I hope this rap has been instructive. Cuz a healthy synapse ain’t nothin’ to muck with.

July 9, 2009 8:41 AM

It's a hip hop guide to neurobiology, so just sit back, relax and go with the flow (of ions as they pass through the cell membrane). (via)
posted by tybeet (12 comments total)

I prefer Cypress Hill's guide to synaptic ion channels and cognitive function.
posted by zippy at 9:11 AM on July 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

Apparently Stanford University Medical School needs to attract more motherfucking students.
Seriously tho, this was well done. Love the names.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:11 AM on July 9, 2009

That was fresh as hell. Thanks.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 9:20 AM on July 9, 2009

CAST...
Sarah Tonin - Amanda Ramero ('10), voice by Becca Richardson ('11)

Is Becca not bootylicious enough to appear in the flesh? None of the male performers had video stand-ins. Perhaps Human Biology 4A could lend this video to Gender Studies H8 so that they could use it in their lectures as well.
posted by Kabanos at 9:25 AM on July 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

Maybe it was a voice stand in. Maybe Amanda's voice wasn't bootylicious enough.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:44 AM on July 9, 2009

Maybe Becca didn't feel comfortable in front of a camera. I've known many people who'd rather dub their part than show up on screen. I think you're jumping to conclusions, Kabanos.

Great rap, the names were definitely the funniest part.
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 10:00 AM on July 9, 2009

For those still not getting it, song parodies Wu Tang's Gravel Pit.
posted by orville sash at 10:06 AM on July 9, 2009

That was win.
posted by kldickson at 10:11 AM on July 9, 2009

That was terrific. I'm off to e-mail the link to everyone I know. (with proper attribution, naturally)
posted by EatTheWeak at 10:53 AM on July 9, 2009

Eh, don't really care for videos like this but man there is some great stuff on this site! Thanks for turning me on to SciVee!
posted by inoculatedcities at 11:12 AM on July 9, 2009

Loved it! 'The Gift of GABA' is a great name.
posted by painquale at 11:48 AM on July 9, 2009

One of the first things I learned in "Quantitative Mammalian Biology" in grad school was that the release of neurotransmitter vesicles followed a Poisson distribution, and that the action potential's function was to change the parameter of that distribution so that the probability of propagation of the potential across the synapse went from almost zero to almost one. This leaves some room for firing when not stimulated and not firing when stimulated. And this, I thought, allows for creativity through"random" firings or inhibitions that mostly lead to minor twitches, but sometimes to what we call insight.
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:20 PM on July 9, 2009