Three years ago I found myself in a tough spot to put it mildly with a prostate cancer diagnosis at age 42. In October 2009 I had a mildly elevated PSA test result (see more on that below) leading to a prostate biopsy. At the end of that month I had just received the news …
Yesterday, UC Davis Professor, Simon Chan, passed away. You can read more about Simon and the touching comments of many friends and colleagues of his here. When I heard the news, I felt like my heart stopped and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. How was this possible? It seems unreal. Ever since that moment …
What kind of laugh do you have and what kind of laugher are you? Chuckler? Giggler? Belly laugher? Quiet? Loud? Cry when you laugh? Can’t breathe when you laugh hard? Why do we laugh in the first place? There is actually a field of study of laughter called Gelotology, but despite this scientists do not really …
The science of laughing: what one’s laugh says about you, our Presidents, & Mitt Romney Read More »
I put up a funny poll a few days ago asking if Mitt Romney were a type of cell, what type would he be. I gave 4 possible somewhat negative answers (trying to be humorous) and 3 possible positive answers. The results of the poll are above. The first striking thing is just how much …
Results of ‘if Romney were a cell’ poll: not good news for him Read More »
Wait, what’s that taboo elephant doing in the IPS cell lab? You don’t see it? I’m starting a new series called “The Elephant in the Lab” where I discuss controversial laboratory topics that people are usually too afraid to publicly discuss. We are starting with iPS cells. (for a description and definition of iPS cells …
Taboo topics about iPS cells: the elephant in the lab series Read More »
Remember those folks who were pushing an amendment in Mississippi that would have defined the one cell fertilized egg as a full blown person with all the same rights as a living, breathing, thinking Mississippian? Now the new battlefront for their movement is California. They want to get an initiative on the ballot to make …
Is a fertilized egg a Californian? Personhood movement brings battle to California Read More »
The NY Times recently had an article ” ‘You Look Great’ and Other Lies” that listed six things NOT to say to a cancer or other patient, and then a few things you can always say. As someone who went through cancer surgery in late 2009, I’m not sure I totally agree with these, but they …
This is one of my favorite pieces and a reader favorite getting hundreds of hits! Let me know what you think. You can read the original post here with comments. If a stem cell could talk, what would it say (tweet?) I imagine stem cells like teenagers. So much potential but at times difficult. Below …