The Potential Dangers of Genetic Engineering.

      The debate over the dangers and merits of genetic engineering has raged ever since the first experiments were done.  Shortly after they began working with these techniques, the scientists involved called a moratorium on their own work so that they could establish standards to ensure that such research was done in a safe and ethical manner.  Still, concerns have lingered over what could happen if an experiment went wrong, what might happen if a genetically engineered organism was intentionally released into the wild (a common practice, particularly in agriculture), or if an altered organism fell into the wrong hands.  More fuel was recently added to the fire with the development of a strain of bird flu, or H5N1, that can easily be passed from person to person and is just as lethal as the original strain.  The difficulty of passing the virus from one person to another played a large role in preventing the initial outbreak from becoming a global pandemic.  The exact way in which the virus was altered to allow easy transmission is unclear, but likely involves some sort of recombinant DNA technology that added a gene that allows the virus to be passed through the normal methods of transmission, such as inhaling airborne particles or touching contaminated surfaces.  Currently, the paper is under review for publication and is also being reviewed by a federal biological security board to ensure that it does not provide the means to creating the deadly virus to groups with nefarious purposes.

The Adventures of Chemistry Cat!

      Being a college student, the internet plays a large role in my everyday life, both as an educational tool and as a form of entertainment.  I have several sites I frequent, including Facebook for finding out what my friends are up to, several sports outlets, a few news sites, and a couple standbys that are always good for a laugh or a smile.  The last group mainly consists of sites in the Failblog network, including I Can Has Cheezburger, which is all about funny and cute pictures of cats (if you're one of those people who like dogs, they have a site for you too), Failbook, which has fails and other funny instances collected from various social networking sites, and Memebase, a collection of the weird and (usually) funny internet fads called "memes".  Memes are a strange beast, varying from people or things photographed in funny situations to people who have gained a larger-than-life reputation for no apparent reason.  They are a sort of inside joke for web junkies, but explanations for particular ones can be found on the aforementioned Memebase, Wikipedia, or by just searching it on the web.  My favorite is Chemistry Cat, a dapperly dressed scientist cat who tells awesomely nerdy jokes.  He can be found on Memebase, other sites across the web, and on the doors of great science professors everywhere.  Below are some of my favorites; you may want a periodic table handy to get some of them.

How to Avoid Turkey Trouble.

      The last few leaves are falling from the trees, the nights are getting colder, and families are making plans to reunite over a table spread with all sorts of delicious, traditional foods - that's right, Thanksgiving is coming!  It's one of my favorite holidays of the year and, since I enjoy cooking, I am always interested in making the food, from the turkey and stuffing to the cranberry relish.  In fact, my interest in making the food is only surpassed by my interest in eating it.  Recently, my education in the medical field has started playing a larger role in my life, so the potential risk of salmonella is a topic that I can relate to and understand, but fortunately it can easily be avoided.

Is knowledge dangerous?

      Last week I developed a sore throat and started getting a few white patches on the back of my throat, along with a runny nose.  It didn't turn into anything major (thanks to the tried-and-true remedy of warm saltwater gargles), but before I was better someone in one of my classes asked me if I was getting sick so I mentioned it to them.  It turns out that they too are interested in a medical career, and made a comment about how, once you start learning about different diseases, you turn into a hypochondriac.  I was somewhat taken aback by this, but didn't pursue it further since class was about to start.  Later, I gave it some thought, and realized that there was some validity to it, but that it misrepresents the reality, at least for me.