The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

Monday: Cybersecurity, Bees, And The Waters of Mars

Failure Is Not an Option—It’s Pre-Installed with the Standard Package
David Cohn, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Google

Computer Security: The Road Ahead
Dan Boneh, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Stanford University

Erase/Replace: It’s all about Stem Cells
Jill Helms, M.D., Associate Professor, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University

It’s not your everyday nose job. In recent years, the field for superficial socialites has gotten a makeover to include the new area of stem cells.

Yesterday, October 18, Jill Helms, Professor of Surgery in the department of Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University, addressed myths and facts surrounding the controversial topic of stem cell research. Stem cells can be used to heal broken, not simply imperfect, body parts, and seeing this goal accomplished is one of Helms’ personal dreams.

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“If enough smart, motivated, inquisitive young people are interested in helping then I am sure we can accomplish the goal,” Helms said. -MD

Learn to Walk again using the Tibion Bionic Leg
Matt Murphy, Vice President of Engineering, Tibion Bionic Technologies

Most of us will never have to learn how to walk again, but for the unfortunate few who do, Matt Murphy is your second chance. At Tibion Bionic Technologies, Murphy helped develop a robotic prosthetics that will help patients with stroke relearn how to walk, and yesterday he shared that technology with the school. -GG


Native Bees: The Urban Buzz
Marissa Ponder, Ph.D. Student, U.C. Berkeley

When it comes to bees, it was love at first sight for Urban Bee Gardens cultivator Marissa Ponder.

“I remember the first time I saw a Megachilid bee fly across the garden with a leaf in her mouth,” Ponder said. “I instantly became fascinated with native bees.”

To many, bees are hidden traps in a barefoot stroll through the grass, yet they are part of a diverse species that sustains our food industry and are responsible for 90 percent of pollination worldwide. In her presentation during Science and Tech Week, Ponder addressed the importance of California native bees.

Ponder was a psychology major in community college but realized that something was still missing from her life. Ponder’s love of gardening inspired within her a curiosity of bees. This curiosity bloomed into her ever-growing and slightly quirky devotion.

“I love the faces audiences make when they hear that there are 1,600 species of bees in California. Or that there are green, blue and polka dot bees,” Ponder said. -MD

Medical Imaging is Life-Saving Technology
Ismayil Guracar, Senior Key Expert, Siemens Medical Solutions

Babies, hearts, internal bleeding and cancer are all part of Ismayil Guaracar’s day. Guaracar works in the ultrasound department of Siemens Medical Solutions, developing new applications and software for the versatile diagnostic tool.

One of Guaracar’s specialties is a diagnostic ultrasound that detects cancer. Close to being FDA-approved, the test injects small bubbles into the bloodstream and uses sound waves to bounce back for a contrast image.

Yesterday, Guaracar presented students with the opportunity to perform an ultrasound using a hand held unit and a “phantom.” The phantom mimics the human body and has targets placed inside, so that students are able to visualize how an ultrasound is performed on a human body.

“I hope [LAHS teens] will get excited and inspired and realize that there’s a lot to do,” Guaracar said. “And we need their help.” -MD

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