interest in science really does take hold. Surveying students before and after they participate shows twice as many students think science is something they would want to do as a career. For students in high school they know this can directly translate to education choices. Ben recalls being contacted by one student who enrolled as cell biology major at university and cited the BioBus as her inspiration to do so!

It isn’t just kids whose lives are touched by their work. In addition to their school visits, the bus appears at multiple public events each month where they are open to the public. Adults often enter the bus expecting some cute ‘kids only’ type simple displays; they then realize what fantastic devices are being made publically available.  Parents then begin playing with the microscopes and asking questions as they realize that biology is really something they should be paying to too.

Microscopy experiments have many unique attributes that make them particularly fascinating to new scientists. They are often very easy to use and the time-scale of experiments are conducive to quick projects. Where much of biochemistry requires hours of letting chemicals mix, light microscopes can give results as quickly as you can load slides. The scale of view can take people from their usual perspective on objects down to 100 times magnification allowing for a continuous shift to seeing finer and finer details never before appreciated. So why aren’t there microscopes in every school? They can be extremely expensive. The microscope I use in my research cost nearly half a million dollars and less sophisticated scopes still costing tens of thousands of dollars. For this reason I was very curious how a small non-profit organization could afford to load such things on a bus and haul it around New York.

WP: How did you go about getting your initial funding?

Ben: “In the beginning funding was very small! I built the BioBus for under $50,000. This money came primarily from donations from friends, family, and colleagues who believed in me and what I was doing. I kept costs very low by repurposing and reusing much of he material for building the bus, as well as the bus itself. Which is a 1974 city bus! We also had early support from Olympus {a microscope engineering and manufacturing group}, who donated $20,000 worth of microscopes in the first year.”

From these simple beginning Ben has obtained a great deal of collaboration and support from academics, the biotech industry and the general public. Much of this support comes from biologists he met while attending high profile research conferences such as the annual American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). Within New York, collaborators at New York University (NYU) in the materials research center provided the project with office space. Other universities which donate materials, lesson plans and volunteers include the Rockefeller University and Columbia University. Among his supporters is Nobel Prize winning biologist ** who pioneered the use of the green-fluorescent protein (GFP) and thus revolutionized modern live-cell microscopy. She works with the small transparent work C. elegans to observe the location and function of specific proteins in living animals.

Makers of microscopes and developers of have also caught onto just how important this work is. Hundreds of thousands of dollars with of microscopes have now been donated to the BioBus, the best of which are more powerful than those Ben used for his own graduate degree! These include a stereo-zoom  microscope which allows for continuous increase from 10 to 80 times actual size from Zeiss and a scanning electron microscope from TopCom* which allows for imaging of the surfaces common objects to near unrecognizable detail. These individuals, schools and companies recognize how vital it is for the next generations to have an appreciation for science and see that amazing discoveries are well within their capabilities.

So what is next for the BioBus? would like to get further integrated into the experience of low-income schools education plan to keep giving students the inspirational opportunity to. New projects include a remote controlled robotic microscope from Nikkon. This allows for kids from to do experiments over the internet from where ever they are. As a Nonprofit largely volunteer run organization, they are constantly working just to obtain ample funding to keep their current projects funded. Many of the students attend schools that can’t afford the supplies needed for a visit. If you are interested in their work, try volunteering on the BioBus or donating to theorganization. If you happen to be a researcher yourself, ask if you can volunteer time or donate materials. You can also look to see if any other members of the Mobile Lab Coalition are in your area to support similar work in your community. 

I’ll end this entry the way I ended the interview, with a feel good question about his favorite moments and reflections inspired by his work.

Ben: “We spent five weeks at Lefferts Garden Charter School in Brooklyn this spring. At the end of the class, 25 elementary school students spontaneously gave Latasha and me and giant group hug! Those kids learned how to use a $75,000 electron microscope and we’ve heard from their teachers and their principal how amazing the experience has been. It’s great to be able to have this kind of impact on students who otherwise might never use a microscope or never meet a professional scientists. These are the kids who are going to make the discoveries and create the cities of the future that are greener, healthier, more just; and they are going to do it by harnessing the power of science and scientific thinking.”

Heifer International

An old proverb tells us that "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime". The basic sentiment rings true to so many ears. Material hand-outs will temporarily satisfy peoples' needs, but doesn't help them overcome the conditions that brought them to require assistance. Have you ever stopped to think about how much harder it is to train a fisherman than give away fish? When and where to cast in, how to use the rod or net, what to use as bait, how to bring in the caught fish and how to maintain the equipment are all part of teaching someone to fish. Heifer International is one of the organizations dedicated to providing both the skills and materials to feed people for a lifetime.

Heifer International made its first donation of live stock to a community in need in Puerto Rico in 1944 as Heifers for Relief after five years of effort by the organization's founder Dan West. Since then the organization has grown to provided livestock and education to over 50 countries. Communities served range from poor communities in the United States to developing agriculture in war torn areas of Uganda and many many more. These projects all center on building groups abilities to support themselves by providing animals and the training needed to care for them. An important part of their work is not just informing the recipients on how to care for the animals provided, but ensuring that whole of the community grows around the gifts.

Recipients are required to share offspring of the animals they are given and train those they give to care for them as well. In addition entering into these contracts of continued giving, communities are trained in other related areas of resource management including sustainable irrigation, fertilization and reforestation. They educate individuals on farming methods which minimize impact on the environment while making animals easiest to keep track of. Often the animals are entrusted to women as a way of elevating their status within their family and community. It has been shown time and time again that an increase in women's rights can lead to a decrease in violence and more rapid social development. The animals and materials donated are carefully selected to best match the environment and traditions of the participants.

Heifer International offers many ways to give! The first is simply giving directly to the organization for them to apply to the greatest current need. You are also given the option of choosing a project to fund or donate the amount needed to give a particular kind of animal. They also allow individuals an option to create a gift registry to request friends and family make donations rather than give gifts for holidays and celebrations.

The Heifer Foundation with its wide scope, from Eastern Europe to South America and seeds to water buffalo, and emphasis on encouraging stable development rather than temporary satiate needs is truly worthy of our attention and donation.

Bethlehem Haven, Women's shelter in Pittsburgh, PA

For my first donation I am giving to a group in my neighborhood that supports a cause near to my heart, particularly so soon after Mothers' Day. Women have the unusual position of being a historically oppressed group, despite not being a minority in the population. While great leaps and bounds have been taken in the recent decades to ensure equal rights for women and several markers of success are on the rise, violence towards and exploitation of women still persist in society.  It is an odd fact of humanity that men are more violent than women. Most violent crimes are committed by men age 18-35 and these can often leave women in difficult situations as their fathers, boyfriends, husbands and others take regrettable actions. Not to say that women can't get them selves into difficult times on their own but these cultural trends can make it particularly hard for women to overcome hardships. Safe havens from hostile environments can give women a chance to recuperate and reorganize their lives so they can go forward and lead the lives of their choosing.

One such place in my home city of Pittsburgh is the Bethlehem Haven. This organization provides housing for homeless women ranging from short term emergency housing durring a crisis to helping organize long term residences for women with chronic mental or other health problems. They provide programs for substance abuse and trauma counseling. A vital aspect of their work is assistance in finding work so women can gain independence. Because many of their guests has been homeless or convicted of crimes in the past, much of this training focuses on re-entering the work force or what to expect from their first professional environment. They also provide basic medical care to women (and men!) in need. They have been active in Pittsburgh for over 30 years and in their current location since 2000.

Places like Bethlehem Haven save lives and open doors but tend to be soo small as to not get much publicity. I choose this particular organization as it is a part of my community, a quick Google search should lead you to a comparable organization in your city such as The Spring of Tampa Bay in Tampa, FL or The Gathering Place in Denver, CO. Most of these organizations will be just as, if not more pleased with a donation of volunteer time as money so there are many ways to be generous. If we all give just a little more than we currently are, it will add up to a big change!

Here's to women! Here's to Pittsburgh! Here's a donation to a fine organization!