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Barry Bonds.Shawne Merriman.Alex Rodriguez.Marion Jones.The list goes on,and so too does the ethical debate that surrounds athletes and their use of performance enhancing drugs.In the shadows of this ever-evolving controversy,though,lies an ethically similar but contextually different issue:“brain doping.“ Last year,as an April Fools‘ joke,a faux-press release by The National Institutes of Health (NIH) circulated the Internet.It stated that there were new initiatives to combat the use of brain enhancing drugs.The World Anti-Brain Doping Authority (WABDA) was to enforce the set of regulations among scientists.

Ernesto Sandoval knows his plants.From theAmorphophallus titanium to the CucumberTree,the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory is a plethora of plants for Sandoval to study. What is your occupation? I am director of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory.Kind of like the head librarian at a library of living plants. What do you do at the conservatory? I supervise and manage a cadre of interns,student employees,volunteersand part-time staff.I make a lot of the decisions of what to transplant,propagateand otherwise manipulate as well as when,how and how many.

A silent killer is on the rise among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.As high rates of chronic hepatitis B,a leading cause of liver cancer,continue to afflict the burgeoning population,some experts predict a surge in liver cancer for these ethnic groups in the U.S.during the next20years.Liver cancer incidence is unevenly skewed within the American population,as the disease tends to strike people ofcertain ethnic groups more often.A recent study from theJournal of Clinical Oncology projects that the number of new liver cancer cases among Asian Americans will jump by134percent compared to an increase of28percent among non-Hispanic whites by2030.

People take the ability to read and write for granted,assuming everyone can,but the evidence suggests that it shouldn’t be. Twenty percent of Yolo County is considered functionally illiterate,according to theYolo County Library Servicesand Facilities Master Plan2002to2006.

TODAY Dine with dignity campaign 5:45to7p.m. ASUCD Coffee House View the filmImmokalee:From Slavery to Freedom and listen to a list conversation with a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.There will be free popcornfromthe Student Farm. Veer screening 6:30p.m. Davis Varsity Theatre In celebration of May being Bike Month,viewVeer,a movie about five people whose lives are tied to cycling.Tickets are$10at the door,and80percent after the rental fee will go to the Davis Bike Collective. Club meetup 7to9p.m. Griffin Lounge,MU If you’re involved in a student organization,stop by this forum to meet with other students and learn advice about being a club at UC Davis andhow tointeract with SPAC,CEVS and ASUCD. An evening with Jake Kosek 4p.m. MU II Listen to Jake Kosek,author ofUnderstories:The Political Life of Forests in Northern New Mexico,speak.

UC Davis senior Shanna Wagner has Type I diabetes.Rather than accept her situation,she decided to do something about it. Wagner decided to help in the battle against diabetes by leading the Diabetes Dash at UC Davis,a two mile run/walk set to take place at the Arboretum on Sunday,May31at10a.m.The money raised will be donated to the UC Davis Medical Center for endocrinology research.

TODAY Thursday Trivia Nights 6 to 7:30 p.m. First floor, Silo Union Test your knowledge of random facts and potentially win fabulous prizes along the way!

A button fell out of an undergrad’s coat as he walked through the quad in the 1930s. A girl lost her ring in between thick blades of grass when it slipped from her finger one afternoon in 1962. And last week, a couple of quarters fell out of your pocket after you bought lunch at the Whole Earth Festival. Long after their owners have moved on, these possessions lay hidden in the UC Davis quad. But they can all be recovered – if you know how to find them.

Editor’s Note:For this edition of Ten Questions,The California Aggie spoke with senior communication major Kyle Dubs to get a feel for day-to-day life as a UC Davisstudentresidentfirefighter.The program,which began in1955,teaches firefighting skills to a select group of UC Davis students.

TODAY East Quad Farmers Market 10a.m.to2:30p.m. East Quad Support local farmers and buy some fresh produce,nuts,flowers and more! Pick up some tasty treats for a fun springtime dinner or a nice afternoon snack. Real Bodies are Fashionable Noon to1p.m. MU Patio Listen to a talk on body image and eating disorders by former male model Ron Saxen,followed by an alternative fashion show.This event is hosted by Campus Unions and the WRRC. Aggie Idol 7p.m. Freeborn Hall Come to the third annual intercollegiate student-athlete charity variety show.Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit humanitarian organization Invisible Children.Tickets are available at the Freeborn Hall Ticket Office for$8.

There is no way to describe the strange noise that came out of my mouth when I walked past the Davis Creamery a month ago and noticed a gourmet cupcake advertisement.This food combination was like if Disneyland had fused with Sea World– kind of random but still a really good idea. The Davis Creamery makes and sells chocolate,vanilla,coffee,peppermint,chocolate mint,strawberry,salted caramel,cheesecake,cupcake and lemon custard ice cream on a regular basis.It’s currently offering three new fruit sorbet flavors,including Very Berry,Pomegranate Raspberryand Mango.

TODAY Student Nutrition Association meeting 11a.m.to1p.m. Meyers Hall Breezeway Check out the Student Nutrition Association’s annual student/faculty mixer.Meet other nutrition majors,teachers and faculty.Lunch is provided! Author reading Noon to1p.m. Art Lounge,MU Religious Studies lecturer Alon Raab will speak about soccer andgive a book reading from his workThe Global Game:Writers on Soccer.The reading will be followed by a soccer game on the AStreet Intramural Field. Electronic Music for Change Noon to1p.m. MU Patio,Flagpole Enjoy an hour of free electronic music,Red Bull giveaways and Go-Go Dancers! An evening with Jake Kosek 4p.m. MU II Listen to Jake Kosek,author ofUnderstories:The Political Life of Forests in Northern New Mexico,speak. Personal Finance101:Tips for Graduating Students 6to8p.m. Building180,The Colleges at LaRue Go learn about personal finances and get tips about budgeting.