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Medicine

SCIENCE: Surgery in Space Will Be Messy – Live Science

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There’s already enough to worry about when planning a one-way trip to Mars. Did you pack enough sunblock to deflect the deadly cosmic radiation? Will there be enough water there? What if your assigned procreation partner doesn’t like you? Now, scientists writing in the British Journal of Surgery have provided one more thing to fear: floating blobs of infectious bodily fluids. According to the authors of a new paper published last week (June 19), runaway blood, urine and fecal matter are just some of myriad possible complications of space surgery that likely await future astronauts. In a review of studies … Read more

SCIENCE: Scientists Transplant One Guy’s Junk to Another for the First Time

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Doctors at Johns Hopkins Medicine performed the world’s first complete penis-and-scrotum transplant. The 14-hour operation, which took place on March 26, involved a team of nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons, according to a statement from Johns Hopkins Medicine. The surgeons transplanted the entire penis, scrotum (without the testicles) and a part of the abdominal wall from a deceased donor to the recipient, a veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. The transplant was the result of more than five years of research, Dr. Richard Redett, clinical director of the genitourinary transplant program at Johns Hopkins, said today (April 23) … Read more

FOR WRITERS: Artificial Wombs

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FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Alicia Nordwell: In honor of National Tech Day – artificial wombs: How would an artificial womb change the ‘humanity’ of the babies grown this way? What might genetic manipulation might lead to in terms of more than purifying the DNA for characteristics? What might be done with “abandoned” genetic materials that are used to create babies? Who would they belong to? What are their legal rights from conception or would they lack of human interaction during gestation make them more prone to be viewed as a product? Today we peer into the … Read more

U=(N/T)M*G: Golem

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Chinese scientists broke the boundaries of human technology yet again in early July. With precision, determination and science prowess that just boggles the mind, these scientists managed to send a photon from Earth to an orbiting satellite, using quantum teleportation. Six times. It’s a feat scientists the world over have been aiming for a long time time now. A quantum scientist friend of mine is absolutely green with envy. I applaud this monumental discovery and look forward to more. Quantum teleportation, for those who have no idea what it is, is a process by which quantum information can be transmitted … Read more

U=(N/T)M*G: Print

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In this day and age, a whole, huge deal is made about cloning. Dolly the Sheep, lab rats, stems cells. The list goes on. And humanity is eagerly waiting for custom, lab grown organs that are tailored with our own genes and available to the mainstream. The reality is, and what an awesome reality, we’re probably going to get better mechanical models way before we achieve cloned organic replacements. Enter, 3D printing. Stories abound of the astounding way 3D printing is starting to revolutionize prosthetics. Robert Downey Jr, himself, went and delivered a newly printed Iron Man gauntlet prosthetic to … Read more

U=(N/T)M*G: Plague

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You say the word plague, and most people’s eyes light up with horror or interest. Because, despite numerous plagues over the course of human history, only one really springs to mind with that one word. One that doesn’t need an introduction. I’m talking about the Black Plague. The Black Death, in and of itself, has had its day in a wide variety of books of both fiction and nonfiction types, even stretching into urban legends to this day. The horror of this disease is well known and used to great effect. As Ducky in NCIS once told us “The infected … Read more

U=(N/T)M*G: MDMA

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Yeah, I wrote those ridiculous letters for this post, knowing full well what they mean. And yes, I also know that knee-jerk reaction I had when I first read those letters in conjunction to anything having to do with medicine. For those that don’t know, MDMA is more commonly known as Ecstasy. I personally know of it’s short, sordid history as a party drug because my sister and a couple of my friends. I especially remember a party out in the desert of my junior year where I babysat a boy not much older than me while he was rolling. … Read more

New Drug Makes HIV Self Destruct

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HIV Virus

Scientists have claimed they have created a ‘breakthrough’ drug that can make HIV cells ‘self-destruct’ without harming the body. The drug, which was added to test tubes containing the blood of 10 HIV patients, was found to decrease the viral load by 97%. Abraham Loyter and Assaf Friedler at Hebrew University said they used a peptide in the drug that could case several copies of the virus’ DNA to enter the infected cell, causing the cell to self-destruct. By Joe Morgan – Full Story at Gay Star News

New Discoveries Day!

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New Discoveries Day

Hey all, Welcome to New Discoveries Day – a day once a month (usually on the last day of the month) when we discuss recent discoveries that fascinate us and that could spawn plot bunnies (or plot squirrels or plot mongeese – your plot animal of choice). So chime in and let us know about any new discoveries you ran across in the last month – links are always appreciated. Thanks to Freddy MacKay for the great idea! –Scott Come Join the Chat!

Article: Brain’s ‘gender’ may be quite flexible: Mechanism that plays key role in sexual differentiation of brain described

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I’m trying to decide if this article should be filed under “horror” or “speculative.” We’ve all heard the adage that the same hammer that builds houses can also be used to kill. Well… this to me seems like a Science Hammer. Brain’s ‘gender’ may be quite flexible: Mechanism that plays key role in sexual differentiation of brain described During prenatal development, the brains of most animals, including humans, develop specifically male or female characteristics. In most species, some portions of male and female brains are a different size, and often have a different number of neurons and synapses. However, scientists … Read more