The Plan

The trip to India is less than a month away, so I am busy finishing up my lessons and collecting materials to teach.  The plan for my two week neuroscience program with the monks will include:

1.  A review of neurotransmission
2.  Hemispheric dominance
3.  Vision (finish what I did not get to last time)
4.  Hearing/touch-pain/smell/taste
5.  Learning and memory
6.  The Autonomic Nervous System
7.  Sleep, dreaming, circadian rhythms
8.  Scientific Method/Statistics

I hope that the monastics will have time to do some of their own research on a topic of their own choice.  Also, I want to encourage debate and discussion about various neuroethics issues.

Need Visa

What is wrong with my photo on the right?  There is nothing really wrong with it unless I use it to apply for a visa to India. 

A visa is permission granted by a country to permit someone to enter into that country for a specific purpose.   India requires for a visa for travelers coming from the US, so I wanted to make sure I applied in plenty of time for the trip in January.

I remembered from my trip to India in May that the visa application requires two photographs.  So I went to a local store that would take passport photos ($8).  After I returned home with the photos, I filled out the application.  When I reviewed the instructions, I read that photos for the visa application should NOT include glasses!  Take a look at the photo:  I was wearing my glasses.

I rushed back to the store and explained that I had to re-shoot the photographs.  The store clerk was very understanding and did not charge me for the extra photographs.

With new photographs (without glasses), I packaged the application, a money order for $97 and my passport and sent it away to San Francisco where the visa will be processed.  I expect to get the visa and my passport back in about two weeks. 

Back to India!

I have been invited to return to India to teach neuroscience during a workshop in the Science for Monks program.  This workshop will take place in January, 2012, near the city of Bangalore in southern India.

Science for Monks Web Site Redesigned

The Science for Monks web site has been redesigned.  I was one of the instructors in the second cohort.

Post-Trip Post

Last week, after a long 36 hour trip from Bir, India, I arrived safely back in the States.  The day after I arrived, I became very ill:  fever, body aches, headache, nausea, dizziness, stomach problems.   I think something I ate on the plane made me sick.  After 24 hours of feeling terrible, I recovered.

If you have been following this blog, you know that my trip to India was cut short.  The other instructors were able to pick up the slack and from what they have told me through email, the entire workshop was a great success.

I hope to return to India in several months to continue my work with the monks and nuns. 

Stay tuned!

Must Leave

Thursday morning I received some sad news from home and must leave Bir, my fellow instructors, and the monks and nuns immediately.  Unfortunately, I will have to shorten my stay and return to the States now.  I am entering this post from the airport in New Delhi where I am waiting for a flight back to the USA.

Before I left Bir, the monks and I were able to discuss the anatomy and physiology of neurons and reflexes.  We talked about the different parts of a neuron, the resting potential, the action potential and chemical transmission.  This was a lot of material to cover in such a short period of time, but I think I was able to provide the monks with the basics to understand neurotransmission.  Because I have to leave them so soon, I will not be around to answer what I am a sure will be their many, many questions.  I gave my email address to all of the monks and nuns and my TA (Tenzin) will translate emails for any of the monastics who do not understand English.  I expect to hear from many of them. 

Immediately after my teaching session on Friday, I was ready to leave for the Dharamsala airport.  Bryce Johnson and Bobby Sager were able to change my flights to get me out of India as fast as possible.  However, I was told that because of bad weather, my flight from Dharamsala to Delhi had been canceled.  I would have to drive five hours to a different airport to catch a flight to Delhi and then another flight back to the US.  

So I started towards the new airport with one of the Tibetan translators who was going to be dropped off at Dharamsala.  He was able to call the airline and found out that the flight was re-scheduled and that I would make my original flight to Delhi.  So, instead of a 5 hour drive, I had only a 2 hour drive back to Dharamsala.  (I was lucky to see my first monkeys on the side of the road during the drive!)

It is unfortunate that I will not be able to stay with the program for the second week.  The Tibetan monks are such great students; they are so attentive and curious and ready to learn each and every day.  Even though I spent only a short time with them, I consider them to be my students, my teachers and my friends.  I will miss them.  But this is not the end of the story.  It is likely that I will join them again for a second workshop in a few months and we will continue our discussions about the brain. 

The Rain Returns

The lightning returned for a second show on Thursday night.  That night, Bryce, one of the Tibetan translators, and I ventured into the small town below the Deer Park Institute in search of chocolate.  Although several shops had chocolate, Bryce was not satisfied with the selection.  One shop, however, had what he was looking for:  chocolate with fruit and nuts!

On the way home, we heard thunder and saw lightning flashes getting closer and closer.  The first raindrops fell as we were about 100 yards from the gates of the compound.  These first raindrops were only the beginning of another strong storm.  This storm had more lightning and thunder than the previous day’s storm, but it was not as windy.  I tried to photograph the lightning, but the images I recorded are not very good.

We lost power again, but it was restored before I went to sleep.

Another Morning Walk

On Friday morning, Paul, Modesto, Richard and I took a morning walk to the paragliding landing spot just down the road from the Deer Park Institute.  Bir has a worldwide reputation as a place for paragliding because of its tall mountain peaks and favorable winds.  We started our walk at about 6 am and came to the landing zone at about 6:30 am.  We went a bit further and were joined by one of the program’s monks who was out for a morning jog.  This particular monk had lived in Bir for several years and was familiar with the area.  He encouraged us to hike a bit further and joined us as our guide. 

We were rewarded for following him with a fantastic view of the valleys looking to the west.  We returned to the Deer Park Institute at 7:20 am just in time for breakfast.

A Short Break

On Thursday morning, the monks and instructors took a break from the classroom.  The monks planned to hang traditional Tibetan prayer flags from the trees above the Deer Park Institute.  First, they lit a small fire and chanted a few prayers.  Then they unraveled the long ropes with the prayer flags and hung them from the surrounding trees.  Some monks had to climb up tall trees (with their bare feet) to find good spots to anchor the flags.  The monks then chanted again before they formed a circle and threw some fine powder in the air.

And The Rain Begins

Yesterday, we discussed the peripheral nervous system.  The monks became neurologists and tested their 12 cranial nerves.  They really seemed to enjoy testing their vision!

As I left class in the afternoon, I saw dark clouds on the horizon.  It certainly looked like rain.  Sure enough, 30 minutes later, the skies opened and huge raindrops pelted the ground.  Thunder, lightning, and strong winds came along with the storm.  My shoe that I used to prop open my door got soaked.

One of the translators mother made a dinner of mutton dumplings (momo) for us guests from the States.  Bryce, Richard, Paul, Modesto, Bobby Sager and all of the translators huddled from the rainstorm as we ate dinner.  This was the first meat I had eaten in the six days since I left Seattle.

The storm also knocked out power.  Without electricity, I called it an early night and went to sleep at 9:30 pm.  A few hours later, I was awakened by the light in my room:  the power had come back on and of course, I had left the light on.

Writing Groups

Each day, Richard Sterling leads the monks and nuns in writing exercises.  The monastics sometimes write on their own or sometimes they get into writing groups and discuss specific assignments.  They keep a journal with questions that they have about the day's lessons or things that hey have learned.  The video below is a short clip of the monks and nuns in writing groups, discussing what they will be teaching us about Buddhism.

Journey into the Brain

Tuesday and Wednesday mornings started out with short hikes into the foothills around the Deer Park Institute.  These morning walks, led by Bryce Johnson, are quite nice because the sun has not yet climbed above the mountain peaks and the valley is still shaded.  Once the sun is out, it warms up into the low 100s.

I have been assigned a monk (Tenzin) who will serve as my TA for all of my sessions. That’s Tenzin and me in the photo.  In addition to Tenzin, another person, Paldon, translates everything I say; she even translates my powerpoint slides into Tibetan.  Tenzin participated in previous year’s workshops and his English is excellent.  Tenzin and I meet after dinner each night to discuss our teaching plan for the next day.  I found several lessons that he will lead.

 During the first morning session, I introduced myself to the group more fully and explained my research and my interest in neuroscience education.  Tenzin then took over and had the other monks write down reasons why it is important for them to learn about the brain.  We discussed these reasons and then I introduced the topic of neuroethics.  I explained that science can do many things, but often questions about whether science should do these things should be discussed before they are done.

After a 30 minute break for tea, we discussed the basic structure and functions of the nervous system.  We did the “What is a brain game” where groups of monks were given common items and asked to compare and contrast their items to the brain.  We also discussed brain size, gender differences and brain-body ratios.  The session ended with a short discussion of comparative neuroanatomy where the monks were asked to guess which brain went with a particular animal.

On Wednesday, my session discussed localization of brain functions and right/left brain dominance, especially as it is related to language.   The session ended with the monks getting into pairs and testing their 12 cranial nerves.  They seemed to like testing their vision most.

I have misjudged the amount of time it takes to get through the material I brought.  With the need to translate everything I say into Tibetan, I have already fallen far behind with the material I want to present. 

I tried a third night of melatonin last night.  I slept through until 4 am, woke up, then went back to sleep for another two hours.  I am not convinced melatonin is working.

Day 1 Workshop

I am not sure if the melatonin is working or not.  I seem to fall asleep quickly, but I wake up early at about 4 am.  Anyway, it gives me time to edit photos from the previous day and plan for teaching.  We have also been taking long walks in the hills starting at 6:30 am and we are back for breakfast by 7:30 am.

Yesterday was the first full day of the workshop.  After breakfast, we started with a brief ceremony in Tibetan and then a welcome to the program.  Modesto and Paul presented lessons to introduce perception and ways that the monks can use to engage students in learning.  The monks tested their limits of hearing by dropping smaller and smaller pieces of paper into plastic cups until they could no longer hear the sound.  They were quite surprised at how small the paper must be before they could no longer hear it.   Paul used a piece of string that allow the monks to experiment with how the eyes put visual images together and we briefly discussed right/left eye dominance.

Richard Sterling closed the last teaching session of the day by explaining the writing assignments for the monks and establishing writing groups.  One assignment the monks will do is to create a lesson about Tibetan Buddhism that they will teach to us instructors.  Because I know very little about Tibetan Buddhism, I look forward to learning from the monks.

After dinner, Bobby Sager, the founder of the Sager Foundation and sponsor of this Science for Monks program, talked to the entire group about the purpose and promise of the workshop.  He explained the need to assist the Tibetan Buddhist community in creating leaders and that although it may take time, the Science for Monks program should be an excellent way to establish the monks as leaders in the communities where they live.

One Bumpy Ride

Don't adjust your computer...the video is very choppy because the road was so bumpy.  I tried to hold the camera as still as possible.  Here is a short clip (about 30 seconds) of the ride from Dharamsala to Bir.  You only have to experience this for 30 seconds...it was a TWO HOUR ride for me.  Sometimes the road narrowed to only a single lane; sometimes the road was not paved.  Along the way we had to dodge cows, goats, dogs, and lots of oncoming traffic.

In BIR!

After five hours of sleep at the hotel in Delhi, it was back to the airport to catch a flight to Dharamsala.  The 1.5 hour flight north on a prop plane (see photo) was very bumpy and I must admit that I felt a little nauseous by the time we landed.  Nevertheless, all of our bags arrived safely with all of the passengers.

We (Richard Sterling, Paul Doherty, Modesto Tamez, and I -- the workshop instructors) were met at the airport by the director of the Tibetan Language Library who had two cars waiting to take us to the small village of Bir.  Driving on the roads here is quite an experience; dodging cars, overloaded trucks, cows, cars, stray dogs and the occasional goat over roads that are sometimes unpaved did not help with the way I felt when I got off the plane.  I'll try to post a video shows a small clip of the two hour drive.  Don’t adjust your computer – I tried to hold the camera as steady as possible!

We arrived in Bir, a small village of about 1,000 people at 4 pm.  A brief thunderstorm cleared the air a bit and cooled off the temperatures.  The workshop is taking place at the Deer Park Institute which has an old Tibetan Buddhist monastery on its grounds.  The Deer Park Institute holds classes and workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics.  The rooms for guests are quite basic:  a desk, bed, bathroom.  Everything, and I mean everything (use your imagination), is recycled at the Deer Park Institute.   

The village of Bir is nestled up against the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains.  From my room (see photo), I Iook out my door and can see a Buddhist temple framed by snowcapped hills that  lead to the highest mountain range on Earth.

Everyone took a few minutes getting settled and then Bryce Johnson, the director of the Science for Monks program, took us for a walk around the compound.  Dinner was served promptly at 6 pm and consisted of noodles, soup and cooked vegetables.  I felt much better by dinner time and was able to eat a bit.  The rest of the evening was spent preparing for teaching.  I took one of my melatonin pills (1 g) and fell asleep quickly at about 10 pm.  However, I woke up at 3:30 am and was not able to go back to sleep. 

MADE IT!

Arrived safely in New Delhi at 11 pm.  The photo to the right shows the sunrise over Iceland, taken from my window seat on the plane.

After gathering my luggage and exchanging some cash in the airport terminal, I walked into the midnight air and was greeted with a temperature outside of 97 degrees F and a strong smell of smoke.

A short ride from the airport brought me to my hotel where I checked in for the night.  I was able to sleep for a few hours and then met my colleagues for some breakfast.  The photo to the left is a picture from my hotel window.  I am headed to the airport soon and will travel to Dharamsala in the north part of India.

Halfway There

Hello from Amsterdam!  I am now halfway to India. 

I have a two hour layover in Amsterdam before getting on another plane to New Delhi.  The 9 hour flight from Seattle was uneventful.  The flight from Amsterdam to New Delhi is another 9 hours!

Next Stop India!

I am all packed up and ready to go!  Next stop, New Delhi, India!!

One suitcase is filled with teaching supplies; I'll check this one in at the airport.  The other is filled with my clothes and camera equipment; I'll carry this one on the plane with me.

It will take me approximately 21 hours to get from Seattle to India.  I've got my laptop computer, a few papers to read and an unfinished manuscript to write to keep me busy.

It's Getting Hot!

The weather in India will be a bit of a change to what I am familiar with in Seattle.  Next Saturday, the expected high temperature in New Delhi, India, will be 52 degrees WARMER than that expected for Seattle.

Hello

Just a quick video "hello!"

Language Barrier?

One challenge to teaching in India will be a language barrier.  Some of the monks and nuns speak a little English, but I speak no Tibetan.  Therefore, everything I say must be translated into Tibetan.   I have tried to simplify many of the graphics, worksheets and handouts that will be used.  For example, in a lesson about comparative neuroanatomy, I use a graphic that asks people to match the brain with the animal it belongs to.  When I use this exercise in classrooms in the States, I show photographs of brains with the names of different animals.  I have altered this graphic for use in India so instead of the animal names on the image, I use silhouettes of the animals (see image to the right).  Now, it is not necessary to read English to match the brains to the animals.

I hope to learn some Tibetan during my short stay India; right now I know only one phrase “Tashi delek,” a common greeting.

Melatonin to the Rescue?

One important hormone that helps regulate body rhythms is melatonin.  Melatonin is produced by the pineal body in the brain.  Some research has shown that taking melatonin supplements helps reset body rhythms.  I've decided to give melatonin a try at fighting jet lag.

I recently purchased a bottle of 1 mg tablets of melatonin ($5.00/bottle).  I plan to take 1 tablet about 30 minutes before I go to sleep after my arrival in India.  According to research studies, melatonin will not prevent jet lag, but it may speed up recovery from traveling across time zones. 

Early Packing

I've started to gather teaching supplies to take to India.  So far I have a good collection of visual illusions on laminated cards, plastic brain models, a set of neuroanatomy posters, blind spot testers, vials for the neurotransmission game, magnifying glasses, Benham top inserts, comparative neuroanatomy cards, and cranial nerve testing cards.  And this is only the beginning.  There is still much to do.  For each lesson, I want to have interactive, hands-on activities to illustrate concepts, so the supplies I will bring will grow considerably.

I plan to purchase an inexpensive suitcase to transport these supplies.  I'll leave the suitcase and all of the supplies in India when I leave.

Found It!

After a week of searching, I was unable to find a Type D electrical outlet adaptor anywhere in Seattle.  Without an adaptor, I would be unable to use my computer and camera battery charger in India.  The Internet, however, quickly came to my rescue.  With a few choice keywords into a search engine box, I was able to locate and purchase my prize for $7 plus $5 shipping.

Neuroethics, please!

In addition to discussing the basics of neuroscience with the Tibetan monastics in India, I plan to bring up topics related to neuroethics.  The field of neuroethics deals with the moral, legal, social, and cultural implications of neuroscience.  One of the world leaders in this field is my friend Dr. Judy Illes.  Dr. Illes is a professor of neurology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, B.C.  She is also the Canada Research Chair in Neuroethics and the director of the National Core for Neuroethics at UBC.

I phoned Judy last week to get her ideas for specific topics and questions that would make for good discussion.  She and I came up with a good list of possible neuroethical questions that the monks and nuns could debate; here are a few of them:

What if a future neurological or mental disease could be predicted?  Would you want to know?  Should a doctor tell you?  Would it make a difference if the disease could be cured?  What if the chance of the getting the disease was only 10%  What if it was 99%

What is intelligence? How can (should) intelligence be measure?

What should researchers do if they find an incidental finding during a study?  What is their responsibility?   Should they tell their experimental subject if the finding is not part of the research?  What if the finding had no significant health risk?  Does it matter if the researcher was an MD or a PhD?

What is the difference between an "abnormality" and just "being different?"  How should this be determined and what, if anything, should be done?

The answers to these questions are open for debate and are shaped by an individual's own background and culture.  I look forward to learning from the monks and nuns about their way of thinking about these questions.

120 V, 60 Hz to 230 V, 50 Hz

While in India, I hope continue to add entries to this blog.  I plan to bring my small computer to help with my teaching and to access the Internet (when available).  In order to use my computer, however, I will need electricity!  In the United States, electricity is delivered as 120 V, 60 Hz; in India, electricity is delivered as 230 V, 50 Hz.

Most new electrical devices like computers are built to run on electricity in these different forms.  The problem is getting the electricity to the computer.  Different countries have different shaped electrical outlets (see below).

The solution to this problem is really quite simple:  an adapter.  My computer power cord will be plugged into the adapter and then the adapter, with the correct outlet configuation, is plugged into the wall.  I just hope I will be able to find the correct adapter at a store here in Seattle. 

Joining the Team

Two weeks ago I took an overnight trip to San Francisco to meet the other instructors who will travel to India.  I was met at the San Francisco airport by Bryce Johnson who has been with the Science for Monks program for several years.  In addition to working with the Science for Monks program, Bryce is a post-doctoral fellow at the Exploratorium, the science museum in San Francisco.  It was a nice sunny day as we drove north from the airport to the Exploratorium.

The Exploratorium is a wonderful place.  It was the first time I had been to this science museum and I must say it is now one of my favorite places.  All of the exhibits are hands-on and there are many demonstrations that show how the mind and senses work.  Soon I met two more of my traveling companions, Paul Doherty and Modesto Tamez.  Paul is a physicist who has been with the Exploratorium for 25 years and Modesto is science teacher who has worked at the Exploratorium for 8 years.  It was great getting a personal tour of all the exhibits at the museum from these experts!

For dinner we went to a Vietnamese restaurant (Modesto knows all of the best places to eat in San Francisco) where I met Richard Sterling.  Richard is an English professor who currently works at UC Berkeley; he makes the last member of our team.

The next morning we all met back at the Exploratorium to plan the two weeks of instruction in India.  We all agreed that hands-on activities with plenty of time of exploration, discussion and debate will work best.  Our days with the Tibetan monks and nuns will be divided into four or five periods of 90 minutes.  Each of us will take the lead for at least one of these blocks each day. 

I plan to discuss neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and the senses and help Paul, Modesto and Richard with their lessons about light, sound and writing.   We all seemed to get along and I look forward to working with this very talented group of educators.

Time Zoned

The time difference between India and Seattle, Washington, is 13.5 hours.  That means, for example, that when it is 8 pm in Seattle, it is 9:30 am the next day in India.  Travelers who cross so many time zones can experience "jet lag" and may have trouble sleeping, concentrating, and staying alert.  Some people with jet lag have memory problems, headaches, nausea and upset stomachs.

I remember on previous trips to India that I couldn't keep my eyes open in the late afternoon.  I felt so tired.  My body felt like it was the early morning and I hadn't slept yet.  I also remember having a difficult time falling asleep at night.  Although it was dark outside, my body thought it was time to wake up.

It usually takes a few days to adapt to the new time zone.  One way to prevent jet lag is to reset your body clock BEFORE a trip.  However, this is not very practical for a trip to India because I would have to completely reverse my sleep-wake pattern -- I would have to go to sleep at about 11 am and wake up at 7 pm.  Another suggestion is to take melatonin supplements to help reset your body clock.  Although some data suggest that melatonin works, other data are not so convincing.  Being in good physical shape, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine on the flight may speed recovery from jet lag.  Exposure to sunlight may also help reset body clocks, so I plan to spend as much time as possible outside after I arrive in India.

Keeping Safe

BOIL IT, COOK IT, PEEL IT, OR FORGET IT. That's the advice of the University of Washington Travel Clinic when it comes to food for travelers in India. For water, it's advised to drink bottled water, boiled water, water treated with a filter or carbonated beverages. Never drink tap water or use ice made from tap water.

These are all good suggestions to avoid the dreaded "Delhi Belly." I have been to India several times. The last time I was in India, however, was almost 30 years ago. I cannot remember a time that I suffered from an upset stomach during my travels.

Nevertheless, I plan to follow the suggestions of the Travel Clinic to keep myself healthy.

Papers Please

A traveler's passport is the key to enter a new country and return to a home country.  Without a passport, a traveler will be locked out.  That's why I was a bit hesitant when I placed my passport in the mail.

Visitors to India must apply for a visa from the Indian government in order to entry the country.  An application must be completed and questions about citizenship, the purpose of the trip and the places that will be visited must be answered.  Two small photographs and of course, a fee, must also be included.  Then the application and passport are sent by mail to be processed by the closest Embassy or Consulate.  In my case, the closest office was in San Francisco.

I mailed my passport and visa application by registered mail and requested that the return package be sent by FedEx.  I was surprised to find my passport package outside my front door less than two weeks after I had mailed it away.  However, there inside my passport was my official visa that will allow me to enter India.

Getting a visa for India

Here to There and Back Again

How does one get from Seattle, Washington, to New Delhi, India?  Many airlines offer many choices for travel.  I do not have a favorite airline, but I do have frequent flyer miles that I thought I could use.  I called one airline to see if I could use my miles to upgrade to business or first class for the long flight.  I was told that I would have to purchase a ticket for $3,300 before I would be allowed to use my miles.  This was much too expensive, so I bought a regular coach ticket instead.

The total time it will take to get from Seattle to New Delhi is about 24 hours.  On the way to India, I will change planes in Amsterdam and on the way home, I will change planes in Paris. 

Travel Health

This afternoon I visited a University of Washington Travel Health Clinic to make sure that all of my immunizations were up to date for my trip to India.  The staff made several recommendations and provided some useful travel advice.  I had a buffet of immunizations to choose from but all were not needed for India.   I decided on four immunizations (see the photo on the right) and rolled up my sleeves for these shots:

1.  Tetanus, diptheria, pertussis Vaccine (Tdap)

2.  Polio Vaccine
3.  Typhoid Vaccine
4.  Hepatitis A Vaccine

I did NOT get a vaccine for rabies, yellow fever, japanese encephalitis or hepatitis B.  Although malaria is a problem in many areas of India, the places I will be going have a low risk for malaria.  Therefore, I did not get any antimalaria medicines, but I will bring some insect repellant.  We also discussed water and food safety (drink only bottled water, make sure foods are cook completely).  I was also warned against petting any dogs and be on the look out for monkeys.   Finally, I received a prescription for azithromycin that I can use if I have gastrointestinal problems ("Delhi Belly").

The shots did not hurt, but my arms are a litle sore right now.  It's not really too bad.  A little arm soreness is much better than getting one of those nasty bugs!

Why India?

Why teach neuroscience to Tibetan monks and nuns in India?  That's a fair question.  But rather than answer that question directly, I will direct you to the Science for Monks program.

Science for Monks

Several months ago, I was contacted by the Science for Monks program to see if I was interested in traveling to INDIA to help teach science to Tibetan monks and nuns.  This sounded like a fantastic opportunity and I jumped at the chance. 

My departure day is quickly approaching and I am gathering all of the necessary teaching materials that I will need for trip.

Stay tuned to this blog for updated reports!