Page 2 - Eureka! Fall 2006

In the community
Message from the Dean T— both of which capture the imaginations of children and astound audi- enhance reproductive success when Hot topic
young will be selected for even if they
he difference between watching a science demonstration and a magic show
come at the expense of fitness later
in life — an adaptive “live well now,
pay later” strategy, with ageing as the
ences — is that magicians never reveal their tricks. They keep their knowl-
edge to themselves, lest the trick be spoiled. Scientists, on the other hand, are
downside.
The essence of this trade-off is seen
eager to explain their work, share the joy of discovery and encourage others to
explore the mysteries of Nature. They commonly work collaboratively, cross dis-
in the Pacific salmon, which die from
ciplines, and disseminate and apply their hard-earned knowledge for the good
exhaustion soon after spawning. If
of society. And sometimes, they use Mentos candies to make bottles of cola
the chances of returning successfully
explode to explain scientific principles because Science can’t always be serious.
to freshwater are slim, then natural
Creating a pop bottle fountain is one of the demonstrations that Master’s
selection may favour going out with a
student Rob Smith uses to get the attention of school children in his volunteer
work aimed at making Science accessible. As coordinator of Carleton’s Let’s
consequences.
Talk Science program, featured on page 4, he takes Science out into the com-
The tie between reproduction and
aging can be seen throughout the
munity. Carleton also brings the community to campus, through public lectures reproductive big bang, no matter the
and open courses such as the Mineralogy and Geology of Gemstones course. For animal kingdom. Castrated salmon
Ottawa teacher Susan Dubois, the chance to come to Carleton to learn about the live much longer than their intact
work of Dr. David Sinclair, and then accompany him to the Sudbury Neutrino brethren, denying male fruitflies ac-
Observatory, is helping to fuel an interest in Science for her Grade 6 class. Her cess to females extends their longev-
story is told on page 5. ity, and those longer-living migratory
Community also plays a role in making Science happen. From government monarchs have arrested reproductive
awards to private donations, much of the research and learning opportunities development. Another area of interest
featured in this issue were made possible by external funding. Find out what is calorific restriction. A calorie-re-
a difference summer research opportunities have made to third-year student Professor Tom Sherratt walks us through the complex theories of senescence — a hot topic for scientists, stricted diet that avoids malnutrition
Nigel Tan, why alumnus and cancer researcher Dr. Graham Walker created a ethicists and philosophers. reduces the rate of ageing in a range of
research fellowship, and how research funding has helped molecular biologists animals, although it has yet to be dem-
Dr. Shelley Hepworth and Dr. Owen Rowland. Why do we age? onstrated conclusively in humans. This
In this issue, we introduce a new section, Hot topic, on page 3, which we BY TOM SHERRATT phenomenon may in part be linked
hope will stimulate interest and debate about current hot topics in Science. back to reproduction since poorly fed
Within our Faculty community, Faculty news introduces our newest teach- arriet, a much-loved giant tion of inevitable wear and tear, like individuals may not be reproductively
ers and researchers, and celebrates the achievements of award winners. Htortoise born in the Galápagos rust on car or a klunk in the dryer? active, but it may also be related to
I hope you will find this issue interesting and engaging. Islands a few years before Charles Unlike appliances that accumulate reduced exposure to the toxic byprod-
Darwin’s visit, died this year at the performance-impairing faults, organ- ucts generated by burning up food and
Australia Zoo. At 175 years of age, isms are capable of self-repair: they which inflict cellular damage.
her longevity was enough to make can potentially do something about In a nutshell, contemporary
world news, but her ultimate demise the damage they accumulate. In fact, theorists tend to explain ageing as a
Jean-Guy Godin (from heart failure) is all too familiar. many asexual amoeba have a mend- hangover from a well-spent youth. It
Dean, Faculty of Science Age-related degeneration in bodily as-you-go strategy and show little has been argued that if humans re-
function — known as senescence to or no signs of ageing. Furthermore, tained the same resistance to stress,
scientists and ageing to everybody if aging were only a function of the injury and disease that we had at
else — is commonplace in nature, in- environment, then scientists wouldn’t the age of 10, then we would live on
cluding us humans. While the elderly have been able to extend a nematode average for 700 years. Testing theories
EUREKA On the cover eventually die of something specific, worm’s maximum lifespan by six as to why we don’t live for this long,
or even as long as giant tortoises like
such as cancer or heart attack, old age
times by mutating a single gene.
NEwslEttER OF thE FAcUlty OF scIENcE can be considered the ultimate cause. Perhaps ageing has been selected Harriet, is one of the challenges of
third-year Biochemistry student
Nigel tan is co-authoring three Senescence is a hot topic in evo- to prevent species from over-exploit- modern evolutionary biology.
carleton.ca/science/
publications as a result of his lutionary biology, which seeks to ing their resources? It’s hard to believe
Editorial advisory Board summer research. Find out what understand why ageing occurs at all, in this “programmed death” theory Dr. Tom Sherratt, a Professor in the
Dean, Faculty of science: Jean-Guy Godin he’s doing on page 8. Photo: Chris Strangemore Department of Biology, is an interna-
Associate Dean (Undergraduate Affairs): John Armitage and why the rate of ageing varies so because cooperative individuals would tionally renowned evolutionary and
dramatically among and within spe-
rapidly be out-competed by individuals
Associate Dean (Research): Jörg-Rüdiger sack
eureka.carleton.ca chief Advancement Officer: serge Arpin ! your input Please send your feedback, letter long as hares? Even within a spe- cence theory is antagonistic pleiot- !
senior Development Associate: David timms, BA/85
behavioural ecologist.
that cheat the system by living longer.
cies. Why, for instance, do tortoises

Today, the most popular senes-
tend to live more than 10 times as
Director, Alumni services: Nancy lewis, BA/91
to the editor or story ideas to
is important!
Editor: Amanda costen
cies there is remarkable variation in
ropy, wherein individual genes have
newsletter_editor@carleton.ca.
Design: Richard Bootsma
Eureka!’s Hot topic is a place
longevity — during the northern sum-
multiple competing effects, so that
web site: Darin cosgrove, BA/95
for Carleton faculty to educate
mer breeding season, adult monarch
the beneficial effects of a trait at one
readers on some of the big-
Newsletter Mission Statement
time of life are sometimes offset by
butterflies live for only 2-6 weeks, but
EUREKA! is published for the alumni, faculty, staff, friends and partners of the Faculty of
picture issues shaping Science
costs at other times of life. Evolu-
late summer migratory monarchs live
science. the newsletter is intended to communicate the Faculty’s goals, strategic direction
today. Share your thoughts on
and activities in order to connect alumni to each other and the university. It is published in
collaboration with the Department of University Advancement.
realized in 1957 that genes which
Could ageing simply be a reflec-
2 EUREKA!  Fall 2006 for 6-8 months. tionary biologist G.C. Williams first aging at eureka.carleton.ca.
eur eka.carleton.ca 3