50s...RIBOSOME!

July 28, 2006 7:03 AM

Only rarely is there an opportunity to participate in a molecular 'happening'. On an open field at Stanford University in 1971, several hundred students convened to undulate and impersonate molecules undergoing protein synthesis by a ribosome. Narrated by Nobel laureate Paul Berg and performed by a cast of very groovy cats. (via)
posted by Turtles all the way down (15 comments total)

Yay. I saw this video in freshman bio, and I've been jonesing for it ever since.
posted by muddgirl at 7:15 AM on July 28, 2006

Ok, that's pretty neat.
posted by QuarterlyProphet at 7:27 AM on July 28, 2006

Ribosome What a great way to start the weekend.

Thanks Outgrabe! Turtles all the way . . .
posted by tzelig at 7:30 AM on July 28, 2006

tRNA, peptide bonds, woo!
posted by octothorpe at 7:56 AM on July 28, 2006

Seems to me that the synthesis of LSD would have been a more suitable topic for that crowd...
posted by bluefrog at 8:03 AM on July 28, 2006

When I was in college (not so long ago), one of my housemates was a cell biologist who loved this video. I always meant to post it here, but by the time I actually had an account, I forgot where to find it. Good catch, Turtles.
posted by Alterscape at 8:31 AM on July 28, 2006

... my diagram is of necessity static ...

Yep kids, this is how things were done just before yer fancy computer graphics came along, it was all very labor intensive - all these students of course had to change career plans when the "nerds" revealed their world-changing computer technology shortly after this video was produced.
posted by scheptech at 8:53 AM on July 28, 2006

This is awesome. I've never seen this before. I love how they're all rushing for the alcohol as the credits roll.
posted by sarahnade at 9:03 AM on July 28, 2006

nor have I. thanks, it really is awesome. Now I would like to see one about neural nets turning an input into an idea.
posted by donfactor at 10:14 AM on July 28, 2006

Only in the 60's.
posted by GuyZero at 10:18 AM on July 28, 2006

Somehow, I reckon the video would be better if everyone involved were naked.
posted by dov3 at 10:18 AM on July 28, 2006

Are those balloons or blown up condoms?
posted by dov3 at 10:24 AM on July 28, 2006

Red Rover, Red Rover let protein come over.
posted by Toekneesan at 12:46 PM on July 28, 2006

I saw this at a film club screening in a basement in San Jose last year. The two who put the whole project together came there to talk about it. He's a chem geek, and she's the choreographer. I'm ashamed to say I don't remember much of what they said. For her age, she's remarkably hot. Not atypical for a dancer I suppose. There was some discussion of LCD in the Q&A afterward, but I think they said it was just inspired by general 60's grooviness rather than any particular hallucinagens.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:06 PM on July 28, 2006

*hallucinogens
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:14 PM on July 28, 2006