Author Archives: Hana Schwarz

First time watching Apollo 13

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Tonight I watched Apollo 13 for the first time — a movie from 1995 that is based on the true Apollo 13 mission that took place a few decades earlier. The main character, an astronaut, is played by Tom Hanks. It was interesting to see an older space movie because I am so used to the fancy effects and high resolution of “The Martian” or “Gravity.” “Apollo 13” is noticeably less realistic, but the enrapturing plot kept my attention.  I appreciated how the movie went back and forth between what was going on with the space mission and what was going on at home (Earth). The stress experienced by the astronauts’ families was depicted very well.

In the movie, the Apollo 13 the space craft’s oxygen tank explodes, and the team is forced to abort the mission before ever being able to land on the moon. At the time, merely landing on the moon was a huge deal because very few had accomplished that. Unfortunately this means that the technology is also new, untested, and prone to fatal errors like the bursting of an oxygen tank.

It’s quite strange to imagine astronauts having such national prominence and attention. Today, astronauts are not put under the limelight because they travel to outer space to repair things floating around up there, rather than for the spectacle. If anything, astronauts are more obsolete, as robots inevitably increase in capabilities. Movies like “Apollo 13” will always be fun to watch for myself and for future generations to get a glance into the past when space travel was all the rage.

Amazing talent at Diya Jale

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I was so impressed yesterday when I went to watch Diya Jale, the annual performance of dance, song, and comedy in celebration for Diwali. Two and half hours long, but time flew by! Everything was planned so well, down to scripted host segments that gave some good laughs. The dancing was interesting to me because of the large variety of types — some were graceful, others were energetic, and some used rods and clapping tools. The colorful silk outfits were on point as well. My favorite piece was Cornell Bhangra because of their energy and fantastic coordination. Bhangra dance involves significant amount of jumping, stomping, and spinning. Whoever designed the soundtrack deserves some credit for some intense beat drops.

Another act I loved was the acappella group that fused American music with Indian classics. California Dreamin’ was interwoven into an unrelated Indian song, but they complemented each other well. Toward the end, the actor for the IT Technician, Sadiq, from The Office came out and did some standup comedy! I grew up watching The Office, long before it was a common trend in my generation — so this was a big moment for me. I didn’t realize he is also a famous Bollywood actor named Omi Vaidya. He told stories and shared a funny music video parodying Old Town Road by Lil’ Nas X, only Indian-themed. You would have had to have an Indian culture background to understand some of the jokes, but I still laughed a lot.

Diya Jale was a fun way to spend my Saturday evening, especially after a long week of studying!

Rewatching my favorite movie

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Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki has always been my favorite movie and I have grown up watching it. I thought there was no way I didn’t have the entire plot memorized, but upon watching it tonight, I definitely got a new perspective. As a child, you don’t really pay attention to the logistics of the plot and conflicts, such as why Haku was injured or why Yubaba turned Chihiro’s parents into pigs. There is a lot of nuance with the characters that I noticed as well. Zeniba, Yubaba’s twin sister seems like an antagonist at first, but ends up becoming the motherly “granny” to Chihiro. Other characters, like No Face and Bo also positively transform throughout the movie.

I thought the discussion at the end of the movie was thought provoking and encouraged me to view the movie in the context of broader society. One person brought up themes of failing economy after the “bubble” in the late 1900s, because it was alluded to in the movie. Another mentioned religion, and how Japanese Shinto religion was a crucial part of the Spirited Away world. These topics made me think more about Miyazaki’s potential intent in creating this film. It clearly was not just for entertainment. I think he wanted the film to be relatable and inspiring. I am always struck by how nostalgic the scenes and soundtrack makes me feel, even though I grew up in a completely different setting.

Even though the movie ends with some questions unanswered (will Haku and Chihiro meet again?), it finishes with a hopeful and beautiful note. I wish there was a sequel, but at the same time, Spirited Away is a great masterpiece that may be best on its own. I suppose I’ll just have to watch all of Miyazaki’s other movies!

A second look at “Us”

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Right in time for the Halloween season, I had the opportunity to watch “Us,” the horror film by Jordan Peele. I have watched this movie before when it first came out. I remember feeling very confused about what the plot symbolized, and I remain pretty confused after the second viewing. As one of the audience members from tonight voiced during the post-movie discussion, it feels like there is some deep symbolism, but it’s cloudy.

In the movie, everybody has their own doppelgänger who lives in an alternate word underground. Adelaide and her family are on a vacation when their underground doppelgängers arrive to kill them. Other doppelgängers are doing the same in a concerted attempt to “untether” themselves from their lives of imprisonment. It is revealed at the end that their movements are forced to mirror exactly what the people in the “real” world chose to do; they do not have any agency over their life. For food, they are forced to eat rabbits “raw and bloody” (Red’s description). Because they were suffering while simultaneously being controlled by the free will of the people in the real world, it is understandable that they are angry. The first time watching this movie, I did not know any of this until the very end, so this time around I got to see the earlier scenes through a new lens with this context in mind. I found that I was able to sympathize a little more with the murderous doppelgängers–although, for the record, still not very much.

The huge plot twist at the end is mind-blowing to me… Mostly because it still feels like there are some inconsistencies in the story that don’t make sense. I wish we got to discuss the movie a little bit more at the end, because I would love to hear what other people interpreted. I’ll definitely be surfing the internet tonight to try an understand the deeper message!

Seeing Saturn for the First Time at the Cornell Observatory

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This week I had the great opportunity of visiting the Fuertes Observatory here at Cornell.

I was anticipating some cloud coverage over the stars, but luckily we were there during a window of time when the sky was very clear. Once at the observatory, we went up a narrow staircase to reach a dark room where there was an impressive telescope. It was so big that everyone had to climb eight steps or so just to look through it . Through the telescope I got to see Saturn for the first time. I have seen colored and much more detailed images of Saturn before, but seeing the evidence with my own eyes through only a lens was so much cooler.

The image was slightly blurred, probably because I was squinting, but I could make out a white glow with a bright ring around it. It was actually pretty cute!

I also learned a lot from some of the Astronomy club members who were there. Right next to the telescope room is a balcony the provides a nice view of the stars. I now know where the North Star, Polaris, is! There were many more constellations with interesting mythological names. I am thoroughly impressed in these club members who have memorized stars in large swaths of the night sky.

I would definitely visit again if a nice opportunity arises. I am also convinced that I saw a shooting star while on the balcony, but only in the corner of my peripheral vision — so if I am lucky enough, maybe I can get a better view of one next time!

A Visit to Cascadilla Gorge

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My trip to the Cascadilla Gorge was educational and refreshing. The weather was warm and balmy in Ithaca – apparently a rare occurrence for this time of year. It was a nice respite from my studies, that have been pretty demanding over the past week due to an organic chemistry prelim I had a few days ago.
Todd Bittner, the Cornell Botanic Gardens Director of Natural Areas, provided a detailed tour of the gorge. The waterfalls were not enormous, but the scene was beautiful. Many deciduous trees and lush greenery surround the stream and the water passing through eddies among the rocky layers was fun to watch. Especially interesting was the stratified patterns in the bedrock of the gorge. Soft rock (shale) would alternate with hard rock (sandstone) layers, depending on the sediment being carried over through water bodies or glaciers during that time in history. The soft layers are differentially eroded at a faster rate, contributing to the formation of natural “steps” along a path of water, and this eventually led to the formation of the gorges. Bittner compared them to Jenga blocks because the horizontal layers also hand significant “joints,” or cross cuts, that were caused by tectonic plate interaction. As a result, many chunks of sandstone would fall away.
I also learned of the modern history of the Cascadilla Gorge. The gorge used to be used as a source of water power one century back. Slightly downstream, a dam fourth feet high was used by a local mill. The gorge was given to Cornell University, and after an expensive plan, the area is now used for recreation and outdoor classes. The amount of effort put into the gorge was evident, and due to the continual erosion of the soft rock, continual maintenance is paramount to allow the community to continually enjoy the gorge safely.
After the tour, the group went to the Apple Fest which was coincidentally happening at the same time. I had some decent hot cider which I enjoyed, minus the bees it attracted!
-Hana

Hearing stories about women empowerment in Myanmar

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Dr. Thet Howe’s presentation and her three short films about a recent movement in Myanmar was quite inspiring. From it I learned of several intertwined projects committed to empowering women and teaching sexual health and awareness to women in Yangon, Myanmar. Their approach has been multi-pronged, in that they give women tools for developing their confidence, from self-defense lessons, to handing out whistles to deter harassers in public.

This whistle campaign was especially interesting to me, because it not only protects women from harassment, but sets the social standard that harassment should not be tolerated. This project opens up dialogue that has long been silently affecting women for generations. Buses may seem like a small facet of a bigger problem, but I think it is actually really impactful to start there, because many women have no choice but to spend a significant part of their day commuting to work or school. Public transportation is not big in the United States, but in places were it is common, public harassment tends to come along with it. I personally remember seeing signs in Japanese train stations warning people of harassers.

The second video, about the struggles of women of religious minorities, was quite sad. In Myanmar, Muslim women and Christian nuns experience lots of judgement and condescendence directed towards them. Parts of the video were emotional as they recounted some of these personal experiences. Several echoed that women are treated like second class citizens. Women are encouraged to stay quiet and accept their limitations imposed on them regarding what they can’t say and can’t do.

The societal limitations placed against women in Myanmar, especially religious ones, reminds me of the the book A Room to One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. Woolf talked about all of the extra hoops women have to jump through in order to pursue their dreams that do not align with their perceived domestic role in society. These barriers have to be removed before equal opportunity can be achieved. For the most part in developed countries, women on a relatively equal standing to men. Personally I feel like my gender has not limited my opportunities.

This made me realize how privileged I am to live in a place like the United States that strongly values equality. Even though inequality has and still persists, my belief is that our situation is far closer to being equal than in other countries. Myanmar, for instance, was under a military dictatorship until ten years or so ago, so social issues were largely unaddressed. Things are changing for Myanmar, however, and this does make me hopeful that developing countries have begun to pay attention to social issues so that all people have equal opportunity.

Book referenced: Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. Bibliotech Press, 2018.

New Serendipitous Discoveries at the Rose Fellows Meet and Greet!

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I few days ago, I went to the Rose House Fellows meet and greet. We got a couple minutes or so to talk to each fellow, and rotate through as many people as possible over an hour. Having just transferred from a small, liberal arts college in Southern California I still do not know much about Cornell, so the meet and greet was perfect for me. I learned about Ithaca’s weather, Cornell’s gorges, psychology, and most notably, quantum biology.

Though I was only at the event for an hour or so, it has left a lasting impression on me. I feel very welcomed here, and I got to talk to many new people that I otherwise would not have met. I also feel inspired to expand my mindset regarding the classes I plan to enroll in and careers I’m considering. I had conversations with fellows in all areas in academia, such as latin, philosophy, evolution, and psychology. Each person was clearly passionate about their own work, and it made me realize that I should not limit my future goals based on a decision I made years ago. I chose to major in biological sciences, for instance, because it seemed like a safe, unrestrictive option that covered a breadth of sub-topics (none of which I could choose between). I am also on the pre-med track because I have always wanted to help people, and being a doctor seemed like the most obvious way to do that. However the fellows’ passion in their niche subject was contagious and I now feel inclined to dabble in those subjects here at Cornell. Unlike my previous college, Cornell has courses in food science, animal science, and plant biology; and with only five semesters left after this one, I can’t wait to start adding some of these more specialized courses into my schedule very soon.

My most memorable discussion was with Professor Andre Kessler, from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He opened up the world of quantum biology to me — a subject I didn’t know existed. Physics is pretty much the underlying fabric of the universe, so if it applies to planets and basketballs, it ought also to effect receptors and their associated ligands. Apparently, quantum biology may help elucidate a facet of biochemistry that is still cloudy. Kessler told me that at this point, there are only mathematical explanations for some of these abstract mechanisms. One such example is the odor receptors in our nose: they are membrane-bound receptors that change conformation just like any other receptor. It changes conformation after an interaction with a stimulus, with an electron transfer typically involved. In the case of the odor receptors, he said, the mechanism is still obscure, because it is thought to involve this quantum biology, specifically something called “electron tunneling.”

According to Kessler, part of the reason why we don’t know much about this mechanism is because we haven’t yet fleshed out exactly what the receptor looks like — it’s 3D conformation is unknown. To do this, electron microscopy imaging is typically employed. However, the membrane protein involved in odor perception cannot be deciphered when it is taken out of its natural context, and covered in gold (which is how the object under the electron microscope is stabilized while it is bombarded with high energy rays). Fortunately, Kessler mentioned new technology that is able to match the resolution of electron microscopy, but without the obstructive gold covering as a pre-requisite, called cyromicroscopy. The new technology utilizes zero degrees kelvin as a stabilizing mechanism. It hasn’t yet been applied to this receptor in question, but it could be in the future, and the ripple effect of that could be impactful.

I was lucky that Professor Kessler was the last fellow on the rotation, because I got to ask him a lot of questions about all of this science he knew about that I didn’t even know existed! I was impressed by the degree of complexity and detail many scientists work with. I hope to continue learning from future events to come!

 

-Hana