Google Wants to Get into Your Genes

The Biotech startup 23andMe aims to take genomic analysis up a notch, up several notches really, by bringing genomics down to a personal level backed by 21st century technology. In an SEC filing in May 2007 it was disclosed that Google floated 23andMe a whopping $3.9 million in addition to an previous loan of $2.6 million. [Via Bio-IT World]

As it turns out, this is not mere business nor even coincidence since 23andMe's co-founder Anne Wojcicki is none other than the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Wojcicki briefly commented that her goal is to use proprietary software tools, "to allow individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry, genology, and inherited traits and, ultimately, the option to work together to advance the overall understanding of the human genome."

As a software engineer and former biologist, I'm all for it. I wish Google and 23andMe many years of happiness and bliss together. Now if 23andMe only had an office in Boston...

(Funnily enough, the URL for the Bio-IT article ends with first base. >insert Beavis and Butthead snickering< *hee hee*)

  Time-lapse video of caterpillar to chrysalis to Monarch butterfly

Captured here is a time-lapse movie of the lifespan of a Monarch butterfly, condensing about two weeks of activity into a short video clip. I kept the caterpillar in a jar supplied with milkweed leaves and ventilation through holes punched in the lid. After days of munching on the leaves, it's interesting to observe the caterpillar 's circling behavior the day before transforming into a chrysalis, although the actual formation of the chryslis occurred at night and is not shown in the video.

When releasing the butterfly into a nearby field, you can see the wings are still damp as it flicks its wings and twitches before resting on leaf to finish drying.

From Monarch Butterfly - USA:
The total time frame for one butterfly's life cycle (one generation) is about 6-8 weeks . . . egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly. It grows inside the egg for about 4 days. It then munches milkweed and grows as a monarch caterpillar (larvae) for about 2 more weeks. The caterpillar's life inside the chrysalis (pupa) lasts about 10 days and its wonderful life as an adult butterfly lasts from 2 - 6 weeks.

Be sure to also check out my photo gallery of the Butterfly Place in nearby Westford, MA.

» Read More » »

  Science blog on cloning research at Harvard

Science Blog has a long blog posting today about Harvard's Stem Cell Institute and their initiative to begin human cloning or Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, including thoughts on the work, the history, and the controversy.

» Read More » »

  Science Podcasts from Science Friday, but wait, there's more!

This must be the year for science podcasts. Scientific American began publishing weekly podcasts of current news in science, and I've just learned that one of my old favorite radio programs is also available by podcast, Science Friday. The Science Friday podcasts are derived from the weekly science news hour and published as a single podcast of each topic discussed in that hour. I used to listen to Science Friday each week while working the lab, and I hope they consider publishing an archive of the most interesting interviews from way back. One of my favorites was an interview with Carl Sagan from 1996.

» Read More » »

  Neuroscientist Eric Kandel on The Charlie Rose Show

Eric Kandel is a living legend in Neuroscience. A pioneer in the field and author of several of my textbooks on the subject. I recall the comments I used to get on the subway when lugging around his massive 1400 page text on Principles of Neural Science. That text is the Neuroscience bible, and I still have it sitting on my desk at this moment. I'm very excited to watch this video, but I'll have to wait until this weekend.

Set your Tivo to record today's repeat broadcast of this Charlie Rose episode on your local PBS station(s) or watch it online on Google video,

DR. ERIC KANDEL
Neurobiologist / Nobel Laureate
Columbia University / Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Author, "In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind"

  Kurzweil Keynotes Bio-IT World; Interview in CIO Mag; Using Text-to-Speech

The Bio-IT World fifth annual Life Sciences Conference and Expo on Biotechnology and Bioinformatics is to be held in Boston the week of April 3, 2006 (which coincidentally happens to be at the same time and location as the Linux World Expo). The conference will begin with a keynote lecture "Reprogramming Biology" by Ray Kurzweil, one of my favorite technology luminaries whose ideas constantly fascinate and inspire me.

"Reprogramming Biology" is the title of noted inventor Ray Kurzweil's opening keynote address. Kurzweil will expound upon themes in his latest book, The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, in which he predicts the next few decades will see the merging of human biology with the staggering achievements of "GNR" - genetics, nanotechnology and robotics - to create a species of extraordinarily high intelligence, comprehension, and memory.

» Read More » »

  ColdFusion... Its not Rocket Science! Is it?

Today I stumbled upon a ColdFusion User Group not listed in the Macromedia User Group registry with a really catchy acronym GoCFUG. Makes me think of Inspector Gadget, actually. The Goddard ColdFusion Users Group is for use by NASA web developers at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

The Goddard Coldfusion Users Group is created to provide a friendly and informal forum for NASA developers -using Macromedia technologies- to share their expertise and thus gain practical knowledge for building better software.

They'd tell you more, but they'd have to kill you. Er... maybe that's the other government CFUG I'm thinking of ;)

  Scientific American Podcast

Science researchers, students, and enthusiasts now have a comprehensive and reputable source of science news in audio format since Scientific American has started its own podcast.

Scientific American Podcast

About the host:

Join host Steve Mirsky each week as he explores the latest developments in science and technology through interviews with leading scientists and journalists.

Episode 1:

In this episode, Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie reflects on the Korean stem cell debacle; the National Inventors Hall of Fame announces this year's inductees; and evolution defender Eugenie Scott discusses the importance of the decision in the recent Dover evolution trial. Also: hear outtakes from the CSI show you're never going to see on TV.

  Scandal at NASA - Censorship of Scientific Research by Bush Appointee

According to the New York Times, a 24 year old Presidential appointee to the press office at NASA, George Deutsch, resigned this week when it was reported that Deutsch not only faked his resume but more importantly had been censoring scientific publications produced at NASA by applying a religious Creationist rewrite of technical research. This corruption included changing all references to The Big Bang to be replaced by Big Bang Theory (where theory is intended in the vernacular, as in "oh, its just a theory", rather than a scientific framework which best explains the facts and observations); moreover, according to the New York Times this requirement was enforced by Deutsch in a memo that said:

The Big Bang is "not proven fact; it is opinion. It is not NASA's place, nor should it be to make a declaration such as this about the existence of the universe that discounts intelligent design by a creator. This is more than a science issue, it is a religious issue. And I would hate to think that young people would only be getting one-half of this debate from NASA. That would mean we had failed to properly educate the very people who rely on us for factual information the most"

NASA's Administrator Michael D. Griffin has since called for "scientific openness" in this quote from the New York Times:

"It is not the job of public-affairs officers," Dr. Griffin wrote in an e-mail message to the agency's 19,000 employees, "to alter, filter or adjust engineering or scientific material produced by NASA's technical staff."

Read the full article in the February 4, 2006 New York Times.

Additional Information:

• George Deutsch Update, at NasaWatch.com
• George making George look good, at Stranger Fruit
• George Deutsch Did Not Graduate From Texas A&M University, at scientificactivist.blogspot.com

See also:

• The Republican War on Science, by Chris Mooney
• Evolution as Fact and Theory, by Stephen Jay Gould

  Doing the right thing: Behind Bush's New Stress on Science

Via the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) TechNews:

Behind Bush's New Stress on Science, Lobbying by Republican Executives
New York Times (02/02/06) P. C4; Markoff, John; Leary, Warren E.

President Bush's call for doubling the federal funding of basic scientific research comes as a response to several meetings that White House officials held with technology executives and educators. Bush's plan to request $910 million in the first year, and $50 billion over 10 years was welcome news for computer scientists who have long warned against the destructive impact of eroding federal funding. Bush identified nanotechnology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources as long-term initiatives that the administration would now support, in a departure from its traditional focus on short-term research. Under Bush's plan, spending would likely increase by 7 percent annually, roughly doubling over 10 years. While the details remain vague, ACM President David Patterson is excited: "This is really a huge deal and I'm very encouraged," though he noted with concern that many legislators attending the State of the Union address were not moved to applause by Bush's announcement. "It just shows the challenge we have." In two high-profile discussions where the administration was urged to heed the warning of the National Academy of Sciences that science and technology education are eroding rapidly, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett met with Vice President Dick Cheney, and Charles Vest, the former president of MIT, met with OMB director Joshua Bolten. The executives and educators who had attended those meetings were still unsure if the administration would act on their recommendations, so Bush's announcement came as a welcome surprise. "We haven't seen this interest in basic research from this president before," said the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Albert Teich. The growing problem of funding for research and education has also attracted Congressional interest, as two bipartisan bills addressing the matter have recently been introduced.

Click Here to View Full Article

Related Resources:

• Press Briefing by Administration Officials on American Competitiveness Initiative
• Challenges to American Competitiveness in Math and Science
• Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future
• IEEE-USA Applauds President’s American Competitiveness Initiative
• ABC's John Stossel on Stupid in America: How Lack of Choice Cheats Our Kids Out of a Good Education
• Thomas Friedman: Losing Our Edge to China, India, Japan

  Ice Climbing, Winter Hiking, Rock Climbing, Snorkeling, and Copper Canyon

Over the winter holiday, I had the opportunity to spend some time scanning in many of my old photographs from various trips. I've finally managed to put them together in online photo galleries:

Brandeis Mountain Club, Ice Climbing on Arethusa Falls

The highest waterfall in New Hampshire. Brandeis Mountain Club guided by Kurt Winkler and Ian Turnbull of Mountain Guides Alliance. The highest waterfall in New Hampshire. Brandeis Mountain Club guided by Kurt Winkler and Ian Turnbull of Mountain Guides Alliance. January, 1999.Read the full story

Brandeis Mountain Club, Winter Hiking on Mt Moosilauke

The Brandeis Mountain Club spends a couple days camping and hiking in New Hampshire's western White Mountains to climb Mt. Moosilauke in February, 1999.

Towson University's Project Marj

Project Marj was run by Towson State University modeled on the Outward Bound experience to build teamwork, leadership, and many related skills intended to assist personal development during the college experience and throughout life. We spent a full week camping and hiking long days throughout Shendandoah National Park, Virginia. August, 1990

Swimming with Manatees in Crystal River, Florida

Biology students from Towson State University spend a week in Florida, January, 1994.

Copper Canyon, Mexico

Copper Canyon, also known as Las Barrancas del Cobre, is Mexico's equivalent of the Grand Canyon. You can take the train from Chihuahua through high mountains to arrive at Hotel Divisadero. August, 1995

Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador

Marine Biology class at the Bahamian Field Station on the eastern most island in the Bahamas. This place currently known as the Gerace Research Center. Towson State University 1991.

  Welcome Dave Carabetta to the ColdFusion Blogosphere!

Well known contributor to the ColdFusion community of developers, Dave Carabetta has just set up his own blog. One of the first things Dave wants to know is what brought you to ColdFusion or to web development in general? I met Dave last summer at CFUNITED in Maryland, where I learned that both of us arrived at ColdFusion after having studied or worked in the biological/medical sciences, although I already met him online through his interest in J2EE clustering for ColdFusion.

Welcome Dave!

  Guns, Germs and Steel: A National Geographic Presentation

The book Guns, Germs and Steel has been recommended to me many times, and I own both the book and the audio cds, but yet I haven't found the time to finish it. I'm thrilled to see that this publication has been turned into a PBS documentary and will air starting Monday July 11th. My local PBS listings show the first time as Tuesday at 5 AM, so I've set my Tivo to record this series with a Season Pass using the online scheduler Tivo Central.

Guns, Germs and Steel: A National Geographic Presentation
"The Crucible of Civilization" A theory suggests that society's potential for development was determined by access to domesticated animals and cultivated plants.

The DVD is already available on DVD at Amazon, where the description is:

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book and national best seller, Guns, Germs, and Steel is an epic detective story that offers a gripping expose on why the world is so unequal. Professor Jared Diamond traveled the globe for over 30 years trying to answer the biggest question of world history. Why is the world so unequal? The answers he found were simple yet extraordinary. Our destiny depends on geography and access to: Guns, Germs, and Steel. Weaving together anthropology and science with epic historical reenactments, Guns, Germs, and Steel brings Diamond's fascinating theories to life, and moves beyond the book to bring his ideas into the present day.

  Bad Medicine: Kevin Trudeau Fraud 'Natural Cures'

During an investigative report earlier this year, I heard about the fraudulent practices by "infomercial scammer" Kevin Trudeau who published bogus health information in a book called Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About. I was very surprised when my regularly scheduled Tivo recording of a Saturday morning program was actually replaced with a half hour infomercial from this clown who makes outrageous claims about Science and medical research to foster the adoption of his book and take your money.

I'd just like to take a moment to point out that this huckster is cited by the National Council Against Health Fraud, and you should not believe his claims.

Misleading infomercial driving sales of junk book. Infomercial scammer Kevin Trudeau, who signed a court-approved consent agreement prohibiting him from selling health-related products (except publications), has continued his longstanding patters of deception by selling a book called Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. In a frequently aired infomercial, Trudeau falsely claims that government agencies and the food and drug industries are conspiring against "natural cures" and that people who want such information should buy his book. Although the infomercial suggests that the book makes specific recommendations for specific problems, it actually does not. In the book, Trudeau claims that the FTC censored the entire chapter titled "Cures for All Diseases." However, Daniel Kaufman, the lead attorney in FTC's most recent case, told Dr. Stephen Barrett that as long as Trudeau is not promoting brand-name products, he still has the First Amendment right to claim that various methods or product ingredients are beneficial. Frequent airing of the infomercial has driven the book to the #8 position at Amazon Books, but many of the buyers are highly dissatisfied. As of February 2, 2005, more than 60% of the 188 posted reviews have characterized the book as a ripoff. Trudeau has been the target of several FTC regulatory actions and has served time in prison for credit card fraud. Infomercial Watch has posted a detailed analysis of the infomercial.

See also:

• Federal Trade Commission: Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials
• Consumer Affairs: Kevin Trudeau
• Ripoff Reports: Complaints about Kevin Trudeau

  Graphics Fun with Orb Weavers

This probably guarantees my place in the Nerd Hall of Fame on the basis of not only spending so much time with a spider, but then spending so much time making graphic art from a spider.

Out of the series of photos taken of this spider, only 2 of them turned out somewhat ok. This view is looking downwards, and since the spider was clinging upside down from the web, this is the underside.

I was trying to use my Kodak digital camera with two magnifying filters attached, from a range of about 2-3 centimeters away from the subject. Apparently, just a millimeter or so throws off the focus, and on a sunny day its quite difficult to determine the image quality by looking at the LCD because of too much glare.

Once I touched them up in Adobe Photoshop, I couldn't help from trying out some of the filters such as the Stylize > Glowing filter which produced the multicolor effect, and also trying create a green glowing outline that might be used as a desktop background by first desaturating, selecting just the light areas, then adjusting the color balance and hue.

To the best I can determine from my Audubon guide to North American spiders, this is one of the Large Jawed Orb Weavers, perhaps the Venusta Orchard Spider, part of the family Tetragnathidae. The guide says:

These orb weavers are easily recognized by their unusually large, powerful jaws, or chelicerae. Like Orb Weavers, they have 8 eyes, and 3 claws on each foot or tarsus. Many species spin orb webs although in some species only spiderlings produce webs. There are about 25 species in North America

» See More Entries in This Category » »