Salamanders, Stem Cells, and Stroke Victims

The 21^st Century has brought about many great scientific advances such as the map of the human genome and the discovery of the Higgs Boson. Another up and coming scientific discovery involves stem cell research. In the past ten or so years, scientists have discovered that vertebrates can produce stem cells. Previously scientists believed that vertebrates were stuck with the number of stem cells they were born with. However, if you observe nature, you see that stem cells are generated in adult animals.

Think of a salamander for example, when faced with a predator, they “let go” or autonomize a section of their tail in order to escape danger. Their tail, an extension of their spinal cord, grows back as if nothing ever happened. Phenomena such as this led to further research in neural stem cell regeneration of these small amphibians.

Vertebrates experience stem cell generation in their nasal cavities. Salamanders are especially adept at creating neural stem cells in their noses. Specifically, they have an area of their nose, called the vomeronasal organ, where neural stem cells divide extensively. This special organ allows the salamanders to detect pheromones of other salamanders and determine if their territory is in danger or if there is a potential mate nearby. They do this by sticking their noses in fecal pellets and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Stem cells that help salamanders smell and allows them to regrow their tails may not seem particularly important. However, through advances in genomics (the study of genes) scientists know that an evolutionary relationship exists between amphibians and humans because they share the same genes in development. For whatever reason, humans are unable to activate the genes that cause neural stem cell regeneration, at least not as freely as amphibians can.

Once scientists can determine which gene is responsible for turning on the stem cell genes in amphibians, they will hopefully be able to find the homologous gene in humans that has been mostly turned off. If these stem cells can be turned on in humans they could potentially be transported to other places in the body such as the brain or spinal cord. This would be a monumental medical advancement that would help treat everyone from stroke victims, to paraplegics, to people with Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Stem cell loss results in the degradation of the human body and diseases with serious suffering. The advances we are seeing in salamanders may unlock key mechanisms that could greatly benefit the human population.

A Science Encouraging Religious Beliefs?

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/keep-those-poisons-coming-a-shutdown-message/

Incredible Universe, Complex World: Science, Religion and Ethics Today

Whenever science and religion come up in the same sentence, a dispute seems to be inevitable. Jennifer Wiseman is the Senior Project Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope and Director of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion. She facilitates open dialogue on the often controversial intersection of science and religion. However, the controversy is not always there. Sometimes a science can give way to new, even perhaps revisited, religious or spiritual thought. Sometimes a science can question and seek to change current scientific and social practices.

                Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environments. In our incredibly complex world, ecologists have revealed vast interconnectedness. Further, the findings from ecology have bred a new “ecosophy”, where these amazing interconnections connect us on a transcendental level and will hopefully lead to a less destructive path for human beings.

                The science of ecology directly questions our unsustainable resource (fossil fuels, species, nutrients, minerals) extraction. The expedience and efficiency of our resource extraction is undeniably a result in scientific advances, especially in the field of technology. Ecologists question this and instead urge humans to be stewards of the land, taking only what is needed and giving back as much as they took. Thus ecology questions some of our technological advances and urges a more precautionary approach.

Additionally, ecology questions some of Western religion which gives man domain over nature. People take this to mean domination over nature, and it has clearly gotten humans into some issues with this domination leading to massive extinctions and global warming. In the midst of this new science conflicting with certain science and Western religion, a Deep ecology or ecosophy defined by Arne Naess as “a philosophy of ecological harmony or equilibrium”, has been born or revisited. Jennifer Wiseman appears to see and be appreciative of this interconnectedness, “As astronomers would say, we all come from star dust”. This emerging ideology is much more like Eastern religions and has quotes from the Bhagavad Gita, suggesting that the science of ecology is steering humans towards yoga and a harmonious life with nature.

The ethics that emerge from the thought of Deep Ecology are intense and quite radical. Some speculate that such a view would require massive human die back, or argue that it is focusing too much on nature when societal problems are much more serious. It is difficult to predict whether this ecosophy will lead to any real changes, however its presence does seem to be up and coming in grass movements and increase ecological awareness. 

Not out of the solar system yet

It is 1977 and big things are happening for those interested in space. “Star Wars” has been released, but more importantly, Voyager 1 is being sent off to explore the universe. The technology on the spacecraft included an 8-track tape recorder (if anyone still remembers what that is) and computers with not even a thousandth of the memory found on even a dated flip phone.

It is 2013 and we are now 36 years past the launch of Voyager 1. The technology on the spacecraft was only designed for a 4-year mission to Saturn, but the “Little Spacecraft That Could” is now reaching new lengths within our universe.

Voyager 1 has recently entered interstellar space, the space between the stars. This is the farthest a spacecraft has ever gone! With such meager technology, this spacecraft has achieved some incomprehensible lengths, making it a feat for physicists and space-buffs alike. 

The Higgs Particle Finally Makes Some Sense

Brian Greene's article, How the Higgs Boson was Found is the most demystifying article I have read on the Higgs Boson. Prior to reading this article I was aware that it was a big deal and helped explain mass, but that was about it. After reading this article I feel that I have a much better understanding and deeper appreciation for this discovery.

Story Ideas

1. Drug use at festivals. 

I think this is an interesting topic because we are still close to summer where multiple people died from overdose or unsafe drugs at festivals. The drug culture is huge at festivals and I personally know people who have been seriously affected by the aftermath of such drug use.

2. Adderall on campus.

This is one of the most widely used substances in colleges but I am not fully aware (nor are most people) of the scientific effects of using the drug for enhancement.

3. Gulf Spill aftermath

As was mentioned in class, the news hasn't covered much about the longer term effects on the ecosystems.

4. Birth Control and Fish

In Bio 101 we read about birth control and the negative effects it has on fish populations, I would try to write this in layman's terms and ultimately call to action that the substances be regulated in water waste treatment facilities (also look into if that is possible).

Is Telemedicine the Way to Universal Healthcare?

On Tuesday afternoon a group of students at Ursinus College came together to discuss quintessential liberal arts questions: “What is a human right?”, “Is healthcare a human right?”, and “If it is, how do we make healthcare accessible to all?” However, this was no ordinary liberal arts discussion. This discussion was arranged because an astronaut/physician/entrepreneur was visiting Ursinus College as part of a lecture series hosted by the college’s Center for Science and the Common Good (CSCG). Dr. Bernard Harris Jr., MD, MBA, FACP, President and CEO of Versalius Ventures, has quite the credentials and many students were eager to hear about why he believes healthcare is a human right. As Dr. Harris puts it, healthcare should be accessible for all is because “We have the best healthcare in the world, but the poorest medicine. If you look at health of the USA versus everywhere, we are way down on the rung and it’s because of this discrepancy in distribution.”

It truly does seem outrageous for such an advanced country to not provide healthcare for all of its inhabitants. While Dr. Harris did not talk about healthcare as a human right as much as was expected, he is confident that universal healthcare can be accomplished via technological advances. Specifically, Dr. Harris strongly believes in telemedicine; “technology and innovation enable better care and outcomes”. His fascination with telemedicine seems to have come from his time at NASA, where he saw newly invented robotic surgeon arms and Computerized tomography (CT scans). Being a physician, as well as an astronaut, mixed with a touch of Star Trek admiration, he started up his own company Versalius Ventures. As a venture capitalist, he used his appreciation for the technologies at NASA and obvious drive as a physician to better healthcare, to invest in cutting edge telemedicine.

The telemedicine Dr. Harris is investing in largely focuses around preventative medicine. He believes that the “hope is in prevention, providing wellness, education of people about their health, being able to have the ability to allow us to see when we’re getting unhealthy, being able to measure our healthiness”. Some of the devices monitor a diabetic patient’s insulin levels, hypertension, and even a small computer that asks how a patient is feeling and directs them with what measures to take to keep them healthy. Other telemedical devices are robots that perform surgery and a small pad that sits under a mattress that can monitor a patient’s vital signs. Finally, Dr. Harris spoke a great deal about smart phone apps including a personal therapist, a “doctor in your pocket”, and an app that uses GPS coordinates and your desired health that directs you where to find a healthy lunch (and annoys you when too close to an unhealthy alternative!).

Many people are critical of our technologically dependent society. Most of us have seen or been in a room full of people where literally every single person is focused on the nearest piece of technology around them and no one is actually communicating with the surrounding humans. Some think this detracts from real human relationships, while others think that always being connected to someone can enhance relationships. As for doctors, I already know that when I visit mine the human to human interaction we have lasts for a few minutes at best and it seems as if the doctor is already onto his next patient by the time he enters the room. Additionally, with a "doctor in your pocket", will Americans become even bigger hypochondriacs, wasting more money on unecessary tests? Perhaps the telemedicine that Dr. Harris is fond of will be the best future for medicine, or perhaps the telemedicine will backfire making healthcare more of an issue. How this will play out in reality I am not sure, only time will tell.

Harmon, Pollan, and Sibel Fitts

I really enjoyed Amy Harmon's A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are a touchy subject that raise a lot of high emotions. This is the first article I have read that isn't involved in PR for companies that engineer GMOs, that does not entice fear in the readers. Instead, Harmon takes a fairly complicated scientific subject and makes it understood through an entrepreneur, rather than merely quoting scientists. Through her narrative, the reader is captured by Kress and his desire to save the orange trees and the jobs that they provide. Harmon's depiction of Kress enabled the reader to experience the ups and downs of his process and appreciate his conquest. While there may be downfalls to GMOs, and perhaps less invasive alternatives such as planting polycultures, I do not believe it is ethical to paint every GMO is a terrible light and overlook the potential for safe benefits from them. I believe that even though Pollan said that he "meant to highlight her article because it was a good piece", he was trying to cause uncertainty and raise alarm. Further, I think that Alexis Sobel Fitts article misses an interesting and important piece my Harmon because she mainly focuses on the negatives and continually criticizes her for not highlighting the issues surrounding Monsanto. This is a flawed argument because Kress is not working with Monsanto to develop the GMO oranges and Harmon isn't focusing on the flaws of Monsanto and their gene patents, but instead on the blight of oranges.