Take a map of the genome and give directions to a friend

I just watched a remarkable profile of Pardis Sabeti, an Iranian-American evolutionary geneticist, on NOVA scienceNow. Pardis is ranked 49th on the list of the World's Top 100 Living Geniuses.

And she's also the lead singer and bass player in her own rock band, Thousand Days.

Here's one of her comments (from a year ago, predating President Obama and the current Iranian election fiasco and brewing revolution) on the question and answer portion ("Ask the Expert") of the NOVA link:

It is of course very difficult to see relations between America and Iran becoming increasingly tense, and knowing that it is not the people of the countries, but a subset of leaders and radicals that are causing such strife. I am hoping that the spirit of the people will triumph.

And this:

I sometimes try to think of my life as an Iranian, and it is hard to imagine. I am grateful for the life I have had in America, and all the amazing opportunities and experiences it has given me. But there is a spirit in Iranians I can see that is unbounded by geography.