Topics: Biology, Biotechnology, COVID-19, Diversity in Science, NIST, Research, Women in Science Scientists track and monitor the circulation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, using methods based on a laboratory technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Also used as the “gold standard” test to diagnose COVID-19 in individuals, PCR amplifies pieces of DNA byContinue reading “RNA and Covid-19…”
Category Archives: COVID-19
ACE2 Gum and Covid…
Topics: Biology, Biotechnology, COVID-19, Research To advance a novel concept of debulking virus in the oral cavity, the primary site of viral replication, virus-trapping proteins CTB-ACE2 were expressed in chloroplasts and clinical-grade plant material was developed to meet FDA requirements. Chewing gum (2 g) containing plant cells expressed CTB-ACE2 up to 17.2 mg ACE2/g dry weightContinue reading “ACE2 Gum and Covid…”
Your Brain on Covid…
Topics: Biology, COVID-19, DNA, Research Note: I have friends who thankfully survived infection now affected by this phenomenon. The article thus grabbed my attention. SARS-CoV-2 appears to travel widely across the cerebral cortex “Brain fog” is not a formal medical descriptor. But it aptly describes an inability to think clearly that can turn up inContinue reading “Your Brain on Covid…”
This Dragon…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights The Brainwashing of My Dad is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Jen Senko about her father’s transformation from a nonpolitical Democrat into a political Republican. The film was mostly funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Synopsis As Jen Senko tries to understand the transformation of her father from a nonpolitical Democrat to an angry Republican fanatic, sheContinue reading “This Dragon…”
Dunning-Kruger Death Cult…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Climate Change, COVID-19, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights In a speech 40 years ago to a group of conservative preachers, Heritage Foundation founder Paul Weyrich said, “Now many of our Christians have what I call the ‘goo-goo syndrome.’ Good government. They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote. ElectionsContinue reading “Dunning-Kruger Death Cult…”
De Facto Secession…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Democracy, Fascism, History, Human Rights Fourteenth AmendmentSection 3No Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, orContinue reading “De Facto Secession…”
Foxes, Minks, Racoon Dogs…
Topics: Biology, COVID-19, Education, Research During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the “lab leak” theory gained little traction. Sure, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested SARS-CoV-2 originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China—and called it “the China virus”—but he never presented evidence, and few in the scientific community took him seriously. In fact, early in theContinue reading “Foxes, Minks, Racoon Dogs…”
Critical Thinking…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights A statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform, Summer 1987. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation,Continue reading “Critical Thinking…”
Reckoning, or Ragnarok…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights I read Mary Trump’s book “Too Much, and Never Enough,” feeling a chill when in the epilogue she predicted: “my uncle is going to get a lot of people killed.” Realize, when those words were typed on presumably her laptop, she, and all of us wereContinue reading “Reckoning, or Ragnarok…”
Survival of Community…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Climate Change, COVID-19, Environment, Existentialism Like his more famous contemporary, Spencer was enamored with the idea of evolution. But where Darwin focused on biology, Spencer imagined that evolutionary thinking could be applied much more broadly. In his mind, it governed entire societies. Today, when Spencer is remembered at all, it is usuallyContinue reading “Survival of Community…”
Physics and Nano 