Happy holidays from everyone at the Second Life Library to you!   Stop
by and see our new welcome center and main library.
Here are activities scheduled:
Caledon Branch library, Caledon Tamrannoch (205, 32, 25) (SLURL:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Tamrannoch/205/32/25/ )

The Caledon Branch library is moving from its current location in
Caledon Tamrannoch, and will be expanding. A new downtown library is
set to open in January, in Caledon Victoria city (89, 165, 22)
(SLURL:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20VictoriaCity/89/165/22/  )
and a Reading Garden will open during December in Caledon (76, 73, 23)
(SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/76/73/23/ )

The branch’s book of the month is the Medieval alliterative poem “Sir
Gawain and the Green Knight” which tells the story of an uncanny
knight who rides into Camelot at Christmastime, and challenges Arthur
or any of his knights to exchange blows with him. Arthur’s nephew, Sir
Gawain, accepts the challenge, and his adventures (on his quest, in
his bedroom when a host’s wife decides to visit, and in the realm of
knightly courtesy and honor) provide the action of the poem.

There will be a discussion of the poem on December 10th, at 4pm SLT,
led by the director of the Caledon Branch, JJ Drinkwater, at the
branch;s current location (SLURL:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Tamrannoch/205/32/25/ )
Copies of the work are available at the branch, and online:
A very accessible modernised version of the original is available here: http://www.livinghistory.co.uk/homepages/sirgawain/modtext.html,
and translations are available here (prose) http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/sggk.htm 
and here (verse) http://www.yorku.ca/inpar/sggk_weston.pdf
For more information contact JJ Drinkwater.

New Science Center Exhibit on Info Island II
hey don’t look much like peas.  But they’ll get better. 

This is a prototype for demonstration of Mendel’s principle of Independent Assortment.
Basically, this means tht the genes for red and white sort out independently of the genes for tall and short. 

Red and tall are produced by dominant genes:  R and T
White and short are produced by recessive genes:  r and t

So crossing purebreeding red tall plant x a purebreeding white short plant will give you hybrids that are red and tall.  The genotype of the plant is Rr Tt and only the dominant alleles are expressed. 

However if these are crossed with one another or even self-fertilize (as peas will), then the recessive alleles have a chance to pair up in the following generation and be expressed. 

In the progeny of the Red Tall Hybrid (Rr Tt) plants,
1/4 of the progeny will be white; 3/4 will be red
1/4 of the progeny will be short; 3/4 will be tall

But by the principle of independent assortment,
1/4 x 1/4 will be BOTH white and short = 1/16
1/4 x 3/4 willbe BOTH white and tall = 3/16
1/4 x 3/4 will be BOTH red and short = 3/16
3/4 x 3/4 will be BOTH red and tall=9/16

So in the first generation:  tall red x short white:  ALL of the progeny will be red and tall.
But in following generation, in which all of the parents LOOK tall and red,
only a little more than half of their progeny will also be tall and red. 
The rest will express other combinations of traits. 

Click on any of the plants to see a typical progeny.  You’ll note that you rarely get exactly the 9:3:3:1( ô€€) ratio in this small population predicted by the equations, but you will see a mix of characters.

You can see more genetics simulations at The Gene Pool Immaculate (221, 186, 21)

Info Island Orientations
There will be a tour and orientation to Info Island on Friday December 8 at 6 pm sl. The tour begins in front of the main library and last approximately one hour.  For more information contact Lorelei Junot

Marie Antoinette:  The Teen Queen Museum Exhibit
Have you seen the new movie “Marie Antoinette”? The Second Life Library will open up an immersive exhibit and host a reenactment of this tragic queen  on Wed. December 13 at 6 pm sl and on Saturday December 15 at 5 pm sl.  Marie will tell her story, show you the pictures of the people in her life, and answer any questions you might have about her life in 18th century France.   The event will last approximately one hour and will be held at Info Island II (199, 83, 22) -  The Throne Room.  If you need a tp or more information, contact Lorelei Junot.  Formal dress is not required and cake will not be served.

Keep watching the Messenger for announcements about exciting events and services coming up after the holidays.

 
 

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 at 11:02 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.