Originally under: INDIANA R. JONES AND ETHAN ALLEN (“ET AL” FOR SHORT), Department of philosophical biology, University of North Dakota at Hoople Earl’s Corner Bar, Main Street, Hoople, ND (Also available as a pdf file) * * * Abstract: We used directional microphones, professional electronic audio recording equipment and personal observation to monitor the accumulation of large woody debris in old-growth forests of northern Wisconsin from June 1999 through July 2001. We hired a really poor undergraduate student to collect nearly 20,000 hours of audio/video tape in really cool areas in the Chequamegon and Nicolet National Forests. Then we made…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From journal club
TO EAT CHEEZIES OR NOT TO (A CHEEZIE COMBUSTION PAPER)
To eat cheezies or not to…spontaneously combust, that is the question. A recent trip to the West Chilcotin for field work elicited a Cheetos™ snack craving and a subsequent binge on Cheetos Puffs™. You know the ones they make your fingers and everything else they come into contact with orange and a pasty orange at that I might add. During this junk food binge (whereby I set out to devour a bag of Cheetos™ the size of my upper body) friends informed me that Cheetos Puffs™ make a better fire starter than a lunch substitute. I was appalled and declined…
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: CREATIONISM + MICROBIOLOGY = YEAH, RIGHT…
Microbes and the Days of Creation (pdf) (2008) Answers Research Journal 1 (2008): 7–10. In which we learn that microbes were created on Day 3, no wait – Day 4 – hang on a minute, Day 5? – – – – – – ABSTRACT: The world of germs and microbes has received much attention in recent years. But where do microbes fit into the creation account? Were they created along with the rest of the plants and animals in the first week of creation, or were they created later, after the Fall. These are some questions that creation microbiologists have…
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: DIVORCE IS IN THE AIR
Environmental impacts of divorce. (pdf) (2007) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 104:p20629 In which we learn that being divorce can lead to higher carbon dioxide emissions when compared to married couples. – – – – – – ABSTRACT: Divorce is increasingly common around the world. Its causes, dynamics, and socioeconomic impacts have been widely studied, but little research has addressed its environmental impacts. We found that average household size (number of people in a household) in divorced households (households with divorced heads) was 27– 41% smaller than married households (households with married heads) in 12 countries across the world around the…
JOURNAL CLUB: ABOUT THE NINTENDO WII (AND KIND OF OBVIOUS)
Energy expenditure in adolescents playing new generation computer games. (pdf) (2007) British Medical Journal 355:p1282 In which we learn that you use more energy “jumping around” playing video games, than say “not jumping around” playing video games. – – – ABSTRACT: Objective: To compare the energy expenditure of adolescents when playing sedentary and new generation active computer games. Design: Cross sectional comparison of four computer games. Setting: Research laboratories. Participants: Six boys and five girls aged 13-15 years. Procedure Participants were fitted with a monitoring device validated to predict energy expenditure. They played four computer games for 15 minutes each.…
AS WE UNDERSTAND IT: MORE MOLES ON YOUR BODY MIGHT MEAN INCREASED LONGEVITY.
Nevus (def): The commonly used medical term for a mole or birthmark. TITLE: Nevus Size and Number Are Associated with Telomere Length and Represent Potential Markers of a Decreased Senescence In vivo (2007) Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(7):1499–502 In which authors propose that individuals with longer telomeres express a delayed cell senescence (i.e. increased cell longevity) that is reflected in the skin by increased nevus size and numbers. – – – ABSTRACT: Nevus counts represent one of the strongest risk factors for melanoma. They appear in childhood and adolescence and involute from middle age onwards. Recent evidence has shown that…
BROKEN PATCH-CLAMP CONFIGURATION SERIOUSLY DISRUPTED BY UNRULY USE OF BRUTE MECHANICAL FORCE – A LAMENTABLE TRADEGY IN NOT SO MANY ACTS*
* Please note; paper previously rejected by “The Royal Victorian Journal Of Contemporary Science” on grounds of questionable style and insufficient use of the semicolon. – – – Samwise S.K. Darius & Colleague Dear Sirs In this preliminary study, conducted after Friday afternoon tea, my esteemed Colleague and myself resolved to investigate whether a stem cell, of origin I am not at liberty to disclose, but which needless to say had undergone a transfer of proteinous nature from a cell of the hairus folliculum variety, would respond to shear stress caused by gravity-mediated lateral flow of extracellular buffer in an…
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: THE TITLE KIND OF SAYS IT ALL – “LIFESPAN DEPENDS ON MONTH OF BIRTH”
Lifespan depends on month of birth. (pdf) (2001) Proceedings of the National Association of Sciences 98:p2934 In which we learn that your birthdate and your time as a fetus can add or substract 7 months to your life. It appears that science has found one more thing for you to worry about. – – – ABSTRACT: Month of birth influences adult life expectancy at ages 50+. Why? In two countries of the Northern Hemisphere-Austria and Denmark-people born in autumn (October-December) live longer than those born in spring (April-June). Data for Australia show that, in the Southern Hemisphere, the pattern is…
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: MEDICINE WITH A DOSE OF “D’OH!”
It’s reading week! REFERENCE: D’oh! An analysis of the medical care provided to the family of Homer J. Simpson (1998) Canadian Medical Association Journal, 159, 1480-1481 (2 page pdf) FIRST PARAGRAPH: These are hard times for physicians. Governments blame doctors for spiralling health care costs as they slash spending. Ethicists decry medical paternalism. Our patients — sorry, our clients — demand to be treated like consumers. And political correctness has changed the way we speak. It’s enough to give your average doctor an identity crisis. Who are we? Who should we aspire to be? Working on the premise that life…