BioBLAST® Frequently Asked Questions

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• How to Get BioBLAST®
• How to Use BioBLAST
• Troubleshooting—General
• Troubleshooting—Mac
• Troubleshooting—Windows

1. Introduction

• What is BioBLAST®?
  
  BioBLAST is a multimedia curriculum supplement for high school biology classes that incorporates NASA's Advanced Life Support (ALS) research. Students learn about basic and applied life sciences research underway at NASA centers and apply their prior knowledge of biological processes during the course of this program. Students use simulation models built by the COTF, based on NASA ALS data, to develop and test their own designs for a bioregenerative system to support human life outside the safety of Earth’s atmosphere. The interactive adventure/simulation framework includes computer-based tools and resources, telecommunications events, and hands-on experiments.

• What does BioBLAST mean? Is it some kind of acronym?
  
  Yes it is. Bio stands for Biology, and BLAST stands for Better Learning through Adventure, Simulation, and Telecommunications.

• How can I get more information about BioBLAST?
  
  The best way to get more information on BioBLAST is by looking at the BioBLAST Web site. This is located at http://www.cotf.edu/BioBLAST/. If you have specific questions, you can send email to bbteam@cet.edu.

• What are BLSS, ECLSS, CELSS, and ALS?
  
  All four terms have been used to describe self-sustaining life support systems.

  BLSS stands for Bioregenerative Life Support System.

  ECLSS stands for Environmental Control and Life Support System.

  CELSS stands for Controlled Ecological Life Support System, or earlier, Closed Ecological Life Support System and sometimes Environmental was substituted for Ecological.

  ALS stands for Advanced Life Support.

  BLSS refers to the use of biological processes to recycle the elements of life support. BLSS may incorporate humans, plants, and microbes (also possibly fish and other animals). Waste products of each component become needed inputs for other components. For example carbon dioxide given off by humans and microbes is used by plants. Oxygen given off by plants is used by humans and microbes. The BLSS term has been in use since the early 1960s, when it was used primarily in algal research. It is NOT a NASA programmatic label, but refers to one type of system NASA is researching.

  Physical-Chemical (PC) methods of life support have been used as far back as the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab missions to maintain breathable air, clean water, and a safe environment. Later, the use of PC technologies was referred to as ECLSS.

  In the late 1970s the term CELSS came into use as a program label for life-support concepts that emphasized biological processes but could still encompass any technologies required. The CELSS term is used less now. Any life-support research at NASA is now referred to as ALS.

  In 1992 NASA combined life-support research and development into one program called ALS. ALS refers to all technologies, physical-chemical and biological, that would be used to support life for future space missions. (PC life-support work for the space shuttle and space station continues as a separate effort.) BLSS is still used as a descriptor for systems utilizing bioregenerative processes. Non-biological methods of ALS are usually referred to as PC.

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2. How to Get BioBLAST®

• When will BioBLAST be available?
  
  BioBLAST is available now.

• How can I get BioBLAST?
  
  Go back to the main BioBLAST Web page and click on the Blast Me button for information on ordering BioBLAST.

• Will BioBLAST only be available to schools?
  
  No. BioBLAST is designed to fit within a high school biology curriculum, but anyone can purchase a copy of BioBLAST.

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3. How to Use BioBLAST®

• What do I need to run BioBLAST?
  
  BioBLAST is available for both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Below is a list of requirements.

• Do I need to be on the Internet to use BioBLAST?
  
  No. BioBLAST does not require that you be on the Internet. However, without an Internet connection you will only have access to a limited set of BioBLAST's capabilities. BioBLAST components that require Internet access include links to World Wide Web pages, Ask A NASA Expert, HyperNews, and email to other students.

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4. Troubleshooting—General

April 19, 2004

Question:

I am trying to access materials from the BioBLAST library. The search provides a list of documents that relate to my search, but I cannot access these materials from the BioBLAST Library interface.

Answer:

WINDOWS

1. Perform your search in BioBLAST and find the title

2. Go to your computer desktop

3. Double click on 'My Computer'

4. Right click on you CDROM drive letter (should be labeled 'BIOBLAST'), and then click on 'Open'

5. Double click on the 'Documents' folder

6. Find the .pdf file with the same name as that displayed in the results of your search from Step 1. Double click on that file.

MACINTOSH

1. Perform your search in BioBLAST and find the title

2. Go to your computer desktop

3. Double click on the BioBLAST CD-ROM icon

4. Double click on the 'Documents' folder

5. Find the .pdf file with the same name as that displayed in the results of your search from Step 1. Double click on that file.

March 11, 2004
Question: I am trying to contact tech support for BioBLAST, but the questions keep bouncing back.  So you still sell BioBLAST, and will it work on either WINDOWS XP or Mac OSX?

Answer: Yes, we still sell BioBLAST.  The reason your e-mail messages keep coming back is that we removed the BioBLAST listserv because of technical problems with the listserv.  Please e-mail lruberg@cet.edu with any questions you have in the future.  Thank you for bringing this problem to our attention. We’ll update the website with correct contact information.

BioBLAST is compatible with current Windows and Macintosh operating systems.  We recommend that users follow the installation instructions carefully to avoid any program errors.

February 5, 2004

Question:

I am trying to contact tech support for BioBLAST, but the questions keep bouncing back. So you still sell BioBLAST, and will it work on either WINDOWS XP or Mac OSX?

Answer:

Yes, we still sell BioBLAST. The reason your e-mail messages keep coming back is that we removed the BioBLAST listserv because of technical problems with the listserv. Please e-mail lruberg@cet.edu with any questions you have in the future. Thank you for bringing this problem to our attention. We'll update the website with correct contact information.

BioBLAST is compatible with current Windows and Macintosh operating systems. We recommend that users follow the installation instructions carefully to avoid any program errors.

You can access information on how to obtain this product on the web at: http://www.cotf.edu/BioBLAST/. Click the button on the top of this page called "How to get BioBLAST" to access the BioBLAST order form. For your convenience, I am attaching a copy of the pdf order form.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions about BioBLAST.

• How can I report a bug I find in BioBLAST?

  You can report BioBLAST bugs three ways: email, the World Wide Web, or fax.

  Send email bug reports to webmanager@cet.edu. Be sure to include your computer model, amount of RAM, operating system version, and a complete description of the bug.

  Use the online bug report form at http://www.cotf.edu/BioBLAST/bug.htm.

  The BioBLAST CD-ROM contains a Bug Report Form in the For Teachers\Forms folder. You can print this form and fax your bug report to 304-243-2497.

• After running the program for a while, my computer runs out of memory.
  
  When you launch other programs (e.g., Acrobat Reader, Navigator, Calculator), be sure to quit them when you're done.

• When I select a hotspot, BioBLAST says I have not located Navigator or Acrobat Reader on my hard drive.
  
  Use the BioBLAST Setup program to locate your web browser or Acrobat Reader on your hard disk.

• When BioBLAST starts, it says I have not located Navigator or Acrobat Reader on my hard drive.
  
  Use the BioBLAST Setup program to locate your web browser or Acrobat Reader on your hard disk.

• When I try to read [any pdf file] there are white lines running through much of the text. What is causing this?
  
  This is caused by a known bug in Acrobat Reader. Sometimes if you scroll up or down, or do a page up or down, they will go away or at least move to a different part of the page. The documents should, however, print OK. Sorry, there's no fix for this problem.

• Is it possible to have an option that would allow users to save [the journal] to an identified server?
  
  This capability is already available in BioBLAST. You have the option of saving journals to a floppy disk OR to any other hard disk or volume. Just run the BioBLAST Setup program, and under the Student Journal section click Hard Disk on the Mac or Browse on Windows. When prompted, select a folder on ANY mounted volume to save the journals. In order to select a volume that is not local (i.e., not a hard disk connected directly to your computer), you must have that volume mounted on the desktop for Mac or mapped to a drive letter on Windows when you run the Setup program, and also when you run BioBLAST.

• Can I run BioBLAST from a CD-ROM server over a local area network (LAN)?
  
  BioBLAST will run from a CD-ROM server on a LAN. However, you must run the setup program on each computer connected to the server. On a Windows computer, map the BioBLAST CD to a drive letter on your PC before running the Setup program. Depending on your LAN, launch times of some programs or movie playback may be affected.

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5. Troubleshooting—Mac

September 2001

Question:

When trying to open a PDF file with the version of Acrobat on the BioBLAST CD we received a message that Mac OS 9 is not compatible with Acrobat Reader 3.

Answer:

If you are running Mac OS 9.0 or later you will need to update your version of Acrobat Reader to version 4.0 or later. You can download the current version of Acrobat at http://www.adobe.com/.

• After closing a Navigator or Acrobat Reader window, the BioBLAST program does not respond to mouse clicks.
  
  Select Quit from the File Menu to quit Navigator or Acrobat Reader.

• Navigator/Acrobat Reader does not launch the second time around.
  
  Be sure to quit Navigator or Acrobat Reader before trying to launch it again.

• Nothing happens when a hotspot is selected. I get a message indicating there is not enough memory.
  
  Be sure your computer's memory is configured as described in the Using BioBLAST Software document in the For Teachers folder on the CD-ROM. Also, make sure you have quit all other programs.

• The virtual reality view scrolls very slowly.

• The virtual reality view still scrolls very slowly..
  
  If you can, set your monitor to thousands or millions of colors. If you have an older Mac, you may need to upgrade.

• Characters in the Tons O'TYNS game are drawn inside white rectangles.
  
  This happens on some machines when the monitor is set to thousands of colors. Set you monitor to either 256 or millions of colors.

• When trying to print a pdf file, I get a message saying that background printing is not available.
  
  This is due to Acrobat Reader not finishing its installation process. To fix this, find the Acrobat Reader folder on your hard disk. Inside this folder is a folder called Fonts. Inside the Fonts folder is a file called ~ATM. Drag this file called ~ATM (NOT the folder that it's in) to the Control Panels folder inside your System Folder. (Be sure NOT to put it in the Control Panels (Disabled) folder.) Restart your computer and try printing a pdf file.

• When trying to print a pdf file, I get a Postscript error message.
  
  This one is a little more complicated to fix. It's caused by a bug in Apple's LaserWriter 8 printer driver, which appears in System 7.6 and later, including 8.0 and 8.1. To fix this you need a new printer driver. It's available from Adobe's Web site at
  
  http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/LIBRARY/pdrvmac.htm
  
  Get the file called
  
  PostScript Printer Driver AdobePS 8.5.1 - U.S. English
  
  Click on the Download button to the left of the file name. After you've downloaded and un-compressed the printer driver file, double-click it and follow the installation instructions. When it's finished installing, restart you computer. Then go to the Chooser (under the Apple menu) and select the printer driver called
  
  AdobePS
  
  This should fix your pdf postscript error problems.

• I have just followed the steps for solving the printing problems. I downloaded the file you suggested. All of the folders that were downloaded are showing on my monitor window. Should I put them somewhere? Also, when I go to Chooser, I do not get the option that you told me to choose.
  
  To get the Adobe printer driver, you only need to download one (1) file. It is called
  
  PostScript Printer Driver AdobePS 8.5.1 - U.S. English
  
  When you've downloaded it to your computer, it will be a file called
  
  AdobePS OEM.sit
  
  This is a compressed archive. If your browser doesn't expand these files automatically, you need to expand this file with StuffIt Expander (you should already have this if you're using a Web browser). The archive will expand to a single folder called
  
  AdobePS OEM
  
  Inside this folder are two files, a Read Me file and a file called
  
  AdobePS Installer
  
  Double click the installer file and follow the instructions. There are no installation options, so the only thing you can click is the Install button. After you complete this installation and restart your computer, the new printer driver will show up in your Chooser. Also, take a look at the Read Me file for instructions on installation and other information.
  
  If you're not sure how your browser is set up or where the downloaded files end up, just do a find from the Finder (i.e., the desktop where all the icons are). Do this by selecting Find... from the File menu or pressing command-f. Type in "Adobe" and click the Find button. This will tell you where the downloaded file is.

• I had the first problem [a message saying that background printing is not available] but I just said print and it did it without the background stuff. I like it better. It is easier to copy without the background.
  
  The dialog message refers to printing IN the background, not WITH the background. What this means is that after you click OK in the Print dialog, you immediately regain control of your computer. Printing is done "in the background," meaning you can continue to do other things with your computer while the document is printing. Without background printing, you cannot do anything else until the document has finished printing. Printing is done "in the foreground," meaning you have to wait. For short documents, it won't make much difference, since they print so quickly. Either way, the printed output is the same.

• When starting up, I receive the message "You have not installed SuperCard Player on your hard disk and/or not located it using the BioBLAST Setup program."

• BioBLAST doesn't seem to be able to find my journal and/or Assignments Whiteboard.
  
  You MUST use the version of SuperCard Player included on the CD. If you have another version of SC Player, you MUST delete it and re-install SC Player from the BioBLAST CD. You MUST have no other copies of SC Player on your hard drive (or on any other mounted volume) while running BioBLAST.

• Miscellaneous other journal problems.
  
  Be sure that you do not have other copies or other versions of SuperCard Player on your hard drive. If there is more than one copy of SC Player available, BioBLAST gets confused. This probably won't fix all journal problems, but it SHOULD fix problems associated with errors in opening the journal and POSSIBLY with errors on correctly saving/updating journal entries.

6. Troubleshooting—Windows

August 14, 2003
Question: Why does BioBLAST keep asking for more virtual memory? I have a brand new machine running XP.  Is it XP's fault?

Answer: This solution worked on a Windows 2000 & Windows XP machines: 

The first thing to try is installing QuickTime from the CD.  You DO NOT need to remove the existing version of QuickTime from your computer.

August 2001

Error Corrections: Plant Production Simulator Challenges 1 and 2 Teacher Tables

Substitute the following files that contain error corrections:
Download: PPChall1TchTable1T2.pdf
Download: PPChall2TchTable4T4.pdf
Download: RRChall3TchTable1T4.pdf

Question:

My students are running BaBS and are having trouble loading their saved configurations. They get an error that says "Either this is not a configuration file or it is from an older version of the simulator."

Answer:

BaBS saves three different kinds of files, Configuration files, Setup files, and Data files. Configuration files save the simulation
parameter settings, so that you can design a system, save it, and restore it later. A setup file is a printable version of your
settings that you can use to review your work. A setup file can be opened in a word processor program, but CANNOT be opened in BaBS. Data files are tab-delimited text files that contain the results of a simulation run. They can be opened in a spreadsheet program, but CANNOT be opened in BaBS.

First, make sure that you saved your configuration using the Save Configuration item in the File menu. Then, make sure that the file you are trying to load into BaBS is actually a configuration file and not one of the other file types. If you kept the default file name when you saved your configuration, then the file will have the word "Config" in its name.

May 19, 2001

I have installed BioBLAST on a Windows computer that meets the minimum requirements. When I try to launch a video in the BioBLAST Library it will not run.

Answer:

This problem is caused by an incompatibility between BioBLAST and versions of QuickTime that were released after BioBLAST. BioBLAST for Windows requires the version of QuickTime on the BioBLAST CD, version 2.1.2.

The first thing to try is installing QuickTime from the CD. You DO NOT need to remove the existing version of QuickTime from your computer.

If this does not work, then try uninstalling ALL versions of QuickTime from your computer, which means if you have just installed QuickTime from the CD, run that installer again and do an uninstall. If you have another version of QuickTime, run its installer and do an uninstall. Then install QuickTime from the CD. If you need to, you can install a current version of QuickTime without uninstalling the CD version.

• When starting up, I receive the message “Script Error: String Expected” or “Script Error: Handler not defined. ##QTVRMouseOver.”
  
  This happens when the QuickTime VR Plug-in has not been installed. Run the qteasy32.exe program located in the \Setup folder.

• A pop-up window appears and I don't see an Ok button to close it.
  
  You can close the pop-up windows in BioBLAST by clicking the white box at the upper left corner of the window.

• How do I access the files on the BioBLAST CD-ROM without starting the program??
  
  Left Click on the BioBLAST icon, and select Open from the menu to display all the files and folders on the BioBLAST CD-ROM.

• After clicking on a hotspot to launch a simulator, I see an hourglass and then nothing happens.
  
  It may take some time for a BioBLAST simulator or other program to launch from the BioBLAST QuickTime VR interface.  If the program does not begin in a short time click again.

• When I click on the hotspot again, I get a message saying “Program loading. Wait a few seconds and click again”.
  
  If you click on a hotspot when a program you have started is not finished launching, you will receive this message. Wait a few more seconds and click on the hotspot again. When the program finally launches, clicking on the hotspot will switch you to the program.

• When a pop-up window disappears there is a black square where the window was.
  
  Occasionally the QuickTime VR may not update immediately after a window closes. Simply click your mouse on the QuickTime VR and drag it to cause the QuickTime VR to update.

• When returning from a simulator or other program, the QuickTime VR Lunar Base seems to have disappeared.
  
  Occasionally the QuickTime VR may not update immediately after returning from another program.  Simply click your mouse where the QuickTime VR should be and drag it.   This will cause the QuickTime VR to update

• After viewing a movie, I can't move in the QuickTime VR.
  
  This is a known problem that may happen sporadically in the QTVR. Most often, the problem can be fixed by opening and closing the movie again. At all times, the arrow keys should work to spin the QTVR.

• The colors of a BioBLAST simulator change all of a sudden
  
  This can happen with some video drivers. Usually, if you wait a few seconds the graphics will restore themselves. Having an MS Windows “My Computer” window open behind a BioBLAST simulator is known to increase this problem. In this case, minimize the “My Computer” window.
  

• When entering a password in the Crew Assignment's Whiteboard, the backspace key does not work.
  
  This is a known problem with the Crew Assignment's Whiteboard.  Use the delete key instead of the backspace key or close the password dialog box and start again.
  

• How do I uninstall BioBLAST?
  
  Open the Windows Control Panel by clicking Start/Settings/Control Panel.   Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon.  Select BioBLAST from the list, then click the Add/Remove button.

• When I click on a face in the Experts in Science program I get an error message that says "Can't divide by zero."
  
  The Windows version of the Experts in Science program requires QuickTime 2.  If you do not have QuickTime version 2 you may receive this message.  To run Experts in Science you must install QuickTime 2, which can be found in the BioBLAST CD (in the /Setup directory).  You DO NOT need to uninstall other versions of QuickTime.  Having more than one version of QuickTime installed should not cause any problems.

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Double-click the file SuperCard Player.sea (inside the Install Me folder) to install it on your hard disk, run the BioBLAST Setup program, and locate the SuperCard Player application. Turn off virtual memory if you're using a non-Power Mac. On a Power Mac, set up virtual memory as described in the Using BioBLAST Software document in the For Teachers folder on the CD-ROM.

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