Shane Battier Remembers the Late Coach Dean Smith
Former NBA player Shane Battier reflects on the legacy of the late University of North Carolina basketball coach and recounts his experience being recruited by Smith before committing to Duke.
Shane Battier is a retired American professional basketball player who played for various teams in the NBA including the Memphis Grizzlies, the Houston Rockets, and the Miami Heat. Known for his otherworldly defensive skills, Battier won an NCAA championships at Duke in 2001, two NBA Titles in 2011 & 2012, and was a member of the U.S. men's national basketball team. He retired from the NBA in 2014 and is now working as a commentator for ESPN.
Shane Battier: Coach Smith – what a pillar for not just college basketball but for sports. And his legacy is not championships. Obviously he won a bunch of championships and a bunch of games but I believe his legacy is the men that he produced. And if you’re talking to one of his players to a man he’ll tell you that they’re better fathers, they’re better husbands, they’re better people because of Coach Smith. And I had the great opportunity to be recruited by him before he retired and I’ll never forget the day that I committed to Duke University. And I had to call Coach Smith and tell him that I am going to his arch rival. So I’m all nervous and I said, “Coach, you know, I have so much respect for you and your program and I know I would have had a fantastic career at the University of North Carolina but unfortunately I’ve decided to go to Duke University.” And I’m sitting there and I’m going oh no, what’s he going to say? Is he going to be bitter? And he said, “You know Shane, you’re one of the classiest young men I’ve ever had a chance to recruit. I’ll be cheering for you except when we play Duke. And you’re going to do fantastic.” And he followed that up with a fantastic handwritten note to my parents and a fantastic handwritten note to me that I still have in my house. It just sums up the class of the man. He was a giant and he’ll be missed.
Directed/Produced by Jonathan Fowler, Elizabeth Rodd, and Dillon Fitton
Former NBA player Shane Battier reflects on the legacy of the late University of North Carolina basketball coach, whom he calls "a pillar" of leadership and honor. Battier recounts his experience being recruited by Smith and the fear he felt when he told Smith that he had chosen to attend Duke, UNC's arch-rival.
How does alcohol affect your brain?
Explore how alcohol affects your brain, from the first sip at the bar to life-long drinking habits.
- Alcohol is the world's most popular drug and has been a part of human culture for at least 9,000 years.
- Alcohol's effects on the brain range from temporarily limiting mental activity to sustained brain damage, depending on levels consumed and frequency of use.
- Understanding how alcohol affects your brain can help you determine what drinking habits are best for you.
Scientists sequence the genome of this threatened species
If you want to know what makes a Canadian lynx a Canadian lynx a team of DNA sequencers has figured that out.
- A team at UMass Amherst recently sequenced the genome of the Canadian lynx.
- It's part of a project intending to sequence the genome of every vertebrate in the world.
- Conservationists interested in the Canadian lynx have a new tool to work with.
If you want to know what makes a Canadian lynx a Canadian lynx, I can now—as of this month—point you directly to the DNA of a Canadian lynx, and say, "That's what makes a lynx a lynx." The genome was sequenced by a team at UMass Amherst, and it's one of 15 animals whose genomes have been sequenced by the Vertebrate Genomes Project, whose stated goal is to sequence the genome of all 66,000 vertebrate species in the world.
Sequencing the genome of a particular species of an animal is important in terms of preserving genetic diversity. Future generations don't necessarily have to worry about our memory of the Canadian Lynx warping the way hearsay warped perception a long time ago.
Artwork: Guillaume le Clerc / Wikimedia Commons
13th-century fantastical depiction of an elephant.
It is easy to see how one can look at 66,000 genomic sequences stored away as being the analogous equivalent of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. It is a potential tool for future conservationists.
But what are the practicalities of sequencing the genome of a lynx beyond engaging with broad bioethical questions? As the animal's habitat shrinks and Earth warms, the Canadian lynx is demonstrating less genetic diversity. Cross-breeding with bobcats in some portions of the lynx's habitat also represents a challenge to the lynx's genetic makeup. The two themselves are also linked: warming climates could drive Canadian lynxes to cross-breed with bobcats.
John Organ, chief of the U.S. Geological Survey's Cooperative Fish and Wildlife units, said to MassLive that the results of the sequencing "can help us look at land conservation strategies to help maintain lynx on the landscape."
What does DNA have to do with land conservation strategies? Consider the fact that the food found in a landscape, the toxins found in a landscape, or the exposure to drugs can have an impact on genetic activity. That potential change can be transmitted down the generative line. If you know exactly how a lynx's DNA is impacted by something, then the environment they occupy can be fine-tuned to meet the needs of the lynx and any other creature that happens to inhabit that particular portion of the earth.
Given that the Trump administration is considering withdrawing protection for the Canadian lynx, a move that caught scientists by surprise, it is worth having as much information on hand as possible for those who have an interest in preserving the health of this creature—all the way down to the building blocks of a lynx's life.
Why cauliflower is perfect for the keto diet
The exploding popularity of the keto diet puts a less used veggie into the spotlight.
- The cauliflower is a vegetable of choice if you're on the keto diet.
- The plant is low in carbs and can replace potatoes, rice and pasta.
- It can be eaten both raw and cooked for different benefits.
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