Can We Leave the Lights On? Sex Differences in the Bedroom

In Plato’s Symposium, Aristophanes tells us that the first humans were both male and female. They were very beautiful, insufferably pleased with themselves, and, above all, self-sufficient (as many of us surely would be if there was never the need to woo and keep a mate!). According to the story, these early humans were so
Tagged under:

The Flu Shot: ?Effective ?Dangerous ? Worth the Trouble?

There are fads and fashions in what the lay public accepts about medical information. One of the most alarming at the moment is the resistance to vaccination, including the one we are dispensing at the moment against influenza. Persuading patients to get a flu shot, even when it’s free at their local pharmacy, is not

Baby Editing: Controversial and Moving Ahead Despite Concerns

It’s hard to believe that less than 20 years ago, the White House announced what may be the most important discovery in human history: we had unraveled the structure of the human genome. After years of painstaking effort from scientists all over the world , we finally discovered how the genes that make us who

Women and Work for Pay: Why They Do It and How Happy It Makes – or Doesn’t -Make Them

There’ve been a few interesting studies of women in the workforce lately; unfortunately, the data for the most part are based on interviews from small samples and don’t describe the attitudes, demands and expectations of different generations of women. In any case, most observers agree that societal expectations of men and women are not only

Remembering And Forgetting: The Role Of Sleep In Memory

Our fascination with sleep is universal and ancient. One of my favorite images from Greek mythology appears repeatedly in the cameo brooches of the Victorian era. It  shows the goddess of night, Nyx, with a baby on each shoulder. One is her son Hypnos, the god of sleep and the other Thanatos, the god of

“Lungs of the Earth” at serious risk

From sprawling lichen to the most tenacious jaguar, the Amazon is home to millions of diverse species. An intricate ecosystem dwells among the foliage of the rainforest, which produces 6% of the planet’s total oxygen (giving it the memorable title, “Lungs of the Earth.”) This ecosystem is in grave danger, according to Robinson Meyer of The

“NIH fetal tissue research requirements raise worries” – Discussion

On June 5th, 2019, the Trump administration placed a ban on intramural studies involving fetal tissue at the National Institute of Health, stymying their ability to study multiple infectious diseases and developmental disorders. Extramural research proposals using fetal tissue, while not entirely banned, are subject to an ethics board review process which may take up
Tagged under:

“Revisiting the Flight of Icarus: Making Human Organs from PSCs with Large Animal Chimeras” – Discussion

Pluripotent stem cells, also known as “master” cells, have the ability to divide into all three types of body layers in humans – the ectoderm (skin and nervous system), the endoderm (endocrine glands, liver, pancreas, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts), and the mesoderm (bone, muscle, cartilage, circulatory system and connective tissues.) These “master cells” have the

“Risk of being killed by police use of force in the United States by age, race–ethnicity, and sex” – Discussion

The epidemic of police killings in the US has garnered international news attention, beginning with the death of 18-year-old unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August of 2014. The killing of Michael Brown conjured a synchronized uproar of “Hands up, don’t shoot” by American protesters  – a rally cry detailing the final moments of Michael

“What Women Need to Know” Question & Answers August 2019

caffeine Q. I need a cup or two of coffee in the morning to get me going. My daughter, who follows a strict macrobiotic diet, has been nagging me about my coffee drinking. She contends that caffeine (I only drink caffeinated coffee) is an addictive drug that can cause all kinds of health problems. I
Tagged under: ,