cwilcox | September 21, 2008Ok, my title may be going a bit too far, but new research coming out of Harvard University has found a fat, an omega-7 fatty acid called C16:1n7-palmitoleate, which does just that. The lipid is the first of its kind found to act as a hormone, signaling muscles cells to react better to insulin and reducing levels of inflammatory chemicals produced by the body.
The breakthrough came after previous studies led by Gökhan Hotamisligil, a geneticist at Harvard. His team had found that blocking two proteins which normally bind fatty acids actually led to super-mice, who were "almost indestructible…
cwilcox | September 19, 2008It turns out that some really smart people at the University of Wisconsin have discovered a way to make sugar into gasoline, diesel, or even jet fuel. This discovery means that just about any plant can be turned into fuel - not ethanol, which would require designing and mass producing vehicles capable of using it. The fuel created by these scientists can be used as-is in the cars we already own. The new technology creates "a conventional fuel that happens to be made from sustainable sources," according to lead chemical engineer of the research James Dumesic.
OK - how great is this? We are…
cwilcox | September 18, 2008I've often been referred to as a nerd, dork, geek, etc, so I thought I ought to own up to it right away. I wouldn't want to give the impression that this blog is going to be written by someone with immaculate fashion sense and a keen eye for shoes. But which, pray tell, am I really? A nerd, a dork, or a geek? It turns out that the three don't exactly mean what I thought they did, and after extensive Wikipedia research (which we all know is the end-all-be-all of thorough research technique) I've settled on Nerd. Why?
Well, for one, I'm not a Geek. While the definition of Geek is up for…
cwilcox | September 18, 2008I've often been referred to as a nerd, dork, geek, etc, so I thought I ought to own up to it right away. I wouldn't want to give the impression that this blog is going to be written by someone with immaculate fashion sense and a keen eye for shoes. But which, pray tell, am I really? A nerd, a dork, or a geek? It turns out that the three don't exactly mean what I thought they did, and after extensive Wikipedia research I've settled on Nerd. Why?
Well, for one, I'm not a Geek. While the definition of Geek is up for interpretation, the classic meaning of "Geek" is a derogatory term for a person…
cwilcox | September 18, 2008I just want to start this out by saying I am not a political person. Honestly, I just don't pay too much attention to the minor nuances that separate political candidates. I mean, let's be honest: how much difference does it really make on most issues? I simply don't have the fiscal understanding to choose a candidate based on their political policies. I can't argue one way or another on most of the 'issues' like economy, foreign policy, and the ever-dreaded budget. That being said, however, there is one area of a candidate's platform that I do care a whole lot about: their environmental and…
cwilcox | September 1, 2008Here's a somewhat-comprehensive list of posts of mine that have been selected as Editor's Selections:
03.30.2011 Is Bigger Really Better? chosen by Dr. Peter Janiszewski
12.23.2010 Fish Have Feelings (And They Can Be Seen In Their DNA) chosen by Jarrett Byrnes
10.04.2010 The Ig Nobels Have Been Announced! chosen by Dr. Skyskull
09.16.2010 Testosterone Levels In Carcharhinus leucas: Is It All Bull? chosen by Jarrett Byrnes
09.08.2010 Busting Marine Myths: Sharks DO Get Cancer! chosen by Peter Janiszewski
06.21.2010 Reflections on the Gulf Oil Spill: Conversations With My Grandpa chosen by…