It Breaks Your Heart

I just watched a video clip of the “tar balls” on Pensacola beach. (Notably absent were Sara Palin and John McCain.) For many years Florida’s beaches were designated as World Class beaches, with white sugar sand, teeming wildlife off shore, and clean water. In one greedy moment that is all gone. Greedy? Yes, greedy. It looks like the BP folks on the rig authorized all kinds of marginal actions that combined to make the spill the worst in US history. The reason? Why, to cut costs and increase profits, of course. Why else would they reduce the margins of safety to minimum levels? The rent on the drilling rig is enormous, and the faster they drill and cap the well the less it costs BP. So they went to the edge of safety. One example: the device on the bottom that is supposed to close the well if trouble occurs, called a blowout preventer, has several sub-devices that are used sequentially. The “last resort” piece is a large shear that literally cuts the pipe off and blocks it completely. If there happens to be a joint directly in front of the shears, they won’t cut because the joint is too thick and strong. So, the device comes in two types: a one-shear and a two shear model. The two shear model is far better because if one shear gets fouled in a joint, the other will absolutely have only pipe to cut, thus shutting off the oil flow.
The BP device was a one shear type. Why? Of course you guessed it. Cheaper, and everybody knows that they will never have to use it anyway, so why spend the additional money? Why indeed.
Go to the beach yourself and see for yourself what the result of corporate greed is. Then tell me that “drill baby drill” is a mantra worth repeating. You want to get really sick, look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGLBgTP8r4.

Image: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0623/Gulf-oil-spill-Pensacola-Beach-covered-in-tar-balls

New use for old Genes

Just read an article (1) on so called junk genes. These are genes that make defective RNA, the stuff that helps make protein in cells. The junk genes have been considered useless remnants, or vestigial pieces of genetic material. Now we find out that these defective structures may actually lure molecules that might otherwise cause trouble away from their intended target to form a harmless unit. Or, more sinister, they might lure a beneficial control substance away from a normal gene, thus making it more likely to create problems, like cancer. Big deal? You bet it is. This changes the way we have to think about the control of all sorts of biochemical pathways, and open the way to research that could lead to solving some very perplexing medical problems.
For years, texts have reported lots of DNA in cells that was called “vestigial” and therefore considered useless. My students might remember me cautioning that just because we don’t know what something does, does not mean that it does nothing. In fact, because evolution and natural selection are such powerful agents in the world of the cell and organism, I think that it is likely that most or all of the so-called vestigial genetic material will eventually be found to do something besides just sit there and suck up resources.
Human hubris knows no bounds, so take care not to fall into that trap. Keep your mind open, watch, listen and be prepared to push the boundaries of human knowledge.
Who says science is dull? The image is of a mouse "hand" growing an opposable thumb. Cool, huh? The article that accompanies the photo explains.

1. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60515/title/Vestigial_no_more
Image: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/scientists-find/

The Lights Just Dimmed a Little More

From one Richard to another.
From his sense of humor to his commitment to education to his very name (I’m a Richard too), Richard Miller and I were much alike. When I first met him, years ago at a science fair, we realized that “raunchy” was a language we shared, and jokes were the currency of getting to know each other. We shared a professional interest in Med Tech too. His formal and mine less so. We had some great laughs together both in person and via email (all erased, so don’t ask) and ate some interesting lunches together at Med Tech committee meetings. We were friends in the sense of working together and kidding around when possible and enjoying each other's company. We shared opinions of people and had laughs over that, too. We were not friends in the sense of hanging out after work or going fishing or anything like that, but had an easy relationship. He was “there” for me when I needed him, and I would like to think the same for me. Our friendship was the kind that pauses, and then months later continued as if there were no pause at all. I know he will be much missed by his family and friends, and professional colleagues as well.
It seems that our own days are in some ways measured by the dimming of lights when someone we know, or know of, or respect dies. So on this occasion, the lights dim just a little more.
This last bit is for Rich (as we sometimes addressed other):” From one Dick to another, I’m gonna miss you, man.”