10,000,000 Year Floodplain

Let's just all be glad we're not Highlanders.

























It is interesting to note though, that the 500 year floodplain came only 15 years after the 100 year floodplain. The mathematician inside me knew that something was hairy.

There are a couple of different ways we can take this.

For one, we can assume a direct linear relationship between the given data. That is, beginning at year 1993 (year 0), and progressing to year 2008 (year 15), we are able to derive rather easily that the equation for the flood plain mark is:

Floodplain Year(x) (FPY) = (x*80/3) + 100
(Equation 1, where "x" is in years)

Try it for yourself: year 0 gives you FPY100, year 15 gives you FPY500.

However, we could take the route of an exponential relationship. In this manner, the equation would be:

FPY = 100*e^(0.1073*x)
(Equation 2, "x" is in years)

Given Equation 1, we are pretty safe. It would take roughly 375,000 years for the 10,000,000 year floodplain to hit. Whew, that was close!

If we apply Equation 2 (the exponential relationship) to the matter at hand, things are bit dicier.
Solving for "x" it can be found that in roughly 107.3 years, the 10,000,000 year floodplain will hit. OK, those of use that are not highlanders are still safe, albeit barely. Future generations? Let's just hope the whole scheme was a plot of the Wolf Family, and Dirk Pitt is around to save us all. Gee, Dirk, thanks!

Newton's Time Management

Through the web of technology and digital signals and satellites and computer screens that separates me from you, the reader, I can still manage a degree of psychic powers into exactly what you are thinking:

"Shouldn't you [Erik] be, like, writing a thesis right now, not a blog?"

The short answer is yes.

However, even in the few weeks in which I've been up and blogging have I simply transferred my flow of information from what would have been a wasted napkin into public viewing, more or less. I hold great admire for Bryson's description of Isaac Newton, saying that Newton would sometimes wake up in the morning, and be incapable of getting out of bed, rendered completely immobile by the influx of ideas.

Just think if Newton would have blogged.

To put things in perspective for you, I am currently positioned in a posture likely frightening to a chiropractor or a finishing school teacher. My chair is in the "let me lean back" mode, as I've managed to slide down without having completely become supine. The back of my head still touches the back of the chair. My left leg is on the desk from knee to foot, and my right foot is closer to my body, resting on top of the computer on the ground with my upper/outer ankle wedged into the corner of the desk. I don't doubt that my foot is long asleep. The keyboard is positioned on my right leg. The mouse, when needed, is up on the desk. Don't worry, I've got a pretty good reach.

If you still can't picture how I am oriented, imagine an empty chair in front of a basic computer set up. Now imagine plopping a six and a half foot bag of sand on top of said scenery. There you have it.

You're probably waiting for me to tell you that I'm rendering myself completely immobile, due to the enormous influx of ideas. What Newton didn't tell you was that when he had a really big deadline approaching, he probably wrote as much and much as possible so he could filter out all of the bad stuff from the good stuff. One of Newton's finest qualities was the ability to discern an astonishing breakthrough from absolute rubbish.

More Fun

For all of my ophthalmology folks out there...

Apple vs. Orange

Discussion on how humans make real time decisions between apples and oranges can be found here:


Apples vs Oranges

Indefinitely Suspended

Due to the large amount of flooding in Iowa City and every other city near a body of water in Iowa, the home of KRUI, the Iowa Memorial Union, will be shutting down its operations indefinitely. This morning, I was amazed by how many people were at the IMU helping out with moving and sand-bagging. I glanced over one of the sand walls that had been made, and the water was eerily close. I'm talking feet away. Reports have indicated that water levels are expected to rise yet another 3 to 5 feet. I'm no mathematician, but that pits Iowa River vs. measly sand bags. Granted that the sand wall is a triangular 4ish feet tall, with about the same width, and that the Iowa River is well over 100 feet wide, and apparently ticked off enough to not have subsided yet. It almost reminds me of Ghostbusters 2, when the slime begins to take over the city. Alright, alright, the slime was a viscous orange substance with undeniably ghoul powers, BUT, the same effect is happening. In a fictional era that is used to be infested with ghosts getting hit by slime sucks, but at least they new something like that was coming, with all of the ghost foreboding. Now, in Iowa, we are faced with The Massive Flood, Part 2. Iowa is no stranger to natural disasters, so something like a flood isn't exactly out of the norm. How can we really be surprised? What is sad is how we apparently didn't learn from The Massive Flood, Part 1 (Man! If only they'd tell us there would be a sequel!). We could have shelled out 3 million dollars for a study on flood dynamics that may have actually told us something about what might happen next time. Now, we're just sitting ducks as we set up garlic and crosses to fight off our own slime. I don't know how the ghostbusters figured out that they could simply climb into the statue of liberty, fill it with slime, cue the music and BAM!, Lady Liberty comes to life and fights evil or something. Maybe with 3 million big ones we could hire a couple of high tech Hydroscientists (Hmm... if only we knew a few) to reroute the water to some place where their people can actually say they didn't see this coming. How about Illinois? There. Not our problem.

The Show

Today, we were graced by the presence of Mike Magnetta, and as with any conversation with him, we talked about science and only science. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to cover everything that I wanted to today. We didn't even get to talk about the platypus. One of these days I'll have a concrete time schedule, and maybe even know what songs are going to be played, though I was rather impressed with a random shot at spinning Sci-Fi Kid. Until that day comes, we'll go wherever the science takes us.

Much thanks to all of the volunteers who are helping prevent flood damage in Iowa City.

Thanks again to Mike to for joining the show today. Don't forget to visit his myougle, and check out his application on facebook.

Alas, your Top 10 signs you should a doctor:

10 You came in contact with any form of matter at the Summit.
9 After accidentally ingesting Flomax, you experience nausea and fever. Wait, those are normal side effects.
8 That red growth on your shin is starting to take over the red growth on your knee.
7 Your chiropractor finally admitted to not having scant bit of real medical knowledge.
6 You are breathing very heavily, and it’s not just from sitting inside of the Deadwood.
5 You legitimately think tofu tastes good.
4 Your convulsive seizures are remarkably similar to those seen by the patient in last night’s episode of House, you also remember that that patient died within 24 hours.
3 You realized your water main has been collecting from the Iowa River for the past 5 years.
2 The voices went away but were replaced by Lambchop’s “Song that never ends.”
1 You actually get enjoyment out of a Science talk radio show.


A podcast of today's show will be available within the next few days, so stay tuned.

What is to come

This upcoming Wednesday, June 11th, we will be joined in the studio by none other than UI graduate student in biomedical engineering, Mr. Michael Magnetta. My invitation to UI assistant professor of biomedical engineering and ophthalmology & visual sciences Todd Scheetz has been given the big "maybe." Todd is the sensei of all things computationally genetic. I've offered to share the profits of my show with him if he makes an appearance, which hard to turn down, no matter how big (or small) that amount may be. Big Mike will be sharing his research experience in spine mechanics, drug delivery, and how certain drugs, if delivered properly, can cause pain relief of the spine. Strap in your boots for a short science fiction story, a gagging Top 10, and some dialogue re: the latest groundbreaking unveiling of the platypus genome.

What You Missed

Thanks again to Professor Steve Kuusisto and Dr. Tyson Kinnick for their wonderful insight on the show!

Steve's websites can be viewed at www.stephenkuusisto.com or www.planet-of-the-blind.com

Tyson and his team's research can be viewed at www.project3000.org or www.carverlab.org

And, of course, the Top 10 Reasons why Science is the best subject in elementary school.
10) Vinegar and baking soda volcanoes are way cooler than book trades.
9) Astronauts? Yeah, they're pretty much scientists.
8) History is so last year.
7) Conservative religion promotes abstinence in sex education, but the Origin of Species promotes doing it.
6) Dexter's Laboratory trumps Doug any day.
5) Chicks dig binary.
4) Learning how to make a protective casing around an egg so you can drop it 2 stories without it braking teaches valuable life lessons, like the all the times as an adult when you need to drop an egg 2 stories without it braking.
3) That dorky kid who read physics books in the 4th grade is now deciding whether or not your son passes his lecture.
2) Math can tell you your odds if getting that cute girl across the classroom, but you're not getting anywhere without the chemistry.
1) Two Words: Bill Nye.


Make sure to tune in next week to KRUI 89.7FM, Wednesday at Noon!

Radio Debut

We've got quite the exciting show for the inaugural Only Science, airing Wednesday on KRUI 89.7FM at Noon. Some have said I'm setting the bar a little too high, and that the show can only go downhill from here. They're probably right. Dr. Tyson Kinnick, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration, and Professor Steve Kuusisto, professor of English and Ophthalmology, will be joining the show to talk about research at the U, how it is actually translating to helping people, and why interdisciplinary efforts are necessary to for fighting diseases such as, oh, maybe blindness. Tune in to catch the Top 10 reasons why Science is the best subject in elementary school, and listen to Tyson and Steve take quizzes on English and Science, respectively.