retrospectacle
Posts by this author
August 14, 2006
University of Michigan researchers are using gas bubbles to block the flow of oxygen to tumors, like a cork in a bottle. They can also be used to deliver drugs to tumors. The theory behind this is to create a artificial embolism, or blockade of a blood vessel, referred to as embolotherapy. When…
August 14, 2006
Go check out Issue #4 of Encephalon, a neuroscience carnival, over at the Neurocritic.
August 14, 2006
You know all those times you wish you'd had a cute plastic wabbit to read you your email? Well, wish no more, for yout wildest dreams are fufilled!
The plastic bunny with ears like TV antennae can read out emails and mobile phone text messages, tell children to go to bed, alert one to a stock…
August 14, 2006
Note: ScienceBlogs has been following the 16th Annual AIDS Conference, with a special temporary blog reporting on the goings-on. I encourage you to all check it out.
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As more and more women are acquiring AIDS in South Africa, a new trend is emerging: in order to not look HIV positive,…
August 12, 2006
I'm sick. Note to self: eating Taco Bell and then drinking NOT a good idea. Somebody leave me some links to cheer me up........:(
August 11, 2006
Or a popup, if you can't read it. View image
August 10, 2006
Ugh, I'm writing a paper today and swamped until the afternoon. And there seems to be some problem with file uploading right now, so i'm gonna check back later. So Grey Matters will be out around 3 or 4 pm today. Sorry for the delay!
Some exciting news though: Irene Pepperberg has agreed to do an…
August 10, 2006
John over at Stranger Fruit has posted an infogram from Science, which ranks 34 countries acceptance of evolution. I have hijacked it below:
John notes that only Turkey has beaten us in evolutionary ignornace. But I immediately was struck by how similar this list looks to one I posted about last…
August 10, 2006
Once when i was in a taxi, the driver was attempting to make conversation and asked what I did. I usually try to avoid the subject with some people, because when i say "I study the inner ear" a lot of people feel the need to unload their medical problems regarding earwax upon me. Only half-way…
August 10, 2006
The fifth issue of The Synapse, our homegrown Neuroscience carnival, will be hosted here August 20th. Submission guidelines are here.
I really want to see some quallity work from some new bloggers here! Pass the word around to your friends, I've already had a few great submissions. Please get them…
August 10, 2006
"New Zealand's indigenous Maori population reacted angrily on Wednesday to a researcher's findings that Maori have a high representation of a gene linked to aggression, as the nation faces a domestic violence crisis."
According to a Yahoo news story, genetic epidemiologist Rod Lea recently…
August 9, 2006
You never see graphs this clean in science. But I think most 65-plussers are just angry at and afraid of everything, so this poll might be moot.
Democrats 60%, Republicans 40%. Hmmmmm. I guess we should all just go work at Hooters and let the menfolk do the figgerin'. (Kidding, mostly.)
From…
August 9, 2006
In addition to the below post on gene therapy, keep a watch out for a review paper on the topic (by yours truly) that was just accepted into Hearing Research.
Deafness and hearing impairment are serious medical concerns in America, with nearly 30 million Americans affected to some degree. This is…
August 8, 2006
Ok, hold the phone everyone!!!!!!! A volunteer from Irene Pepperberg's lab has informed me that parrot-related merchandise is available for purchase, to help support her lab and research on grey parrots. I am totally going to buy every one of these items, er, once I get my stipend check, that is.…
August 8, 2006
From down under, news of parrot conservation! A 52-turbine wind-farm was shot down by local senators due to the large threat it posed to the endangered orange-bellied parrot (pictured above).
After blocking the wind farm in April because of a perceived threat to the parrot, Senator Campbell last…
August 8, 2006
Apparently, an increasing trend is "stem cell tourism"---but not for Alzheimer's or a spinal cord injury. No, rather for aging, wrinkles, cellulite, and general "rejuvenation." This is obviously quackery, as the methods they describe (which range from smearing dead cow cells as a facial, or direct…
August 8, 2006
I just had to post this for PZ. This is a tattoo my friend Jenni has on her foot, and I love it! I know all those out there with a tentacle fetish will appreciate this.
August 7, 2006
So, Terra Sigillata recently posted this question:
How can Hooters support the fight against breast cancer, all without being perceived as capitalistic, misogynistic, or otherwise demeaning to women?
While a very interesting and noble question, my feelings can be summed up thusly:
I'm of the…
August 7, 2006
Consider the case of Diet Coke. More fat people drink it than skinny people. That means that Diet Coke makes you fat, right?
Well of course not, but this is the same ridiculous backwards logic used in this report that teens who have iPod full of raunchy music have sex at an earlier age than teens…
August 7, 2006
Well my second re-submission of my NRSA is finally on its way to the NIH today. This is my last try (for this grant), so if its still not getting a fundable score, I've got to scrap the whole thing. So, obviously, I'm REALLY hoping I don't have to do that. (Fingers crossed!)
While writing it, I…
August 6, 2006
Former Tour de France champ Floyd Landis is now disgraced. His "B sample" came up positive for synthetic testosterone.
Bumblebees like their nectar warm, thank you. (Read about bee intelligence here!)
Top ten places for future disasters in America to occur.
Body modification is an increasing…
August 4, 2006
Object permanence refers to the notion that objects are separate entities that continue to exist even when we can't see them. Its the opposite of "out of sight, out of mind" in the sense that the person (or animal) realizes the object still exists in space somewhere. This may lead to searching…
August 3, 2006
According to a recent survey of 11,000 people, 75% of obese Americans think their eating habits are healthy. In addition 40% claim to exercise vigorously at least 3x a week! The survey was conducted by an Ann Arbor based group called Thomson Medstat
"There is, perhaps, some denial going on. Or…
August 3, 2006
According to a recent study, reported on in Forbes magazine, the chemicals in marijuana may prevent pregnancy by making it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.
Dey, the Dorothy Overall Wells professor of pediatrics, cell and developmental biology and pharmacology at Vanderbilt…
August 2, 2006
Poor alcoholic Mel!
I haven't been able to find the police report from his fateful drunken driving incident, but I did find a humorous one that I'm sure is almost as crazy as the real thing!
Some highlights?
After attempting to flee the scene, Gibson shouted that "Jews are responsible for all the…
August 2, 2006
One only has to turn on a TV, or browse through any news site, to read the story of disgraced Tour de France winner Flloyd Landis. Landis, an American, was reported to have an abnormally high testosterone to epitestosterone ratio in one of his urine samples given right before the end of of the race…
August 1, 2006
In honor of His affinity to parrots, Flying Spaghetti Monsterists hold a festival each year to honor the pirate's best friend and prophetic vessel. It is widely believed that the Flying Spaghetti Monster prefers followers who accessorize with parrots because they allow Him to communicate with them…