02.26.08
Posted in Biology at 5:46 pm by CMonster
Perhaps my dinner reading is a bit unusual, but a letter sent to C&EN has this tantalizing clue about science past, and the limitations inherent in killing cancer cells using shock waves:
“I remember one occasion when they used a Band-Aid to attach the explosive wafer to a tumor on the side of a mouse. When they set it off, the mouse went flying across the room.”
Two things come to mind from reading this:
1. Is this a possibility that the experimenters should have considered in advance? (I doubt that this experiment could have been done today; one can only hope that the mouse survived to experience gentler forms of therapy for the tumor)
2. Does anyone have access to Oncology (1970, v24, p187)? I think it’s important to ensure that Mighty Mouse received an acknowledgement when this work went to press.
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02.23.08
Posted in entertainment, technology at 10:00 pm by CMonster
Whenever I’m tired and worn out, I watch bad science fiction movies- a practice that I call “rubbernecking“. As the name implies, this involves films that are so horrific that it’s impossible to pull away, no matter how much they seem to defy the known laws of physics.
Currently, I’m watching a show called “Heroes”, which seems to have some funny ideas about genetics. In that vein, I’ve decided to present a few possible scenarios for how that show would play out in the real world.
Scenario 1: Finding the people
Eden: So, what’s this?
Mohinder: Using the human genome project, my father compiled a list of people with a special gene that grants superpowers. I need to call and warn them of the dangers they’ll face! I’m about to call someone totally new from the list. (Dials)
Receptionist: Hello. This is J. Craig Ventner’s office!
Mohinder: What? AGAIN?
Scenario 2: Patient Rights
Agent #1: We understand you’ve been tracking people using records from the human genome project. Is that correct?
Mohinder: Of course! It’s very important that I talk to these–
Agent #2: We’re with the project’s Institutional Review Board. You do understand the meaning of “sealed confidential records”, don’t you?
Mohinder: There’s a killer on the loose! Don’t you think they should be warned?
Agent #1: Uh-huh. Thanks to you, people with this gene can’t get life insurance anymore. Good work.
Mohinder: That’s- genetic discrimination! Congress should act!
Agent #1: They did. They made murder illegal.
Agent #2: And now we’re going to educate you about patient confidentiality. Old school style. (sound of billy club extending)
Scenario 3: Who are you, anyway?
Matt: I demand you tell me who you people are! Are you a government agency?
Man with glasses: We’re a covert organization. We’re not a part of the legislative branch, or the judicial. And especially not the executive.
Matt: So, like the office of the vi–
Glasses: Great. Now we’ve got to wipe your memory. Again.
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02.19.08
Posted in Cooking at 6:48 pm by CMonster
Like most people growing up, I heard plenty of kitchen myths- my favorite being my father’s insistence that adding oil to the water would prevent spaghetti from sticking together during cooking.
(Say it with me: Im-misc-ible. kthx)
Fortunately, his skills on the barbecue more than made up for this, but I’m always looking for new things to try in the kitchen. Apparently, so are a lot of other chemists- an article profiling famous french personality Hervé This gives some wonderful examples of how chemical principles and scientific practices can lead to great new discoveries in food.
He’s also written several books, but those- as well as What Einstein Told His Cook- are currently checked out of the library for quite some time, making them a bit difficult to review. (The latter has been well-received, though I’m somewhat amused by the title- Einstein is reputed to have boiled eggs in soup just to save on dishes.)
Until then, there are a few resources to give people a taste for chemistry in the kitchen. For starters, MIT’s Open CourseWare site contains the readings for a course in kitchen chemistry (with recipes I’m tempted to try myself). And if you’re looking for something a bit more basic, why not check the new NYTimes food blog for Six Kitchen Myths That Deserve Debunking?
Incidentally, if the Galloping Gourmet is reading this, he might want to pay attention to that last article- not all the alcohol in wine burns off during cooking. That’s important, now that scientists have shown that excess drinking is negatively correlated to scholarly output. Seriously- we can get funded for that. Booyah!
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