Dear Psci-Com list,

Plus magazine - the free online popular maths magazine - has just published its latest issue (http://plus.maths.org/issue55/index.html).

Among other things the issue includes a package on the maths of genes, from DNA sequencing to DNA evidence in court (http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/may-aug10/gene_package/index.html).

Below is a list of the contents of the issue  with links.  Also,  you can follow Plus on Twitter http://twitter.com/plusmathsorg

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Issue 55 of Plus - http://plus.maths.org/issue55/index.html?ps=0

It's ten years since the first draft of the human genome was published and 
Plus is joining in the celebrations with a package on the maths of genes. 
We try and solve the genome puzzle, model cell suicide, and find out why 
DNA evidence in court isn't as straightforward as it seems. Genes aside, we 
assess small but lethal risks, create some fractal music, encounter a two 
box paradox, and find out how to win with coins and cards.

In this issue...

* Understanding uncertainty: Small but lethal

Comparing and communicating small lethal risks is a tricky business, yet 
this is what many of us are faced with in our daily lives. One way of 
measuring these risks is to use a quantity called the micromort. David 
Spiegelhalter and Mike Pearson investigate.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/risk/index.html?ps=0

* Modelling cell suicide

Martino Barenco and Mike Hubank shed light on suicidal cells and a 
mathematical model that could help fight cancer.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/features/barhu/index.html?ps=0

*  Solving the genome puzzle 

The human genome is represented by a sequence of 3 billion As, Cs, Gs, and 
Ts. With such large numbers, sequencing the entire genome of a complex 
organism isn't just a challenge in biochemistry. It's a logistical 
nightmare, which can only be solved with clever algorithms.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/features/sequencing/index.html?ps=0

* It's a match!

"It's a match!" cries the CSI. At first glance it might seem that if the 
police have matched a suspect's DNA to evidence from the crime scene, then 
the case is closed. But some statistical thinking is required to understand 
exactly what a match is, and importantly, how juries should assess this as 
part of the evidence in a trial.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/features/dnacourt/index.html?ps=0

* Do you know what's good for you - Unravelling genetic secrets

One of the greatest advances in the biomedical sciences has been the 
unravelling of our genetic code. Maths lies right at the heart of the 
challenges involved. This package brings you articles exploring the role of 
maths and statistics in unravelling genomes, understanding our ancestry, 
fighting disease and using DNA evidence in court. There's also a classroom 
activity and a career interview.

http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/may-aug10/gene_package/index.html?ps=0

* Fractal music

Fractals are a treat for your eyes, but what about your ears? Dmitry 
Kormann, a composer/keyboardist from São Paulo, Brazil, explains how he 
integrates fractal-like patterns in the very structure of his music, to 
obtain beautiful results.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/features/kormann/index.html?ps=0

* Winning the odds

When you flip a coin we assume it has equal chance of coming up head or 
tails, so any coin flipping game should be a fair one. But Yutaka Nishiyama 
and Steve Humble can give you the winning advantage.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/features/nishiyama/index.html?ps=0

* Career interview: Brazil correspondent, The Economist

Helen Joyce is a former editor of Plus magazine who now works as a 
journalist for The Economist. In August she's off to Brazil to be the 
paper's Brazil Bureau Chief. In between packing and learning Portuguese she 
has found time to tell Plus all about her varied career and the role maths 
has played in it.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/interview/index.html?ps=0

* Teacher package: Trigonometry

This teacher package brings together our material on trigonometry, from 
problems about simple triangles to the wavy behaviour of trig functions.

http://plus.maths.org/issue55/package/index.html?ps=0

But wait, there's more!

* How many sock make a pair?
http://plus.maths.org/issue55/puzzle/index.html?ps=0

* Thinking inside the box
http://plus.maths.org/issue55/outerspace/index.html?ps=0

* Get involved with Plus!
http://plus.maths.org/issue55/editorial/index.html?ps=0

**********

Happy reading from the Plus team! 

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