Science or Science Fiction: The thread to debate science.

Sojourn · Post by **Sojourn** » 16 Nov 2007, 15:22

jee wrote:
Sojourn wrote: and i love you to mrs g
nonono! you don't and its Ms

ok

who are you and where is golly ?

s

Post by **Anakha56** » 16 Nov 2007, 19:16

Microbial Hydrogen Production Threatens Extinction for the Ethanol Dinosaur

moving along...

So how long before the oil industry shuts this down?

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:01

New medical research has found that squid extract helps to prevent scarring and bleeding after certain operations.

They're mainly using it for sinus surgeries at the moment, to prevent post-operative nasal adhesions. Squirting squid goo up your nose hardly seems like an attractive concept... I think I would take my chances with the adhesions

.

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:04

Well one of the most popular sinus medications makes use of the lining in the pigs nose (mucosa) to stop your sinuses from being blocked. Needless to say - I don't use the stuff.

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:19

Tribble wrote: Well one of the most popular sinus medications makes use of the lining in the pigs nose (mucosa) to stop your sinuses from being blocked. Needless to say - I don't use the stuff.

Ugh... Now that I know that, I'm never going to be able to stomach decongestants again

.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's all sorts of these things in medicine that we don't know about - what you don't know can't hurt you though I suppose

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Judas · Post by **Judas** » 19 Nov 2007, 14:50

Reposted from Machines Like Us:

A multinational team of researchers has shown for the first time that the immune system can stop the growth of a cancerous tumor without actually killing it.

Scientists have been working for years to use the immune system to eradicate cancers, a technique known as immunotherapy. The new findings prove an alternate to this approach exists: When the cancer can't be killed with immune attacks, it may be possible to find ways to use the immune system to contain it. The results also may help explain why some tumors
seem to suddenly stop growing and go into a lasting period of dormancy.

(Continued...)

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 19 Nov 2007, 17:05

That would be amazing but think of the cons. One week of stress - late nights - over drinking and your immune system weakens. The cancer could then re-establish itself. If they saw this as a short term solution only - then it would be good.

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 19 Nov 2007, 17:14

Tribble wrote:That would be amazing but think of the cons. One week of stress - late nights - over drinking and your immune system weakens. The cancer could then re-establish itself. If they saw this as a short term solution only - then it would be good.

Agreed, it would be quite a difficult treatment to maintain in the long term... On the other hand, at least it's a step in the right direction - and hopefully it'll open up some new avenues of cancer research.

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 19 Nov 2007, 17:21

Provided it doesn't cause them to neglect the long term aim ---> to find a cure. If you think about it - even one day of too much sugar can lower your immunity - that would be detrimental to cancer patients. Every germ would become a threat and they would over treat with antibiotics - thereby creating more superbugs.

This has to be thought through carefully.

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 20 Nov 2007, 19:48

Reposted from BBC News:

Skin transformed into stem cells

Human skin cells have been reprogrammed by two groups of scientists to mimic embryonic stem cells with the potential to become any tissue in the body.

The breakthrough promises a plentiful new source of cells for use in research into new treatments for many diseases.

Crucially, it could mean that such research is no longer dependent on using cells from human embryos, which has proved highly controversial.

(Continued...)

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 20 Nov 2007, 19:53

Now that is amazing!

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 23 Nov 2007, 09:52

wired wrote:Lene Vestergaard Hau can stop a pulse of light in midflight, start it up again at 0.13 miles per hour, and then make it appear in a completely different location.
<...>
Her first trick was slowing a pulse of light to a crawl — 15 mph as it traveled through the BEC. Since then, Hau has completely frozen a pulse and then released it. And recently she shot a pulse into one BEC and stopped it — turning the BEC into a hologram, a sort of matter version of the pulse. Then she transferred that matter waveform into an entirely different BEC nearby — which emitted the original light pulse.

typical of wired, very light on detail, but still a fascinating story.

Website · Post by **hamin_aus** » 23 Nov 2007, 10:28

Lene Vestergaard Hau :

Do. Not. Want.

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:01

Perpetual motion machine (for real!):

http://www.dailytech.com/NIST+Creates+P ... le9865.htm

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:21

Judas wrote:Reposted from BBC News:

Skin transformed into stem cells

Human skin cells have been reprogrammed by two groups of scientists to mimic embryonic stem cells with the potential to become any tissue in the body.

The breakthrough promises a plentiful new source of cells for use in research into new treatments for many diseases.

Crucially, it could mean that such research is no longer dependent on using cells from human embryos, which has proved highly controversial.

(Continued...)

Interesting, Hey guys Im growing myself a new liver on my back, want to see?

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:35

Skidd wrote:Im growing myself a new liver on my back

preparing for the festive season?...

actually, a thought occurred the other day, probably an illogical one, but the article failed to answer this for me:

skin cells constitute 17 amino acids.

stem cells carry the full load, (all 22 amino acids - the max encountered in a human body).

this appears to present some disparity in how effective these cells would be at reconstructing things like cartilage, bone or fingernails, (all of which require 19+). not only that, but certain cells require specific combinations of amino acids.. some of which are missing in skin cells.

as an alternate source of stem cells, this will probably cover a great deal of treatments, but still nowhere near the range available to actual stem cells.

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:38

Well I dont approve of harvesting stem cells from pregnant woman, so they have to find another way.

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:42

Skidd wrote:Well I dont approve of harvesting stem cells from pregnant woman, so they have to find another way.

Unfortunately embryonic stem cell research is still going to be necessary for the foreseeable future, for reasons described in an excellent post at Pharyngula.

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:53

Skidd wrote:they have to find another way.

i believe they are working on harvesting from the umbilical cord at birth, but this is nowhere near as efficient as the traditional methods.

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 04 Dec 2007, 15:55

I know the advantages of it, but I sure dont feel comfortable with them taking a piece of my baby out of the woman I love judas, thats how I feel about it.

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 04 Dec 2007, 16:05

Skidd wrote:I know the advantages of it, but I sure dont feel comfortable with them taking a piece of my baby out of the woman I love judas, thats how I feel about it.

Stem cells are harvested from surplus embryos produced by in vitro fertilization, not straight from the womb

.

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 04 Dec 2007, 16:10

Is that the new method? they had this on discovery channel and they where operating on a pregnant woman to get some stem cell's

Judas · Post by **Judas** » 04 Dec 2007, 16:14

Skidd wrote:Is that the new method? they had this on discovery channel and they where operating on a pregnant woman to get some stem cell's

I don't think that would be possible - stem cells are harvested from blastocyst stage embryos, which are only 4 or 5 days old... That early in the pregnancy, the woman wouldn't even know that she was pregnant. And the embryo would be killed in the process.

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 04 Dec 2007, 16:21

O I see, must have been harvesting stem cells from the umbilical cord then.

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 04 Dec 2007, 18:33

Anyone see the south park with Christopher Reeve harvesting stem cells?