Category Archives: University of Texas

March 3, 2013 · 8:20 pm

Vine and Twitter in Action at UT Austin

Using Vine and Twitter at UT Austin during Explore UT

Using Vine and Twitter at UT Austin during Explore UT

I didn’t think I’d get a chance to attend Explore UT this year, but I was able to visit UT Austin yesterday to listen to a few talks, enjoy a few exhibits, and be part of the event that they call the “biggest open house in Texas!”

I wanted to try out the new Vine iPhone app for creating short six-second videos for posting on my Twitter account, @InvasiveHunter.

Here’s how I used Vine to make short, looping videos with my tweets:

  1. Opened the Vine app on my iPhone.
  2. Aimed my iPhone camera at what I wanted to film.
  3. Held my finger on the touchscreen to create the video.
  4. When done, created a tweet with the video.
  5. Uploaded the video to both Vine and Twitter. (There’s also an option to upload it to Facebook.)

Tips on using Vine

  • Unless someone is filming talking about something, try to film different video segments on the same topic instead of just one continuous video. The different shots are more interesting and will keep people entertained.
  • Make sure to remember to take your finger off your phone when you’re done shooting the video, both off the touchscreen and definitely off your camera lens. (Not that it happened to me. 🙂 )
  • Remember that you can’t edit your video. Make sure that you get what you want when you film. If not, you can always start over.
  • One downside is that if you get a really great shot and a not so good one, and you need to start over, you lose your entire video, but that’s a minor thing.

This app is definitely very easy to use. With all the complicated mobile apps these days, it’s wonderful to have something so simple to use with Twitter.

I liked adding video to my tweets. You can use videos to convey more information than just a tweet or picture. It’s fun to create videos and watch videos from others too!

Here are a few of my tweets and Vine videos from yesterday:

Using Vine and Twitter at the UT Austin Jackson School of Geosciences

Using Vine and Twitter at the UT Austin Jackson School of Geosciences

Using Vine and Twitter at the UT Austin Texas Memorial Museum

Using Vine and Twitter at the UT Austin Texas Memorial Museum

Thanks @UTAustin for replying to one of my tweets during the Explore UT event:

UTAustin replies to InvasiveHunter tweet during Explore UT

UTAustin replies to InvasiveHunter Tweet during Explore UT

Videos from last year’s Explore UT event

Here are the blog posts and YouTube videos that I created from the 2012 Explore UT event:

Special Edition: Hot Science – Cool Talk this week

Don’t miss another fun event at UT Austin on Wednesday, March 6, at the next Hot Science – Cool Talks with Astrophysicist Dr. Jason Kalirai: Telescopes as Time Machines: The Legacy of Hubble & the Future through the James Webb Space Telescope.

It’s a special edition of the fun and educational presentations from the UT Austin Environmental Science Institute. Hope to see you there!

Tweet me your Vine videos

I also hope you have fun using Vine on your iPhone or iPod touch. Tweet me with your Vine videos @InvasiveHunter!

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under Brackenridge Field Lab, Environmental Science Institute, Explore UT, Hot Science - Cool Talks, Hubble Space Telescope, Insecta Fiesta, iPhone, iPhone, Jackson School of Geosciences, James Webb Space Telescope, Jason Kalirai, Texas Memorial Museum, Tweet, Twitter, University of Texas, UT Austin, Vine

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January 7, 2013 · 10:58 pm

Learn more about the future of hurricanes on the Texas Gulf Coast

You may know about how hurricanes are formed, but do you know why they can be more destructive when they come ashore in the shallow waters of the Texas Gulf Coast? The 1900 Galveston hurricane is an example of what can happen.  It was the worst natural disaster in the United States.

I recently had a chance to talk with Dr. Kerry A. Emanuel between sessions of the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas. In the video above, you will learn more about hurricanes with Dr. Emanuel, as he talks about the role of El Nino and La Nina on hurricanes, hurricane preparedness, and the effect of “superstorms” or more appropriately termed – hybrid storms – like hurricane Sandy.

Dr. Emanuel is one of the world’s leading authorities on hurricanes. He is a professor in the Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Don’t miss Dr. Emanuel’s talk, “Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: The History and Future of the Texas Coast“, tomorrow. (You can also watch a replay of it too.) His presentation is part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series, presented by the UT Austin Environmental Science Institute.

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under 1900 Galveston hurricane, American Meteorological Society, Dr. Kerry Emanuel, El Nino, Environmental Science Institute, Gulf coast, Gulf of Mexico, Hot Science - Cool Talks, Hurricane, Hurricane preparedness, Hybrid storm, La Nina, Superstorm, Texas, University of Texas, UT Austin

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January 5, 2013 · 10:31 am

Top five most common cancers

Dr. Mark Clanton talks about the five most common cancers. Lung cancer is at the top of the list for both men and women, but did you also know that although pancreatic cancer is number four, it is difficult to detect early?

Dr. Clanton also talks about how cancers represent cells that don’t die when they’re supposed to and don’t stay in the body where they’re supposed to. He describes how prostate cancer metathesizes and moves around to other parts of the body to look like other cell types.

Here’s a list of the top five most common cancers in the United States from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health:

  1. Lung cancer
  2. Colon and Rectal cancer
  3. Breast cancer
  4. Pancreatic cancer
  5. Prostate cancer

Interview series with Dr. Clanton

This is the fourth part in my interview series with Dr. Clanton, who is the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society and who was the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Watch other videos in this series:

Dr. Clanton’s talk, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“, was part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series.

Next Hot Science – Cool Talks presentation is next week!

What will future hurricanes be like for Texas? Don’t miss the next Hot Science – Cool Talks presentation, “Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: The History and Future of the Texas Coast” with Dr. Kerry A. Emanuel on Tuesday, January 8, 2013.

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Breast cancer, Cancer, Colon cancer, Dr. Mark Clanton, Environmental Science Institute, Hot Science - Cool Talks, Lung cancer, Metathesize, Pancreatic cancer, Prostate cancer, University of Texas, UT Austin, War on Cancer

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January 1, 2013 · 7:57 pm

Talking about epigenetics with Dr. Mark Clanton

Ever since I saw a NOVA program about epigenetics, I’ve been interested about how our environment can change our DNA.

In my latest video with Dr. Mark Clanton, we learn more about epigenetics and how scientists are trying to understand how our genes can change or be damaged based on the exposures that we have during life, such as what we eat, radiation, smoking, etc.

Dr. Clanton also talks about CH3 methyl groups that you can pick up when eating certain types of food and their affect on DNA methylation and our epigenome.

Interview series with Dr. Clanton

This is the third part in my interview series with Dr. Clanton, who is the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society and who was the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Watch other videos in this interview series:

Dr. Clanton’s talk, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“, was part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series.

Spring 2013 Hot Science – Cool Talks

Happy new year!

There are some great Hot Science – Cool Talks presentations coming up this spring from the UT Austin Environmental Science Institute:

(1) Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: The History and Future of the Texas Coast

Tuesday, January 8, 2013, 7:00 p.m. CT

The Gulf of Mexico has seen some of the most destructive hurricanes on record.  What can residents in the Gulf region expect future storms to be like? Dr. Kerry A. Emanuel will share his groundbreaking research on how climate change can affect hurricane activity and discuss its implications for the Gulf region.

(2) Environmental Justice:  Progress towards Sustainability

Friday, February 22, 2013, 7:00 p.m. CT

Dr. Robert Bullard will present an insightful account of events, individuals, and organizations that have shaped the environmental justice movement over the past two decades. He will also describe a framework for how major advances in environmental justice can and should be achieved.

(3) Diagnosing Ourselves: Biotechnology in Your Back Pocket

Thursday, April 4, 2013, 7:00 p.m. CT

What advances are being made to allow people without medical training to readily detect things like viruses? Can such biotechnology help us understand our own unique physiology?  Dr. Andy Ellington will discuss exciting advances in low-cost, personalized diagnostics and the promise of creating virtual clinical trials through social networks to improve healthcare on a global scale.

If you’re not in Austin, Texas, that’s okay. You can also watch a live webcast of the talks from wherever you’re at! 🙂

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Cancer, DNA, DNA methylation, Dr. Mark Clanton, Environmental Science Institute, epigenetics, epigenome, Genes, Hot Science - Cool Talks, Nova, University of Texas, UT Austin, War on Cancer

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December 20, 2012 · 10:06 pm

How Does Lifestyle Affect Your Cancer Risk?

What kind of life choices may reduce your risk for cancer or other illnesses? What are you eating? How much do you exercise? How do you interact with your environment? The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study – 3 (CPS-3) studies the impact of the environment on individuals through their genes.

Dr. Mark Clanton talks about CPS-3, and how the study is accepting participants to help understand how people’s decisions and their environment affects their DNA. The study is expect to last about 20-30 years, starting with an initial visit for measurements, a blood sample for DNA, and follow up questionnaires.

Many people may inherit genes that may make them susceptible to illness, but Dr. Clanton talks about how these genes are not turned on unless they are influenced by something in their environment, including their body weight, exercise, diet, and illnesses over time.

This is the second part in my interview series with Dr. Clanton, who is the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society and who was the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Clanton’s talk, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“, was part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series, presented by the UT Austin Environmental Science Institute.

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Body weight, Cancer, Cancer Prevention Study, CPS-3, Diet, DNA, Dr. Mark Clanton, Environmental Science Institute, Exercise, Genes, Hot Science - Cool Talks, University of Texas, UT Austin, War on Cancer

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