Category: Uncategorized
-
While leading-edge scientist release the huge story about (not anymore) “junk” DNA, which actually contains 80% regulatory sequences for genes, it’s worth remembering how much biomedical suffering can be relieved by simple remedies like Sprinkles–vitamin supplements for the world. Nearly half the world’s children lack iron, as well as other micronutrients, tiny amounts of which…
-
It’s hard to believe that we’re now taking the same route toward redefining viruses that we took ten years ago, about bacteria that coexist with us. It now appears that most viruses in our environment have effects that are either inconsequential or beneficial. Even obscure herpesviruses can protect us from pathogens and help tune our…
-
Chicon 2012 was fun! Here are: myself with David Brin; Dealer’s table, Larry Smith, the authors’ favorite; Radagast and companion; and a player piano in the airport, playing a virtuoso rendition of “Feeling,” which just felt spooky after all our talk about robots.
-
The US Government Endangered Species Act provide a little-known role for the public in protecting species. Any ordinary citizen or NGO can petition the US Fish & Wildlife service to protect a species they think is endangered. So who does a better job–the citizen? Or the government professional? Surprise–a paper in Science says that ordinary…
-
While another hurricane bears down on New Orleans, it’s worth reflecting on the past experience there, and the tremendous spirit of those who stayed and rebuilt. Kenyon students were among the many hard workers who came to help out. We stayed in FEMA tents and even ate C rations (about as good as they’re famous…
-
And now, back to blaming Mom–for immune disorder during pregancy. A surprising amount of autism seems to correlate with excessive immune response, particularly in the womb, from which a child later develops autism. Influenza and asthma in mother, as well as asthma in the child, seem to correlate with autism. The hypothesis is that we…
-
For decades, mothers have received disproportionate attention for the mutations their children inherit. Down’s syndrome is widely known to result from “aging” eggs, and many X-linked disorders appear in males, passed down by their mothers. But now, increasingly sophisticated genetic analysis reveals the role of aging fathers. Nature reports a study of a large Icelandic…
-
If you watch any television (like I do, at doctors’ and dentists’ offices, where I’ve spent too much time lately on behalf of defective family members) you may have noticed (inbetween the Romney/Obama ads) a new kind of ad that positively portrays a room full of robots. The robots look cute, red, and busy, like…
-
In The Highest Frontier, the scourge of campus lifestyles is a liver virus called hepatitis Q. It doesn’t exist yet, but surely will someday, in the endless parade of emerging liver diseases. The liver’s main function is to deactivate toxins, but unfortunately it also tends to collect viruses. Most liver viruses get cleared out, or…
-
As if we need yet another reason to feel guilty about what we eat–our gut microbial community depends on us. We’re not just eating for one, but for 10^14 (that’s 1 with 14 zeros). A study in Nature finds that in elderly people, the populations of intestinal bacteria shift depending on obesity and inflammatory diseases.…
Joan Slonczewski 