Regeneration

 

In two of my lab classes this morning, besides giving a laboratory practical exam to the students, I am going to have students return to me any of the above beasts they have remaining in their work area to the holding aquarium.  The above images shows two examples of a small flatworm that is called, Planaria.  I will not bore you with the Latin full species name.  

These beasts are very interesting specimens in regards to  work I have students perform in the study of development related to the examination of regeneration.  Planaria exhibit tremendous abilities to regenerate whole body morphology following surgical division.  In the lab, I have students take a small population of Planaria and first chill the planaria and then surgically sever the beasts in a variety of different ways so that the students may then watch and observe the regeneration of the worms over time.  It is typically a very popular laboratory experience and tends to be successful for most all students, even those who otherwise exhibit rather minimal technique and skill in the laboratory.  

In a "bigger picture" sort of way, the concept of regeneration always brings to my mind the idea of being able to renew or repair.  This can be in regards to self, or in regards to relationships, and is something I contemplate quite often.   Having the students work through these experiences as they happened to fall during much of Lent further drew parallels for me in terms of my own goals for regeneration and renewal.  

I am not sure if it may just be me getting older, or if there is/has been a shift in the work environment at the U.... but when I examine my decades here at the U, it sure seems like it takes MORE time to do many tasks than it used to take.  In some ways, I think teaching and research has been affected tremendously by the preponderance of computer use, ESPECIALLY in teaching.  I spend considerable hours a day at a keyboard, which when I first started out the professorial life, I never imagined.  In some fashion, computers have (of course) been helpful.  But, I tend to think they have ALSO proliferated a whole new set of expectations, tasks, and roles in our lives that have supplanted several things in terms of how life used to be.... and sometimes the supplanting has been in the negative direction.  

I swapped out the Peterson pipe I had been carrying about the last several days with one of my Dublin shaped, "basket" pipes.  A "basket" pipe is a budget priced pipe, that very often is as good as a typical "big name" pipe, but the manufacturer chose to not stamp it with his signature brand.  My beautiful Dublin that I have in my pocket today has a bowl that is a more golden/beige hue.  It is a beautiful beast, just like the Planaria are beautiful in their own way.  When I sniff the bowl of my Dublin, I can recognize that the last time I had indulged in the beauty of smoking her, I had been sampling a favorite bourbon infused burley leaf.  The leaf was (is, I still have a sizable pouch of it at home) a potent, pleasurable favorite of mine.  

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