Final Year Examination
Answer
three questions from each section.
Neuroengineering
1
Design and construct from the
materials provided an interface between your own central nervous
system and that of the crab supplied.
Describe how the aquarium and its surroundings appear to the
crab.
IMPORTANT: The CNS link must be broken
before beginning the answer.
Papers which appear to have been written by the
crab will not be marked.
2
"I am a Bear of Very Little Brain and
long words Bother me"
A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
Q. Describe the neuro-pathways which could be
connected to alleviate this condition.
3
A neuroengineer needs which of the
following:
a) sharp knife
b) wires
c) hacksaw
d) nervous patient
e) all of these.
4
"Two heads are better than
one."
Discuss using examples from your experience.
Practical
cosmology
1
The small container holds a mini
black hole. Use it to convert the two left-handed gloves
provided into a pair.
Candidates unable to return the black hole
after the experiment will be disqualified.
2
You are provided with a large
energy source and a suitable vacuum.
Prepare a system yielding intelligent life
within 1.5 x 1010 years.
Estimate the probability of a false positive.
Applied
climatology
1
"The rain in Spain stays mainly on
the plain."
Describe and explain the measures necessary to
ensure this without affecting the climate of British Columbia.
2
Consider what proportion of a given
area's population must decide on a picnic on a given day
to ensure precipitation.
Discuss the possibilities for desert
reclamation.
Advanced
techniques in genetics
1
Many married couples of different
skin colour are known to speculate facetiously on the skin
colour of their children.
Describe the procedures necessary to:
a) produce black and yellow
vertical stripes
b) produce either blue or
green
c) justify your activities
to the children concerned
2
Enumerate the human genes which
determine political allegiance, and calculate the lowest
mutation frequency which would produce a Liberal majority in the
House of Commons within 100 years.
Borrowed from a long lost and long sought after correspondence in New Scientist,
13 March 1980.