Accelerating Evolution on Mars

Hello Michael, 

You have probably heard that last week a new mars rover landed succesfully on Mars surface, and how this event was enthusiastically wellcomed by NASA and the entire scientific community. It follows a long series of less brilliant failures to get a working mars robot up there, one that could produce more than just pretty pictures. This new mission of an explorer vehicle called "Couriosity" is officially intended to test the existence of lower forms of life on our neighbor planet. For this purpose, "Couriosity" carries on board a couple of sophisticated devices, some that can take samples from mars' surface or from deeper layers of the ground in order to apply sensitive detection methods for organic molecules, considered to be exclusively produced by living organisms. I am wondering if they are looking there for a sort of blood stains, or some traces of blond hair or spit-out chewing gum.

What makes this new Mars exploration so special (for me as a radiation biologist) is the fact, that the rovers energy supply comes from about 5 kg of plutonium 235, providing 120 W electric energy for at least five years. Thats fine, I would say from an engineers point of view, and I would also like to drive my old Benz with this sort of low-emission, low-cost and low-maintenace type of fuel.

But the radiation-biologist in me (and I hope you agree somehow) has to wonder about the long term consequences of 5 kg plutonium, a potent alpha emitter, if it comes to its mutatgenic effects on living organisms. Assuming the plutonium is accidentally released from the mars rover and evenly spread over the hypothetical mars ecosphere,  it would cause a tremendous rise of the mutation rate in all cells, whether low prokaryotes or in higher and multi-cellular creatures like plants or animals or anything else in between. This means the 5 years mission of the man-made Mars rover will not only explore the presence of live on Mars, but if there is any, it will also drive evolution by increasing the number of new mutants. So scientists will not only be the silent observers, but active players of an extra-terrestrial evolution of life.

I am afraid, that with this man-made mutation burden, the mars creatures will indeed soon look like those in Tim Burtons "Mars Attacks". But for this, we have to blame nobody else than ourself.

I am more than worried now looking up the sky at night. There are not only beautiful meteor showers and the romantic moon, but from now on there might also be a laboratory of accelerated evolution on mars.

Take Care, yours sincerely
/ghazal

A Night Walk at Full Moon

Hi Michael,

I just arrived at home, after driving my friends home. Very tired. I sweared to myself I wont do this any more. You know what happened ? In the middle of the night, more than a kilometer from home, my car stoped without any obvious reasons (Except for a loud noise that came from somewhere under it). Hey, what is that with your german cars? It is a Benz (o.k., not very young any more), how can it just let me stand alone on the road in the middle of the night ? The disgusting thing was that my mobile also was low on battery, so can you imagine I had to walk home at 2 o"clock a.m.?
My only rescue was the bright, full moon. It was so strong, that I could always see my moon-shadow.

Hope you are fine, sleep well.
TAKE CARE,
/ghazal

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Ghazal my Dear,

Poor you, must be a frightening experience to walk home in the middle of the night. I guess it was not the kind of walk that you liked so much here in Munich, to let you thoughts flow and to recharge your vitamine D pool in the sun. I have to estimate, if and how much moon-light is any good to synthesize it. But I guess it has no UV-A, what do you think ? By the way, wouldn"t it be a interesting project to study in photobiology in cells using moon-light ?
So you worked as a driver again. I suspect people exploit your reluctance to drink any alcohol at the party and invite you as the driver.
The moon was visible here as well. If you can, make a photo of your moon shaddow.
The one below I did in our garden.

Take Care, my Cat on the Moon,
Michael

Relax with a kinetic sculpture

Hi Ghazal my Dear,

Reading you last e-mails I got the impression that you are most excited if I send you links to some "moving pictures" (the origin of the word MOVIE, as you perhaps know). The german translation is KINO, which comes from french CINEMATOGRAPH, meaning "moving or kinetic image" and what gave rise to the english CINEMA.

Why I tell you all this stuff ?  Not only because I remember the films we saw together here in Munich, and the nice time we had before and afterward.
There is another reason, and this I discovered last weekend at the BMW museum (can"t remember if you went there with your family or with Shava). Perhaps the most impressive object in the museum is the so-called "kinetic sculpture", an arrangement of steel balls hanging on wires that can all be individually moved up and down by a machine, thereby generating the most astonishing images of slowly moving 3D-sculptures.

I am almost sure, Ghazal, you will like this. And I am also sure that you work hard these days, same as you did during your MSc project here, and therefore you deserve some relaxing videos at night.

Enjoy, Take Care

Michael

As always, I hope you are doing fine and stay as nice and symphatic and strong as you have always been.

PS: Had a look at the swedish word for cinema, and this is Bioskop. No clue what "Bio" means therein. There is a type of apple, which is called Boskoop, but this I guess is a coincidental similarity. And Cinema is written in Persian as
سينما
And here, you see, I don"t even know how this is pronounced. So many things I have to ask you.

Baby you can drive my 007 Aston Martin

Hi Michael,

I came home yesterday, at night. Everything went good and I passed. I think the half-moon brought me luck. Thank you for all your help. I dont think anyone understood my project really, only one professor was asking me questions, but it was only some questions about the graphs.

Hope everything is fine with you.

take care
/ghazal

PS: At the end I"d like to tell you something funny: Do you know that right during my exam at UCL a few miles further south the road, at Battersea Park (must have been the area where you lived between 1993 and 1995) the real James Bond 007 Aston Martin car was auctioneered, and it "went over the counter" for 2.6 Mill. Pound. Some scenes from the original movie are here. And the most impressive intro with the title song by Shirley Bassey. Don"t know if you like this.
What I just found funny was the idea, that - while I was struggeling at UCL through the exam - you went to the auction at Battersea Park to bet for this car (I know your crazy love for exquisit vehicles ;-}

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Ghazal my Dear,

I can"t tell how happy I was hearing from you. How do you feel now, after having passed this important step on your professional path ? Do you feel relieved now, or rather exhausted ? Do you want me to update your homepage, stating that you now completed your MSc successfully ?
What are your next plans ? If you start to feel homesick for Munich, the guesthouse and who knows what else: Just take the next flight that brings you here.

Its very sunny those days, cold in the morning but usually gets quite warm during the day. Occasionally, I still go swimming in the lake after work. This morning I met your horse, but I think it did not saw me because of the mist.

I"m fine, more or less. Usually, when I got a mail from you and you ask about this I immediately feel alright. It is just the days when I don"t hear from you that make me become despair. Have not yet found a remedy for this.
What is realy a big, big relieve for me: That I don"t have this feeling of guilt anymore for illegally mixing personal feelings and professional relations, and that you might feel obliged to write or meet me only because you worry about the progress of your thesis. Its good that this is not an issue any more, that you passed your exam with glamour and you are now a fresh Master-of-Science. And I know that if you send me a mail now than this will only be because you like to do so and not because you think you have to please your supervisor. About this I am so happy, Ghazal.
It is a pitty that I missed the Battersea Car Auction, since I like James Bond a lot. But it is not just for the exquisit cars that he used to drive, but I admire the whole character of 007 and how he is placed in the system a lot. He represents a sort of prototype british hero: not ranking at the top of the hirarchie (like all the clerks of Q and M and the directors and minister and the prime-minister in their offices), 007 is the out-door hero, the one doing the field work. But at the end it is him who deserves our sympathy, who is the funny one and whom the girls like most for his smartnes and his humor and his dirty elegance.

Back to the Scrap-Yard

Ghazal, my Dear,

After dropping you at the Guesthouse today, I was quarreling once again with myself for having missed the opportunity to kiss you. It was silly, I know, in particular after I made this terrible observation at a scrap-yard for cars. There I found the remnants of a red Toyota Corolla, that had its upper part shaved away as if St.Michaels sword was used to convert into a cabriolet, and the chairs stained with blood. Obviously, a whole families life was extinguished in an terrible car accident, perhaps within tenth of a second.
Maybe at least once in life one should see how instantly all our long-term plans can literally end in a scrap-compactor and our patience while waiting for second chances in life becomes obsolete.


Therefore I so much enjoy the moments with you, although I always know in advance how terrible it will be later on, when I have to leave you.

Michael

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hi michael,

yes it is nice to be with you. but as friends. and we know that i will leave soon, to go back home.
about the kiss,i am greatful that you did not go so far because i appreciate your friendship very much.hope you understand.

good night and have a good week-end.

/ghazal
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Hi Ghazal dear,

I very much appreciate your clear and firm statement, I think it is always best to be honest. I hope you considered my open, maybe shameless words in the last e-mail the same way and can tolerate them. The things are as they are, I have no clear idea how to handle it, no experience how to get alonge when emotional and professional relations intermingle. I very much admire that you deal with everything more wisely. For me it is a big help that you can live with the persian-cat blog (as long as it keeps your privacy intact) and that you have no problems communicating by e-mail with me.
What is most important right now, that your MSc project is not hampered, I think it even benefits from it. If you got a different feeling, please tell me.

Take Care, Sleep well

Michael

Sandman and Sauerkraut

Hi Ghazal my Dear,

It was a pitty I found your e-mail (the one you wrote 2 o"clock a.m. last night) only this morning.
Hopefully, you did not stoud awake for the rest of the night waiting for an answer. If I would have known that you didn"t sleep yet, I would have checked my mail-box at night again.
Sometimes it is fascinating to stay awake, while the rest of the world sleeps, don"t you think so ? One gets the feeling to be alone in the universe with its own thoughts, which can evolve more freely then. I think the night is a very productive time if one has to bring back to mind what happened during the day. O.k., one might lack some of the important REM-Phases in such a night, but this might be compensated by some extra nocturnal experiences. By the way, we have here in Germany the mythological figure of the Sandmann, a very friendly little gnome who visits all kids in the evening and blows them some sand into the face (to make them sleepy). Do you have such a character in Sweden too ? Here we even have a daily short TV-program featuring Sandman for the kids. This is supposed to be the signal for them to go to bed.

What you wrote about the relationship to your mom was very intriguing, and it is perhaps a rare case that between the generations such an intense and confidental link exists. But perhaps you are also very important for your mom,like the outpost in the modern world. For sure, she needs you as much as you need her. I would be extremely courious to see how you explain your mom your newly discovered love for our Sauerkraut. I mean the stuff is really delicious, therefore I absolutely understand you eat almost the whole pack at once. But still, the stuff is considered so typical german, that a commonen nickname for Germans in english is KRAUT.
But meanwhile, Sauerkraut also became very popular on the Balkan states (ask Natascha), in Russia and even in Korea (where they add some very spicy ingredients). And now, for the first time in history, we might see Sauerkraut even become a delicatesse in Sweden and Persia (with your help as a gourmet ambassador).

Ghazal, my dear, in case you want to hear some nice radio music tonight: a few minutes ago a 5 hours program about the Beatles started on Bavarian Radio 2 . You might find the station on your radio at 88.4 MHz or 89.5 MHz.

I hope you had a nice day and you had your own sunshine inside of you. I wish you a relaxing and inspiring evening and a night with nice dreams.

Take Care
Michael
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hi michael,

i slept directly after the email, its fine=)

i never thought about that, that u could be the awake while the world sleeps. i just have that feeling when i drive at night. i feel so free and that the road is mine haha.
no, i have never heard about the sandman before. how can sand make u sleep i wonder.

i ate all the sauerkraut today. really tasty. i told my mum about it and she think she knows what it is, i will show her when she comes.

i wish u a good night as well!!

/ghazal

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Ghazal, my dear,

you are perhaps an angel flying around at night in your dreams. Where do you drive at night in your car ? Could be dangerous, dont you think so ? But maybe you are looking just for this danger at night ?
Do you remember when I suggested your preference for the taste of Bitter Lemon might have something to do with a general feeling of convidence and overwhelming happiness, so you are intentionally seeking for some risk that gives you a thrill. It is the same why people go to the Tivoli fun fair, they usually only go if they are happy. And the thrill of danger at the giant wheel or the train-of-horrors shall add some flavour to an otherwise to monotonous happiness.

Ghazal, I miss you a bit.

Michael

Spiders and Swans and other creatures

Hi Ghazal, my dear,

When I wrote you yesterday evening "Thanks for the wunderful summer" this was not a spelling mistake !! It was such a nice evening that on its own would give the whole summer 2010 a special glory. You have a very professional way to choose the right radio-program. I did not know that just a few fingertips away from the radiostations I usually hear there is still so nice music. I will try to find some of the titles among my records and bring them to you tomorrow.

Ghazal, you know that in Germany it is illegal to make photographs of somebody without asking his or her permission ? I don"t mean the white swan. First of all, swans are usually very vain, and like to be photographed as often as possible. And in addition to this, he received some cakes as a payment from us. But you forgot that there was also me on the picture, and I was not officially asked for approval. I mean I"m not so concerned that you will do something bad with the pictures (like putting them on facebook to make the entire world laugh about me). But, maybe as a compensation, you could finally agree to have a photograph made of you on the bike wearing the beige coat. It would be more than logical, especially since you said that lady with the bicycle on the french poster does not bear much similarity to yourself. I somehow agree with your opinion, I think you would look much more attractive.

I hope you enjoy the evening

see you tomorrow , take care (don"t kill the spiders, germans belief they can bring you luck).

Yours Michael
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hi michael,

im glad i could find a good radiostation that you like.
i did not know its illegal to take photos. only your arm is on the photo. so it doesnt count!:)

i havent seen more spiders and im glad.

see you tomorrow and good night.
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Ghazal, my dear.

How nice to read that you keep your sense of homour. About the photo, I"d like to keep the final decision open.

Take Care.

Michael

PS: Ghazal, I just want to tell you: In case of an emergency (candle setting your apartment on fire or a spiderman starting an attack on you), you also can call my mobile number instead of 112. I"ll be at your site for help probably faster than the police.

Swedish Guide through IKEA

Dear Ghazal,

You probably filled your apartment already with the vanilla smell coming from the scent candle. Be carefull you don"t fall asleep with the candle still burning !!!
Was Chrysi satisfied with the pillow ? I was really amazed when I saw you testing the quality of the different cushions at the IKEA store. It so much reminded me of the fairytale "Prinzess on the pea" by Anderson (I think in swedish it is call "Prinsessan på ärten"). Did your parents told you this story ? If not, remind me of it and I will tell you sometime.
Ghazal, I have to admit that I was lying to you today: I have never been to this IKEA befor. I guess you felt it already when I drove 20 km to far north. Thanks god you are such a polite person that you did not said anything. I hope you are not disappointed now. I promise you, in general I"m very thrustworthy. An in particular if it comes to finding a way through an unknown landscape.

I will send you the old e-mail with the pictures from Berlin to your Helmholtz-Address, cause the images are probably to large to be seen on your mobile.

Sleep well ,
Michael

PS: I rarely had such an entertaining ride on the motorway, through the rain and the traffic jam as today with you. And I"m very happy if I can make you laugh.

Driving north

Why was it so much easier to talk, when we were driving in my car north out of town. You seemed relaxed, your smile returned, it was a pleasure driving through the evening sun. For the first time since days you began to tell me something about you, something that was more than pure facts. I so much enjoy listening to your voice, it has a dazzlingly beautiful sound and if you laugh it is like the whisper of a small river running through a mountain plain.
How sad, that I was driving too fast, and that we arrived at your place already after 5 minutes. Is it possible that you lost your spontaneity as soon as I stoped the car and got my hands off the steering wheel ? If it is this what makes you nervous, then maybe we drive next time a bit further, maybe to Ikea where you can have swedish pizza with some extra mouse-sausage on top. I promise I leave my hands on the steering wheel, I would not need pizza in this moment, as long as you will be there to talk with.