It’s my first trip to London, or to the UK for that matter. The city itself has the distinctive, quintessential, old-world charm I pictured, yet it’s blanketed with the expected conveniences of modern technology. My office for the past two days has rotated between a few wifi-enabled local pubs, a scene that may in fact be the clearest example of the integration of the old and the new. Some simple trip stats thus far: Days in London: two. Number of times I’ve ordered fish and chips as a meal: two. Number of close calls I’ve had with speeding cars after looking in the wrong direction while crossing the street: four (This is in spite of the clearly marked ‘Look Left’ or ‘Look Right’ warnings pasted in the crosswalk).
Read MoreGreetings from London, where I’ll be situated for the next few days. I’m here to attend the Science Online London 2010 conference on Friday and Saturday, representing PLoS. I’m happy to announce that yesterday we announced the launch of a grand new endeavor, a scientific blog network, PLoS Blogs. As the resident community manager (and avid in-house proponent of PLoS getting into the blogging scene), I’ve been tapped to manage this group as well.
Read MoreThe Washington Post reports that nearly 21% of Americans, aged 12 and older, have used prescription medication for non-medical reasons. At the same time, we've seen more than a four-fold increase in the number of prescriptions handed out for opiate painkillers (like Percocet, Vicodin, and Oxytocin). Why are these drugs becoming more popular than illicit street drugs? The Post article cites two reasons. First, these drugs are available. Users will often shop around for doctors who will provide them with extra pills with minimal hassle. Second, there is a common misconception that these pharmaceuticals are less dangerous or addictive than street drugs. But the reality is, they activate the same opioid receptors as heroin.
Read MoreRhabdomyolysis is caused by severe injury to muscle cells. The condition is serious, and can lead to kidney failure if not properly treated. Basically, muscle cells break down and release byproducts in the bloodstream. One particular protein, myoglobin, is especially hard on the kidneys. Rhabdomyolysis usually occurs when your average couch-potato decides to head to the gym for the first time in months, pushes his-or herself to the brink of exhaustion, and doesn't drink enough water. So today's NYT story that said twenty-four athletes from McMinnville High School in Oregon were diagnosed at their local hospital with rhabdomyolysis caught my attention. The players began complaining about symptoms -- which typically include sore/swollen muscles and dark urine -- a few days after an intense preseason workout.
Read MoreAs a follow up to the post I did yesterday ("King Tut's Parents Were What?"), I thought I'd talk more about genetic testing on dead people. Science News ran a story today saying that Sitting Bull, of Little Big Horn upset/General Custer demise fame, will be "the first ancient, non-frozen Native American to have his genome sequenced."
Read MoreSome 3000 years after his death, King Tut is finally airing his dirty laundry. New DNA evidence suggests that Tutankhamen's parents were actually brother and sister.
The fascinating tale of the experiments that proved this, along with a detailed family tree of Tut can be found on National Geographic's website.
Read MoreI just finished my first post for Wired Playbook, which talks about the hormonal changes that occur in the body during competition. Whether the hormones levels increase or decrease may give some insight into the psychological readiness of a contender.
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