Two years ago, I reported on a really cool device developed by Dr. Omar Yaghi. One that is able to produce pure water right from the air. (OK. It does require that there be humidity- water vapor- in the air. We are not talking about producing something from nothing.)
Continue reading Pulling it out from thin air?
267 years ago, Ben Franklin flew his kite to demonstrate that lightning was electricity. But, it really wasn’t of much use to us until some 130 years later. On the 4th of September 1882, the Edison Illuminating Company began operating the first power plant (Pearl Street) with a network of copper wires. (The problem is that our electric grid has not really progressed much beyond that mess of copper wires.)
I had no intention of breaking into my queue again. And, certainly not for such a sad event. But, since I spoke about plasmids yesterday, today is the proper time to say goodbye to Dr. Kary Mullis.
Continue reading Kary Mullis, Ph.D. A most colorful character
Here’s a test.
What do ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, and propranolol have in common? No, not that you never heard of them. The first three are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). Gemfribrozil is a drug that lowers our lipid levels. And, propranolol is a β (beta)- blocker.
Continue reading More unintended circumstances?
We spoke on Friday about microbes that hide themselves in our body. Waiting for the right opportunity to infect our body with diseases- coronary disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, renal failure, macular degeneration, even some cancers.
Continue reading Dormant but deadly
Every once in a while, I realize that the path I chose for my life has been pretty fortuitous. Sure, I had two failed marriages (one clearly my fault; the other clearly not)- but I was awarded three fantabulous children as a result, so- on balance- I still consider them fortuitous.
Continue reading Bug invasions
Now, we have to wonder…
If they really have developed a blood test that can indicate if we are going to develop Alzheimer’s disease, do we want to take it? After all, we have no method of curing Alzheimer’s- nor do we even have a process by which we can ameliorate the symptoms. (Protein clumps appear in the brain some 20 years before folks manifest memory loss and/or confusion. And, not all patients with amyloid clumps manifest Alzheimer’s. But, really, PET- positron emission tomography, a brain scan- is the only foolproof method to scan for Alzheimer’s now. And, a PET scan is very expensive- on the order of $ 5K.)
Continue reading A blood test for Alzheimer’s?
Time to break into my queue. Because in the past 10 days, the United States has been hit at least twice by terrorists. Maybe 3 times.
Continue reading Permission Granted
I know. You are desperate to play the game. To search for your ancestors.
Not all of us are lucky enough to have living relatives who know our history. I learned about mine from my grandparents and great-grandparents. And, since part of the story always sounded just a “little”, I engaged in some fairly early DNA research. But, that certainly is different from the kind that is done now.
Continue reading You’re a Match!
Well, this may put the kibosh on my favorite dinner. One I have enjoyed since I was a tyke.
For years, there have been rumors that eating processed foods is related to obesity. The problem is that there were correlations- but no proof of causation.
Continue reading Say it ain’t so, Joe!