“But for many people, phages aren’t some miraculous elixir. In 2022, researchers published the largest series of case studies of phage therapy for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections yet. Of the 20 people treated with phages, most with infections related to cystic fibrosis, 11 had a positive response to the…
It’s a bio-engineered plant that yields purple colored tomatoes with extra anti-oxidants. This newsletter first linked to a write-up about the company in September 2021, so it’s cool to see it start shipping. “Seeds are available at www.norfolkhealthyproduce.com. Packets of 10 high quality seeds cost $20, and are only available…
This relates to the recently-approved Purple Tomato. “Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company had an intriguing offer in its 2024 catalog: a tomato seed it called Purple Galaxy. However, what the Missouri-based non-GMO seed supplier didn’t seem to realize is that the Purple Galaxy was very closely connected to…
This article caught my eye in part because I went to such a university, and in part it’s an important question for our education system. “Land-grant universities got their start in 1862, when the federal government donated land to the states, facilitating the creation of these schools. The…
In October 2022, I shared this link where Michael Levin showcased work from his lab on organ regeneration. He had figured out that all cells communicate electrically, which is how they know what and where to be when they grow up. He demonstrated it by cutting a planarian (flatworm) in two and causing it to regrow…
Fervo Energy, who are using fracking techniques to drill geothermal wells, is back in my news feed once more. This time they announced their latest well was delivered in 30% of the time and for half the cost of their first well. ~ learn more
“Every night and without any apparent reason, we were seeing very, very high levels of turbulence,” says Castro, a physical oceanographer at England’s University of Southampton. Castro and his colleagues eventually traced the source of all this mixing: the frothing free-for-all of an anchovy orgy.” ~ learn more
Umm… “The Euthanasia Coaster is the name given to a hypothetical steel roller coaster designed with the sole purpose of killing its passengers: a euthanasia device.” ~ learn more
“The researchers discovered that Chernobyl wolves are exposed to upwards of 11.28 millirem of radiation every day for their entire lives - which is more than six times the legal safety limit for a human. Dr Love found the wolves have altered immune systems similar to cancer patients…
“It's possible to make fake videos of politicians that will fool some people, at least some of the time. But a disproportionate share of this content will be consumed by people who have already made up their minds. Platforms are dialing back political content generally, which will affect…