REGIONAL GROUPS

by Suzanne Clancy

DC Science Writers Association

D.C.-area science writers beat the summer heat with a series of happy hours that wandered all over the cultural map. There were mojitos and rum punch on the rooftop at Wazuri (“beautiful people” in Swahili), followed by a wine tasting at IOTA Club. Next was a funkadelic happy hour at Visions Cinema Bistro Lounge, where a DJ spun tunes from old-school funk icons while the bartender screened classic 1970s blaxploitation films. August found the group swing-dancing at the gorgeous Art Deco-styled Clarendon Ballroom. Later, DCSWA went south of the border to Cactus Cantina for margaritas and authentic Tex-Mex.

In July, DCSWAns combined two great summer traditions, baseball and pyromania. This courtesy of the Bowie Baysox (the Class AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles), who triumphed over the Binghamton Mets, 7-6. A post-game fireworks display followed.

DCSWA also went behind the scenes at the National Museum of Natural History for a close-up look at the museum’s meteorite collection with associate curator Tim McCoy.

Visiting D.C. this fall? Check out DCSWA’s calendar of events at www.dcswa.org.

In September, members of the Georgia Area Science Writers Association (GASWA) toured the new Whitehead Biomedical Research Building at Emory University for a close-up view of the most advanced equipment and technology used in basic medical research. Emory geneticist Neil Lamb demonstrated genomics equipment including a robotically operated liquid handler that extracts DNA and dispenses solutions for DNA analysis, an electropheresis sequencer that rapidly separates genes for sequencing, and a robot-controlled freezer that stores samples according to a bar-code system. Cell biologist Beth Finch demonstrated a laser scanning confocal microscope that combines lasers and dyes to identify multiple signaling pathways in the brain. Pathologist Andrew Neish showed the group how he uses DNA microarray technology to study gene expression in intestinal diseases and cancer. Veterinarian Michael Huerkamp closed the tour in the extensive mouse facility that includes two automated cage-washing machines, appropriately named “Oscar” and “Felix” that efficiently handle the mammoth chores involved in cleaning hundreds of mouse cages.

New England Science Writer’s Association

In July, Pete Spotts of the Christian Science Monitor organized a daylong outing that included a morning hike and picnic lunch beside a picturesque waterfall in north-central Massachusetts, and an afternoon tour of the Harvard Forest Long-term Ecological Research Station. Carbon-cycle science headed the list of topics at Harvard Forest. See nasw.org/users/nesw/past.html for a photo of the victims clinging to the cliff’s edge. Casualties were light.

One evening during its annual meeting, the American Chemical Society enlivened the dog days of NESW members’ summer with a well-attended evening talk by food chemists about how wine is made, what aging does to wine, what happens when wine goes bad, and how different foods alter the taste of wine. Plenty of sampling illustrated the main points. “As I recall, eating an apple before a dry white wine made it taste bitter; and licking some salt before drinking a bitter wine made it taste sweeter,” said Dana-Farber’s Richard Saltus.

Science Writers in New York

In May, SWINY members were among those attending a special reception at the Finnish Consulate for 24 science writers visiting from that country. This event, organized by NASW President Paul Raeburn and SWINY Chairperson Mariette DiChristina, was a great opportunity for an informal chat with our international colleagues. In June, SWINY members enjoyed an evening walk in Central Park with Adrian Benepe, New York Parks and Recreation Commissioner, and Alexander Brash, chief of the Urban Park Service, ornithologist, and contributor to the guidebook Secret Places in Central Park. Members learned how the park’s managers select plantings, control invasive species, manage/protect wildlife, and cope with drought. Also in June, economist Jeffrey D. Sachs, an expert on globalization issues and new director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, explored how science can help address the twin problems of poverty and world hunger. Sachs also serves as Special Advisor on the Millennium Development Goals for the United Nations.

Northern California Science Writers Association

At the July 2002 NCSWA dinner, members heard Dr. Ronald M. Krauss, who holds joint appointments at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC-Berkeley, weigh in on the diet controversy. According to Krauss, it is not enough to simply measure the amounts of HDL (“good”) and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when talking about heart-disease risk. LDL has two major subclasses, large and small, and Krauss’ research has shown that only the small, dense forms of LDL increase heart-disease risk. According to Krauss, low-fat, high-carb diets will reduce high levels of small LDL in people with a genetic tendency to produce it, but people with a tendency to produce large LDL may actually be worse off on such a diet. No one diet will work for everyone, Krauss argued.

The dinner was held in the library of the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute. CHORI targets primarily pediatric diseases, but also researches cancer, cardiovascular disease, and aging. Krauss is affiliated with CHORI’s newest research initiative, the Center for Nutrition and Genomics, which is devoted to the study of how genes and nutrients interact to affect health.

San Diego Science Writers Association

San Diego Science Writers (SanDSWA) gathered in September for a barbecue at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. This was followed by a presentation on scientific visualization by Mike Bailey, who has been experimenting for over two decades with presenting scientific information in 3-D. He’s best known for the sculpture-like models he’s produced of everything from molecules to entire planets.

The same month, SanDSWA members showed their support for author Mitch Waldrop by attending a book signing of his latest effort, The Dream Machine.

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Suzanne Clancy is a science writer at The Burnham Institute in La Jolla, Calif. Send information about regional meetings and events to sclancy@burnham.org.

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