Snacks4theBrain!

This past Wednesday, May 13, I trotted on over from my work at University School of Nashville to watch a presentation from one of the 6 groups of 3 School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt sophomores. This was the culminating session from self-directed, teacher-guided, out-in-the-field research projects, and as you’ll hear when Isaiah details what was at stake as a result of the assessment of their presentations, they were all very much into making things clear and accessible.

I watched a fun 20 minute presentation from one group, and I was relieved to see that the students were being videotaped. Perhaps we can share some more of these projects in future Snacks! I asked Dr. Chris Vanags if I could interview a group, and he graciously sent Ashleigh, Cindy, and Isiah my way. We moved over into the snack room and chatted for about 10 minutes. These are ten minutes I want to share with you. I think you’ll agree that these 16 year-olds are well on their way to lifelong learning in science, and I would say from talking with them that their self-confidence and grasp of the important concepts is exceptional. It speaks to the quality of the program a the School, which brings 25 Metro Nashville Public School high school students at each grade level to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center for hands-on research and learning one day a week, the entire academic year. I want to reiterate what I’ve mentioned here before: the rest of their public schooling does not go away, get excused, or do itself. These kids work and work hard, and they will deserve the diploma notation they receive when they graduate from their respective high schools upon completion of their senior year.

Before we get started, let’s hear some summer themed music, this time beautifully produced indie alternative rock from a project called SUPERCREEP, the brainchild of New Jersey rocker Jody Delli Santi, fresh from the podcast music network at music.podshow.com. Go visit their MySpace site and buy some SUPERCREEP! After the interview, please allow me to introduce the Dutch band Zamarro, who’ve been together 13 years without a change in band members and how come this is the first time I’ve heard of them. Maybe it’s that they’re from Switzerland? I swear, if I didn’t podcast my music education would definitely suffer! They’ll rock us outta here with a pounding hello summertime rendition of their “Off We Go.” That one’s for my son Colin…

Whilst I’m at it, I bet you haven’t seen the April 24 Vanderbilt Health News item about the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt. No? Well here!

Hola,

Episode 82 of S4theB! shares some information whose source centers around the recurring celebrity of our Episode number 17 subject. At that time (OMG, December 5, 2005! Have we been at this that long?), Dr. William Schaffner was also in the news, driven there by media looking for answers to the then outbreak of bird flu. What? Don’t remember Bird Flu! Okay, that does it! We have to have a DO (that means, of course, “Do Over”). I’m re-sharing the interview from episode 17 for two reasons, 1)because chances are you didn’t get to that podcast back in December, 2005. And 2)because Dr. S. says some things in it that really truly apply to the situations right here, right now.

I’m also posting some links here, which can lead you to many of the recent online articles and video appearances that tap Dr. Schaffner’s expertise in the topic that so thoroughly saturates our airwaves, cables, and iPods these days: Swine Flu.

A quick survey of some article titles may help tickle your curiosity:

Links:
Regular flu shots this fall, maybe swine jab too
AP Release by Lauran Neergaard, May 2, 2009

Stay safe from swine flu with 3 simple steps
USA Today Health & Behavior section, April 30

Current flu outbreak has some similarity to deadly 1918 strain
Stamford Times article by Susanne Rust, May 4

VMC leadership urges calm in the swine flu storm
Vanderbilt Medical Center’s REPORTER

Flu-fighting masks may help, but don’t bet on it
msnbc.com online article April 30

In the process of sorting through the results for the above links, I had a brainstorm: Why not create a custom feed on my personalized Google News page for William Schaffner? I did that, and so can you, if you’re of a mind. You can see mine, complete with each of its 628 search returns (as of the moment of this recording) by clicking here.

Then I went all viddy wit’ it, switching my google search to Video mode. How many resulting links? 49. Here’s a screen grab from the search, and here’s a link to a nifty Veoh.com amalgam of video clips featuring Dr. Schaffner sharing his good doctorly advice.

Finally, I took to the large video services, finding lots of returns on searches for “swine flu Schaffner” in digital print at

And, really finally finally, I searched just for swine flu at msnbc.com, ending up with an interesting list that contained a fascinating brief video coverage of Dr. Carl Brumback, a 95 year-old retiree who “was in charge of Palm Beach County’s response” to the 1976 swine flu outbreak. Dr. Brumback also comments about the 1918 outbreak, which he has lived long enough to recall! This video is here for your viewing enjoyment!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

People in Business at tennessean.com noted on May 3 that William Schaffner received the James D. Bruce Award for Distinguished Contributions in Preventive Medicine from the American College of Physicians. Schaffner is chair of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s department of preventive medicine.

Music for this podcast is straight from the Podsafe Music Network and features “Pearls Before Swine” from Oregonian rockers Drunken Prayer and “Swine and Dogs” from the folkies Quebb (pronounced “Kwebb”) out of Southern California. Clever, eh? And lest we forget the contributions Dave Kiefer of Cagey House Music made to the ambient background track for S4theB! 17, here’s a link to his website!

Download episode number 82 of Snacks4theBrain! right here, or visit the downloads page to browse for it and see just what else you may have missed over the past four years!

Until next time!