Shelley Batts is a Neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Michigan. She studies hair cell regeneration in the cochlea, and is just embarking on that quixotic quest called 'thesis.' She lies awake at night pondering how science intersects with politics, culture, policy, money, medicine, and religion in an attempt to be more than just a niche scientist sitting in the oh-so-lovely ivory tower. Follow me and my parrot on the quest to get funded, get a PhD, and stay sane.
Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life. ~Rachel Carson
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Cochlear Hair Cell Regeneration
Interview With Dr. Irene Pepperberg
On Religion and Taking the 'Red Pill'
Neuroscience of Cocaine Addiction
Parrots Have Object Permanance
July 31, 2006
Category: The War on Science
One more reason NOT to go to Kentucky (as if I needed another one?)..... A 25 million dollar "creationist" museum, which depicts people walking around with dinos. Mark Looy, a vice president at Answers in Genesis, said the museum has...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 3:32 PM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Red Herrings
Over at The Examining Room of Dr. Charles, he's got a fun little link you should try! You upload a picture of yourself, and a program analyzes your facial structure and then compares it to a database of celebrities. So,...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 1:53 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Snake Oil
Almost as inevitable as evolution is the law that states, where there are stupid naive people, there will be someone to hustle them. People were persuaded to buy a powder which they could allegedly turn into "Magic Cheese", said to...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:48 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Animal Behavior
The residents of this community should be happy that this wasn't a flock of chattering African Greys! :) Although I bet their cars were covered in "surprises" the next day....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:55 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 28, 2006
Category: Pepper
Professor Donald Broom, of the University of Cambridge's School of Veterinary Medicine, said: "The more we look at the cognitive abilities of animals, the more advanced they appear, and the biggest leap of all has been with parrots." Meet...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:00 AM • 29 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Red Herrings
Happiest places in the world documented.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:40 AM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 27, 2006
Category: The War on Science
A troll sends me a hellfire and brimstone email.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:59 PM • 24 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Announcements
Cool new sites!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 4:37 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Academia
Adventures in Science and Ethics raised an interesting question today: How are graduate student getting their education funded? When I was first interviewing at graduate programs, I was astounded at the variability in their offered "recruitment package." It often had...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 2:24 PM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Risky Business
Mothball abuse is on the rise among teens.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 2:16 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 26, 2006
Category: People I'd Like to See Fight William Shatner
Make sure you have a fresh pair of pants neaby.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 4:47 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Things I Wish I Could Afford
I'll take my tan lines minus the melanoma, please.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:19 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Stem Cells
Interesting website reports the progress of stem cell therapy in China.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:32 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Red Herrings
Calling Sam Raimi! Your Necronomicon has been unearthed!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:30 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 25, 2006
Category: Pepper
African Grey chases a ball. :)
Posted by Shelley Batts at 4:51 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Babel Fish
We've started to make science and empirical evidence not nearly as important as punditry--people using p.r.-speak to push a corporate or political agenda. I think we need to turn scientists back into the rock stars they are.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 1:47 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Announcements
Scienceblogs climbing the Technorati ladder!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 12:33 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Movie Reviews
Last night I went to go see "A Scanner Darkly," the dis-topia flick starring Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder based on the 1977 sci-fi novel by Philip Dick. Now, before you shout "Keanu Reeves!" and pan the movie, believe...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:46 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 24, 2006
Category: Stem Cells
What the Onion has to say about the Stem Cell Veto.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:26 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 23, 2006
Category: Red Herrings
Apparently, China now really believes that Americans landed on the moon. More anti-Ipod alarmist garbage. Just listen to it at a reasonable level and you'll be fine. Our ability to spot snakes helped humans evolve? Tina Fey is leaving SNL....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:30 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health Care
More on the conditions during Katrina, and how the medical community views the mercy killings.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:02 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Red Herrings
If I say its safe to surf this beach, its safe to surf this beach....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 2:14 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 22, 2006
Category: Repost
Dr. George Augustine on LTP, LTD, and the calcium wave.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 3:45 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 21, 2006
Category: Pepper
The story of Alex, a bird superstar, who can talk, count, and label colors and shapes.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:29 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 20, 2006
Category: Red Herrings
Find out when your name was popular in time.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 4:27 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Tastes Like Neuroscience
Mirror neurons in birds may provide a clue to human language.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:44 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Babel Fish
Top 10 Best Places to Live!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:14 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 19, 2006
Category: The War on Science
Absurd quotes regarding Bush's stem cell policy veto.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 5:34 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Beating 'Round the Bushes
One veto, as promised. I'm too disgusted to write anything else right now....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 5:15 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health Care
In the hours before the last of the hospital's patients were evacuated, one of Hurricane Katrina's most uncomfortable decisions had to be made: What would happen to those too sick to be moved
Posted by Shelley Batts at 12:35 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Guest Articles
While it is too early to say that this is a 'cure' for Parkinson's disease, this is definitely one of the most exciting recent discoveries in the field.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:55 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 18, 2006
Bush contemplates the veto for stem cells.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 5:58 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Repost
Mary Jane's latest dance with the FDA.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:50 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 17, 2006
Category: Beating 'Round the Bushes
Bush lets one slip at G8. Naughty naughty!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:00 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Babel Fish
Puzzle cracked?
Posted by Shelley Batts at 3:32 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Tastes Like Neuroscience
Physicians are beginning to use a novel therapy for treating aneurysms: the use of a platinum coil, which is threaded to the site of concern and seals off the potential rupture. (More, with pictures and info about aneurysms, under...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:35 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Repost
Sweets that are close in proximity and easily seen are eaten!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:50 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 16, 2006
Category: Risky Business
Non-smoking divers are not at increased risk for lung disfunction.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 5:45 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Global Warming
Global warming permeates sub-surface rock.
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:01 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 15, 2006
Category: Archaeology
So, according to this CNN story, some European scientists found 400,000 year old DNA in a bear tooth which was found in a cave in Northern Spain. Apparantly, is not too uncommon to be able to extract DNA from fossils,...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:29 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 14, 2006
Category: Pepper
I'm instituting a new Friday *special* here at Retrospectacle: Friday Grey Matters. While readers might think this have to do with neuroscience (and it does in a way) I'm actually going to be talking about African Grey Parrots, of...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 12:50 PM • 26 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Red Herrings
This is dog abuse. As seen on cute overload....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 12:13 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 13, 2006
Category: Stem Cells
The ScienceBlog-osphere has been abuzz lately with the current machinations the Bush administration's stem cell policy. As Nick Anthis, Matt Nisbet, and Ed Brayton have all mentioned, the controversy stems from Bush's threat to use, for the first time, a...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 1:30 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Tastes Like Neuroscience
A growing number of people under 50 are getting Parkinson's disease, according to this news story. The "early-onset" Parkinson's is fundamentally different than its "late-onset" counterpart, similar to the two time-dependent forms of Alzheimer's. (More under the fold.)...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:46 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 12, 2006
Category: Red Herrings
Yah, we get a bad rap (and bad dental genes too, apparently). I have taken it as my personal mission in life to kick the dumb blonde rap (although I'll certainly use it to my benefit when needed, heh!). Maybe...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 4:38 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health Care
Currently, AIDS patients must take a complicated regimen of many different kinds of pills to ward off the virus. But today the FDA approved the first "one and only" AIDS pill, which combines the other drugs into one pill. Called...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 3:21 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Travel
I'm going to Europe this September for the first time! Under the premises of going to a science meeting (Inner Ear Biology Meeting 2006), I'm spending 2 weeks in the south of France and Amsterdam! I'm so excited! Here's the...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:38 AM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 11, 2006
Category: Panda Fluff
The adorable panda cub Tai Shan turned 1 year old this weekend. Happy Birthday!!!...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 11:09 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Archaeology
Its sad, but true: all the best that Michigan has to offer is found lying by the side of the road. And look what turned up this time....
Posted by Shelley Batts at 10:58 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Repost
What is our duty to lab animals in regard to a quick and painless death?
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:49 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 10, 2006
Category: Health Care
I had to go to the dentist today, for the first time in 5 years. I always dread doing that since, for some reason, any of the regular anesthetics they use to numb the gums and teeth don't work on...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 4:05 PM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Inner Ear Biology
Researchers at the University of Antwerp have identified three genes, involved in potassium ion channels in the inner ear, which are essential for normal hearing protection. Defects in these genes have been shown to significantly decrease the cochlea's ability to...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 9:00 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 7, 2006
Category: The War on Science
The secret anatomy of a creationist, revealed!
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:05 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 6, 2006
Category: Chemistry
Vitamin C is great for you (as pirates who got scurvy due to the lack of it could tell you), but it loses much of its potency sitting on your grocer's shelf. Fresh Vitamin C is not only much more...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 3:50 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Stem Cells
This is a major landmark for stem cell therapy. Motor neurons derived from embryonic stem cells were implanted into paralyzed rats, which partially restored their ability to move like normal. A team of researchers at John Hopkins used a unique...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 2:08 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Tastes Like Neuroscience
Although I haven't seen the journal article about the case yet (it was published in the Journal of Clinical Research, I believe) , its already been reported on CNN and other news venues. A crash victim who has been barely...
Posted by Shelley Batts at 8:18 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
