Precious Proteins

There I was; leading a small team of scientists to save these precious proteins for the world. For the future. Ice cream proteins. We had two of these rare proteins that expressed smooth, creamy, flavorful ice cream. And recovered another from an evil group of industrial men. It had been stolen from a collaborator; this one expressed rich butterscotch ice cream.

I had hidden these proteins in a house. But as the private industry group of men were surrounding us, I distributed the three precious proteins to three individuals in our small group (one looked like Albert Einstein). And told them to run. Run, hide; don't let ourselves, and the proteins be caught. Faint, punt, divert those bad men away from each of us. Don't listen to their pleas and lies.

We must preserve and keep these proteins safe. Safe for all to access in the future. Without modifications, without capitalization; free for all mankind. 'Run, and protect them with your lives.' For these are the keys to the Perfect Ice Cream. RUN!!!!

Then there was a small party outside, a gathering of friends to share food and music. Graeme playing guitar (I didn't think he had a music bone in his body), a girl with short blond hair and fine voice, and I thank John and Tracy for coming all the way from Indiana to play bass and share in the celebration. Of ice cream.

Full moon triggers wild and vivid dreams at night.

To mouse, or not to mouse. What is the question?

After many years in medical and veterinary biology, I always questioned the (rather blind) reliance on the mouse model by modern science. I was glad to see I am not the only one.

Sometimes, there is a 800-pound silverback gorilla in the room and he is 'invisible'. This article exposes the gorilla and shows that the problem animal is not the gorilla but in fact a big fat rodent! An often overlooked aspect of research studies using rodents is that these animals tend to be sedentary, mentally stagnant and overfed. This life style results in obesity and a range of consequent pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, accelerated neurodegeneration and renal failure. This article details the fact that animals in such an unhealthy state do not qualify as appropriate research models for anything other than the study of 'couch potatoes'. 
This is a major wake-up call for the research community and easily addressed by portioned feeding of laboratory rodents and by putting a running wheel in their cages.

Citation: Shelley C, Marshansky V: "Sometimes, there is a 800-pound silverback gorilla in the room and he is..." Evaluation of: [Martin B et al. "Control" laboratory rodents are metabolically morbid: why it matters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Apr 6; 107(14):6127-33; doi: 10.1073/pnas.0912955107]. 

Faculty of 1000, 22 Jul 2010. F1000.com/3078978

Climate Changes: Interactive River Flow Map

Climate change cometh. This year (so far) has been one of extreme weather nationwide. Rivers are either flooding or drying up (exemplified here in Texas). The interactive map below is borrowed from Climate Central, a website with reliable information on global climate changes.

Word for Today: June 21, 2011.

Word for Today: thingification. The consideration of an abstraction or an object as if it had living existence and abilities; objectivication in social relations; modern Cartesian science. Reification.

Domestication Experiment with Silver Fox

I've known about Dr. Belyaev's experiment for many years, but this is the first (current) video of the foxes.


The incredible fox domestication experiment in Novosibirsk, Russia from Tyler Cole on Vimeo.

You can read more about Cole's visit to Russia and the Institute by following this link.

An article about domestication of animals, in which the Novosibirsk foxes were featured, appeared in a recent issue National Geographic.

The Zeitgeist Movement

I have no words that can express the relevance and importance of this movie and it's content.

“What You Think, You Become.” Wow! Really? | Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers | PBS

“What You Think, You Become.” Wow! Really? | Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers | PBS

Are we there now?

In The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan wrote:

Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking. I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.