Project Exploration Blog

It was a pleasant Saturday when i went to the Fullersburg Woods in Brookfield with the renown Paleo Artist Tyler Keillor. I had met Tyler before during my work at the fossil lab and i loved what i saw so much that i decided to do my own paleo art project. The field of paleontology is so diverse with so many fields of study incorporated into the work. If the field aspect of paleontology doesnt suit you theres the “behind the scenes” aspect that Tyler works in. I visited Tyler in Brookfield, Illinois to do some work with him photographing some of his models

Tyler brought his models of Tiktaalik the prehistoric fish, a Herrerasaurus bust and a model of Sanajeh the dinosaur eating snake. Taking pictures in an environment like a forest is much better than pictures in a black background, it really brings the models to life.

It was on this trip that i first learned about the dinosaur eating snake Sanajeh, a very interesting creature found in India next to a nest of Sauropod eggs.

It was a very tiring expedition and by the end of the day i was covered in mosquito bites but it was totally worth it. One of the memorable parts of the trip was running into a pleasant lady curious to learn about the work Tyler and I were doing. The woman was riding her bike when she stopped to see the curious model of Tiktaalik. We were both happy to tell her about the work we were doing and we were suprised to find out that she was famliar with the paleontologist Paul Sereno and was going to hear him speak. It’s not everyday that I meet someone who is familiar with Dr. Sereno’s work.

Lab interns Kathleen, Jehad, and Bola examine a T.Rex specimen with supervisor Sara ElShafie.

Between hearing about Dr. Sereno’s work and Sara ElShafie’’s project and spending lots of time working on my own project I have learned much about the research process. I am so glad that I’m getting exposed to scientific research now because I know I will be doing a lot of it in college. I’ve seen Sara spend hours on her computer working on her presentation and watched her create detailed cladograms and taxonomy trees just for one strange turtle. I spend my free time at the lab flipping through dinosaur science books and taking notes so that I can recreate dinosaur skeletal anatomy for my project. I almost fell asleep while making some sketches,  but that was after 4 hours of work. However, the time I put into my project encourages me. I enjoy researching something I actually care about and I have managed to combine my two favorite areas of study: art and science. I hope to continue doing what I love for a very long time after my work at the fossil lab.

Jehad cleaning and preparing fossils at Dr. Sereno's lab.

Dr. Sereno describes science as “creative thinking with a purpose.” This description fits perfectly with my experience working with Project Exploration. During my time with the program I am always asked think creatively, whether I am creating a poster to represent life in the Paleozoic Era or prospecting for fossils in Montana. My time in the field wandering through the rough terrain and mountains has always been an adventure with a purpose. This purpose is collecting specimens for further examination.

I would describe science like a logic puzzle. The field of science is composed of questions, these are the blank spaces in a puzzle. As scientists we take whatever data and information we are given to try and fill the gaps and spaces.

Kathleen, Jehad, and Bola explore the Fossil Lab with supervisor Sara ElShafie.

Project Exploration Blogger Jehad Broderick here, and this summer I have an internship at Dr. Paul Sereno’s fossil lab at the University of Chicago.  From out in the field digging fossils to inside the lab cleaning them, I’m getting the full paleontologist experience with Project Exploration. The most interesting day of my internship this week was my second day of work. During my lunch break the other interns and myself watched Paul’s film, “When Crocs Ate Dinosaurs.” This was my second time viewing the film. I had previously seen it at its premier screening, but watching it for a second time at the very same lab it was filmed in was interesting. I could see the same sculptures created by Tyler Keillor and Erin Fitzgerald in the movie and in the lab at the same time. I saw Tyler and Erin and Paul on screen and then thought, “I had just seen these people the other day, I was just working alongside them.” It was then that a thought dawned on me: one day I could be in a movie like this sharing my knowledge with the world!

After the film was over the other interns and myself had a long discussion with University of Chicago students Sara ElShafie and Aki Watanabe about dinosaur science and paleontology in general. This was the first time in what seemed like ages that I had a discussion that was so in depth about something I was so passionate about. I can’t even remember talking so seriously about science at my own school. This lab internship so far has engaged me, piqued my curiosity and made me eager to learn more about science.

...me as a Junior Paleontologist

I’ve been blogging with Project Exploration for about a year now and today i begin my fossil lab internship. i thought i would take some time today to introduce myself. i am now entering my senior year at Amundsen high school and I’ve been with PE ever since the summer after my freshman year. i began my work with Project Exploration with experience in the field aspect of paleontology and i feel that this summer my experience is coming full circle with work both in and outside of the lab. i will be an intern this summer at Paul Sereno’s lab at the University of Chicago with Bola and Kathleen thanks to an opportunity offered through Project Exploration. i am very grateful for this chance to learn new skills in the area of Paleontology.

Today began with a tour of the actual lab. Sereno’s lab is well known throughout the world because it is here that the fossils of supercroc, raptor rex and many other iconic dinosaurs have been uncovered. during this tour me and my fellow interns encountered shelves littered with fossils covered in plaster jackets; everything from turtle shells to dinosaur teeth and giant dinosaur femurs. one tool that we were introduced to and that i had used before was the air scribe, feeling that needle vibrate brought back memories from when i began Project Exploration as a Junior Paleontologist, drilling into mammoth fossils. Seeing all the equipment and giant plaster casts i felt excited to begin work this summer. I’ll be blogging every Friday from July to august. please stay updated!

This was the night of celebration for the graduating class of 2010 and a night of inspiration for one in line like myself. I look forward to next year when I will give my own graduating speech to the Project Exploration audience. I spent the night talking with a hopeful crowd of young men and women and their families along with the ever energetic staff of Project Exploration. The ceremony took place in the Garfield Park Conservatory. One could not ask for a better venue and  better weather. The Program’s welcome speech was delivered by the Assistant Director  Christian Greer who made a compelling comment on life with a puzzle analogy. Throughout our life we are putting the pieces of puzzles together, to get the picture right. It’s not easy but with right strategy one can get it right. Each table had puzzle boxes as a take home gift.

Former PE student Tanya James was the key note speaker. Tanya joined PE in 2005 and is currently studying Social Work at Jarvis Christian College  in Texas. She stated “when I came to Project Exploration I was a shy person, I knew nothing about science. But the way this program presented science to me, I didn’t even know I was learning science. I took what I learned and applied it to my life.” She encouraged students to keep going and “never let any negativity stop you, just follow your inner voice.”

The best part of the senior celebration and every project exploration event were the alum speeches. De’ Andre Brown graduated from Hyde Park Career academy.  De’Andre said initially I went to PE just to get some service learning hours but then i kept going there, PE became almost my second home. Almost every testimony from a Project Exploration student mention change.

Rana Tuggle joined Sisters  for science in 2005, she was in 7th grade then. Rana said PE has helped her learn not only science but gave her great opportunity to establish a network of support and taught her how to connect with people. The most memorable moments of her life were when she went for the All Girls Expedition in 2007.

Antonio Johnson became  Junior paleontologist in 2006 . He is graduating fromLincoln Park High school. Antonio recalls , “when I joined PE I was really very shy and quiet person. PE helped me learn who I am.”  It is here , I made lifelong friends.

Steven Reyes is graduating from Whitney Young Magnet high school. He has been a part of Dinosaur Giants in 2007-09 as well as On-Site Coordinator for 2010.  He stated “PE has enhanced my knowledge of Biology and Anatomy as well as helped me open up to other people. PE has provided me with resources I needed to move on,  guidance support when I need it the most”.

This event was not just for graduating high school students. There were College graduates also. Gerald Turner is a college graduate and has been with PE since 2000. Gerald told the students, what he got most from PE was not only science but something beyond science, it was connecting with people and reaching out to others.

Kit was one of the most senior members of PE . He has been with the program since 1999 and he advised students “cherish this moment, leave your prints on this planet, know that you have the power to change”.

Dr. Paul Sereno, greeted  the students and their families and personally delievered the good news of a new addition to his family, a baby boy and perhaps the youngest member of PE family.

PE continues it’s tradition of giving. Each student received a bag filled with ” life saving” devices, such as financial resource guide, a jump drive, writing pen, safe sex informative brochure, and a water canteen. But what i took from this event was not inside of a brown paper gift bag. What i took was the stories about change from the students at the dinner. When those students walk off the stage over the next couple of days it will be because of the immeasurable support Project Exploration continues to give students. Everyone of us Project Exploration students has a success story to tell, all thanks to our adventures with PE

short faced bear

Michelle and James recoil from fear of the menacing short face bear, a titan of the Ice Age! For millions of years Mammoths, Mastodons and other beasts roamed the frozen lands of Europe, Asia and North America. These creatures eventually went extinct leaving their legacy not only in the fossil record but also in the art of ancient peoples. Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age is an exhibit at the Field Museum that’s an in depth look at who these creatures were and what happened to them? this exhibit is brand new and makes its first appearence here in the city of chicago before touring the rest of the world. The exhibit’s main attraction is the baby mammoth Lyuba discovered in 2007 and is the most complete and best preserved baby mammoth in the world. Notice the wrinkles in the mammoths skin, even the small hair on the animal. Scientists have studied Lyuba so well that we know information regarding her diet, the environment she lived in and her health at the time of her death.

The Project Exploration students that attended this exhibit were very excited to have the chance to witness science in action! wandering through an exhibit on the natural sciences is an experience that doesn’t compare to simply reading material in a text book.  But after lunch we were given an oppurtunity very few guests recieve. We were given a personal tour by two University of Chicago researches around the Field Musem’s massive collections. in my opinion it is these collections of specimens from all around the world that make the Field Museum the wonderful place that it is.

Here Michelle is observing fossils from the Triassic Age, right before dinosaurs came to conquer the Earth.

Overall it was a very enlightening day. I had seen the Field Museum’s collections of animals and fossils before when i first began joined Project Exploration as a Junior Paleontologist but seeing those specimens again really got to the scientist inside me. It wasn’t just seeing the specimens though, it was sharing the experience with other kids like myself whose passions were as deep as mine. May we continue to change the face of science.

Last night the Museum of Science and Industry was full of  rock stars shining in the science’s spotlight. I along with an eager audience witnessed captivating lectures and presentations. This event was co-sponsored by the Project Exploration. The scientists shared their personal experiences and exciting research results that satisfied the audience’s curiosity. These were the Science Makers; an innovative group of African American educators and researchers. The Science Makers value the study of science and set out to improve the quality of life.

Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney is a neurobiologist who earned her PhD in neurotoxicology and is currently researching the neurobiology of learning and memory and also neurological disorders particularly the Rett Syndrome. Rett syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder found only in girls. Dr. Edwin Cooper has earned his PhD in biology and specializes in invertebrate immune systems. Dr. Cooper spent his childhood catching butterflies and collecting frogs and to this day continues to do what he loves but on a larger scale. Dr. Erich Jarvis has his PhD in molecular neurobiology and animal behavior. Dr. Jarvis specializes in song associative learning in songbirds. Another area of his research is auditory integration with movement of the limbs. Before he was a scientist he was an artist and he incorporates his love of art into science. Dr. Luther S. Williams is a recipient of numerous prestigious fellowships, his area of expertise is in micro organisms. Dr. Williams spends much time observing an unseen world with the help of microscopes to cure to human illnesses.

Of the many contributions that the African American community has made to  American society Jazz is one of their greatest. The Science Makers are adding a new sound to the music of science. In today’s society when the youth are asked what they want to be when they grow up all the appeal is in the glamorous world of sports and entertainment while the field of science is heavily overshadowed. Dr. Edwin Cooper encourages the youth particularly African Americans to pursue careers in science. He says that the formula to succeed in a career in science is simply “sustained time and work”.

One of the key organizers of this event was Tim Turner a young and enthusiastic gentlemen from the History Makers. Mr. Turner enlightened me on the mission of the History Makers. The History Makers is the largest archival collection of its kind. The organization aims to complete 5,000 interviews of famous and unknown African American history makers. Their collection presently houses 7,000 hours of African American testimonial on tape. The Science Makers hopes to clear society of the stereotypical image of the white haired, crazed scientist isolated in his lab. The Science Makers create a new image that underrepresented youth can relate to and aspire to become.

One of the most interesting parts of this presentation was how some of the most complex concepts in the world of science were presented in the simplest fashion. In one of the experiments two tilapia fish were used to demonstrate the effects of stress on the release of serotonin and immune deficiency. Two tilapia, a big and a smaller one were placed in a fish tank separated by a divider, once the divider was removed the bigger one attacked the smaller one. the smaller fish became stressed and the serotonin levels of the stressed fish were increased which led to a decrease in immunity.

This lesson in stress levels could have been an entire chapter in a text book. the lesson i took from this was science is not at all an intimidating subject, it’s all in the way it is presented.

Earlier this month (December 6) I was lucky enough to attend a special screening for National Geographic’s latest documentary WHEN CROCS ATE DINOSAURS. When I received the invitation to this event I did not hesitate to reply. This monster of a film really shows the adventure Paul Sereno had on his expedition. Paul Sereno is a paleontologist at the university of chicago and some of his discoveries include Supercroc and the African dino giant Jobaria. These discoveries from the far reaches of the world should give some idea of how adventurous Dr. Sereno is. A man totally willing to travel all four corners of the globe in the pursuit of science.

In this film sereno is compelled to uncvoer the ancient mysteries of these long dead reptiles. It’s a cold case but he is determined to answer the question; “What could kill a dinosaur eating crocodile?” Sereno’s dedication to solving the mystery is shared with the audience in this film as we journey with his crew to australia to solve the case.

Paul Sereno’s journey began in the deserts of Africa where he uncovered peculiar fossil remains of crocodiles. That discovery sparked the paleontologist’s curiosity and led him on a quest to learn more about these strange new creatures. The crocodiles that sereno discovered in the sahara were elusive creatures and with this film we follow Paul as he hunts down each crocodile learning all he can about who were they and what happened to them? its a natural curiosity that we all share, answering the question “Why?” and the “why” in question here is “Why do crocodiles no longer rule the earth?”

WHEN CROCS ATE DINOSAURS is an educational film with plenty of action and adventure and teaches a great lesson in human curiosity and how far a man will go to answer his questions.

THE TRUTH

This morning Youth from Albany Park to Kenwood gathered for a  rally in the heart of downtown right in front of  Thompson Center, protesting budget cuts and demanding  investment in the cities youth. As a member of the cities youth i felt it was my duty to attend this cause.  The event started with students giving heartfelt testimonies to troubling events in their communities.  One Albany Park resident told about the tragic story of his brother who once was an honor roll student. He rolled with the wrong crowd and his grades began to go down and eventually he dropped out of school. Now he is a gang member.  He wished if  his brother could return to  normal life. In many neighborhoods where there is a lack of youth programs and insufficient funding  there can be an abundance of gang violence.

NO MORE LIES, WE WANT THE TRUTH

City youth need structured after school programs.  This will provide them a safe environment  where they can make a positive impact on society. Youth are 26% of Chicago area population. This is a significant number but surely not big enough to suck dry the cities budget. Today’s youth are well informed and active. When our interests are hurt we are conscious enough to gather and make our voices heard. Those who attended todays event spoke out against against more liquor stores in the neighborhood than parks, more empty lots and junkyard for drug dealing than play grounds. The protesters demanded more youth jobs, camps, activity centers and skill enhancement programs, more help with school and college tuition and other educational activities. The rally was supported by state senators and area youth program organizers.

Todays generation that are born into poverty are victim of circumstance. They didn’t choose to live in poor housing conditions, violent neighborhoods or gang infested neighborhoods. Todays event wasn’t all protesting , it also had plenty of  fun. There was  an awesome live DJ. Some amazing spoken word and the break dancing crew “Stick and Move”(next time you’re having a party make sure you call these guys, they’re great!)

One of the volunteers for spoken word recited a very touching line, “Our Chicago Public Schools are swimmin pools, and we’re drowning in problems.” I urge everyone young and old to get involved in their communities, demand action from the men and women in power and make your voices heard. We don’t have to drown in some ocean of worry, together we can sail right through.