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Post by rabid on May 28, 2020 20:57:41 GMT -7
We all study all the time, It's good tolearn other people's perspectives in this forum. It's safe to say the neuron count is slightly higher here. So I'm most going to post TiL tidbits about science and discovery from a variety of eclectic scholarly interests, mostly in biology. Let's delve into some of the ethical and philosophical underpinnings. Please share what you like. First up is CRISPR, editing genes in vitro and in real time. In 2018 a Chinese doctor was able to delete a gene in 2 embryonic girls and prevent them from contracting HIV. Whatever else he deleted is still being determined. This is a truly promethean tool but like fire I suspect it has to burn down a forest before we build a hearth. m.youtube.com/watch?v=RNRZchHaKgwThe philosophical and ethical discussion is very interesting, especially the ethical burden on the scientist who created it. She debated with herself about whether or not to get into the ethics debate, decided that she should, and yet through this seems to remain non-committal about the proper use of her technology. Imagine living with the joy of the discovery and knowledge of how it can all go wrong. Books: www.amazon.com/dp/1541673581?tag=duckduckgo-iphone-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1A short read about the founding of modern science from the perspective of England's Royal Society. Great stories about early experiments like the time they transfused lamb's blood into a man (he lived). A long time ago on this thread I talked about the polar explorer, Robert Falcon Scott, whom I said went before science to learn how to prevent scurvy. According to this book he did exactly that! I meant "science" generally but now I learned he went to the Royal Society specifically. I made an educated guess based on a book about Ernest Shackleton. I got it right by dumb luck but it still made me laugh.
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Post by starcruiser on May 29, 2020 9:56:44 GMT -7
There's a lot to debate (for good or ill) concerning CRISPR and other forms of genetic engineering.
If it's allowed to get out of hand (home CRISPR kits for EVERYONE!) it could cause incredible problems but, if used intelligently - could it be used to eradicate diseases? Cure Down Syndrome? Eliminate Cancer?
Maybe, or not... We don't actually know all that much about our own DNA. We've sequenced it but, we don't really know for sure what all of that code actually does - or does not - do.
Bits and pieces of it are believed to be left overs from ancient infections - maybe as a form of genetic memory to protect against those diseases or, are those just junk? Cleaning our DNA of such "junk" could be far more dangerous than leaving it alone.
I'm not a biologist, though I aced all of my High-School science classes. I do know enough to "know better".
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Post by starcruiser on May 30, 2020 7:53:26 GMT -7
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Post by rabid on May 30, 2020 20:47:44 GMT -7
There's a lot to debate (for good or ill) concerning CRISPR and other forms of genetic engineering. If it's allowed to get out of hand (home CRISPR kits for EVERYONE!) it could cause incredible problems but, if used intelligently - could it be used to eradicate diseases? Cure Down Syndrome? Eliminate Cancer? Maybe, or not... We don't actually know all that much about our own dna Agreed they mention this dichotomy in the lectures, everyone was shocked and appalled that the Chinese dr jumped right into embryonic gene editing without stopping to consider. The subject matter expert said that in places like China the pressure for advancement often overrides ethical concerns. Imagine being put in prison as a researcher if your pace of discovery is low. On the other hand I once talked about how survivable people are in the face of extinction. Dinosaurs couldn't manipulate their own DNA. Humans have manufactured completely new yeast and bacteria. This affects everything, to the degree that we could have human beings who are discontinuous with evolution. But this lecture from the world science festival is about addiction, scientists have already used genetic manipulation to create a vaccine to stop opioid addiction. Like 5 years ago. Could they give suffering addicts normal dopamine receptors? www.worldsciencefestival.com/videos/the-craving-brain-what-the-mind-hungers-for/?utm_source=World+Science+Festival+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=2eec216e43-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_25_02_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bda9af79e-2eec216e43-31053917&mc_cid=2eec216e43&mc_eid=2bd10bf43c Strange times we live in, seemingly on the brink of life changing discoveries or on the brink of riotous societal collapse. Maybe brain orchestrated all of this to try and take over the world.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2020 7:39:34 GMT -7
I always figured any human genetic manipulation would be used for male and female "Enhancement" and to finally end male pattern baldness. Strange times we live in, seemingly on the brink of life changing discoveries or on the brink of riotous societal collapse. Being a Star Trek related forum, I am force to think of Khan Noonien Singh. It seems like this is another one of those times when Star Trek may have gotten an even right, but missed the year.
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Post by starcruiser on May 31, 2020 8:44:59 GMT -7
You've got to engineer that "superior ability" in order to create the "superior ambition"!
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Post by rabid on Jun 27, 2020 8:09:57 GMT -7
Why don't people wear masks when they are told? Why do people fear vaccines? Why do people drink unpasteurized milk? Basically why don't people just listen to the scientists and follow recommendations? This video explains a lot of why people react the way they do in the face of superior facts. I'm sitting for my preventive medicine boards next year, this is part of the self study. Enjoy! m.youtube.com/watch?v=pBMkXE5EuoI
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Post by starcruiser on Jun 27, 2020 8:58:24 GMT -7
Because stupid is as stupid does?
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Post by rabid on Jun 28, 2020 1:33:13 GMT -7
Most of the time people can make rational decisions based on evidence. But in groups they gather because they value different things.
People who want unpasteurized milk do so because they value the "wholesomeness", and coincidentally there are so few of them that it never quite rises to a milk fever outbreak. So they feel justified in their choice for all the wrong reasons.
Pretty interesting talk on the subject anyway.
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Post by rabid on Jul 1, 2020 6:50:13 GMT -7
Sorry to double-tap but I thought people would like this article from the Hastings center about ethical vaccine trials. Think about COVID going on forever...it could unless there is a vaccine soon. On the other hand this is the first reputable source that references a flattening curve (not some idiot GOP politician). If there is a lower incidence, then with conventional vaccine research, by lowered the natural infection rates and slow the process of discovering whether the vaccine worked. People doing (ethical) vaccine trials have to tell people in the study avoid infection, thereby lengthening time for the study. The longer without a vaccine trial the harder it is to get a natural challenge and the longer vaccine development takes. Wild eh..? Anyone can subscribe to Hastings center, if you want to donate to a good cause there are few better. www.thehastingscenter.org/accepting-the-challenge-covid-vaccine-challenge-trials-can-be-ethically-justified/
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Post by rabid on Jul 26, 2020 5:32:14 GMT -7
Reading "Our dogs, ourselves" by Amy Horowitz.
Fascinating factoid, in my profession I learned that dogs know their names. There was once a lot dog that came in, it looked so forlorn but perked up instantly once we contacted the owner and figured out what to call her.
The author is an animal Neuroscientist and in one of her studies she proved that cows produce more milk on farms that name them.
Like an average of 258 gal more when the cows have names. Way to go "Bossy."
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Post by rabid on Aug 31, 2020 8:49:02 GMT -7
More from "Our dogs, Ourselves" That "guilty" look on a dog is actually "don't hurt me" So I thought laughing at a "guilty" dog might give them mixed messages about the laugh. Maybe they will learn to take it as a threat gesture. m.youtube.com/watch?v=YQyND8QzwJc
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2020 12:32:24 GMT -7
A thagomizer is the distinctive arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of stegosaurid dinosaurs. These spikes are believed to have been a defensive measure against predators.[1]
The arrangement of spikes originally had no distinct name; the term thagomizer was coined in 1982 by cartoonist Gary Larson in his comic The Far Side, and thereafter became gradually adopted as an informal term within scientific circles, research, and education.
So two fun things; Science and the Far Side.
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Post by brickwall on Sept 19, 2020 15:45:06 GMT -7
A thagomizer is the distinctive arrangement of four to ten spikes on the tails of stegosaurid dinosaurs. These spikes are believed to have been a defensive measure against predators.[1]
The arrangement of spikes originally had no distinct name; the term thagomizer was coined in 1982 by cartoonist Gary Larson in his comic The Far Side, and thereafter became gradually adopted as an informal term within scientific circles, research, and education.
So two fun things; Science and the Far Side.
Oooh! Seriously, this would be a good model for either a Klingon or Romulan vessel! No kidding!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2020 17:24:13 GMT -7
That's an excellent observation brickwall! Time to throw a few hints towards atolm..
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Post by brickwall on Sept 25, 2020 8:15:39 GMT -7
That's an excellent observation brickwall ! Time to throw a few hints towards atolm .. Okay, here's what popped up in my imagination. The Feds had a starship with a long thing on the bottom that helped it do long-distance surveillance. Perhaps either the Klingons or Romulans would make such a "thagomizer"-style ship to counter what the Feds were doing.
Or perhaps the Gorns might make such a ship with the Fed designation "Stegosaurus" tacked on. Just a thought.
Atolm, if you're reading this, see what you come up with.
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Post by brickwall on Sept 29, 2020 14:51:50 GMT -7
That's an excellent observation brickwall ! Time to throw a few hints towards atolm .. Okay, here's what popped up in my imagination. The Feds had a starship with a long thing on the bottom that helped it do long-distance surveillance. Perhaps either the Klingons or Romulans would make such a "thagomizer"-style ship to counter what the Feds were doing.
Or perhaps the Gorns might make such a ship with the Fed designation "Stegosaurus" tacked on. Just a thought.
Atolm, if you're reading this, see what you come up with. And.....BINGO! Found it!
From the fasaststcs.com, here is the link to the Fed's Claymore-class V-VI Intelligence Scout. Look at the way it is built and was built for.
Picture in your minds the Klingons or Romulans building something like the Claymore but within their technological limitations. Hence they'd make an "intelligence scout" shaped like a "thagomizer". They'd need four of those "spikes" to match the Claymore's one.
What do you think, folks? Please let me know and thank you in advance.
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Post by rabid on Oct 2, 2020 10:12:51 GMT -7
Weird have we talked about the "thagomizer" before? This has come up twice this year but not sure if it was all here or not. Last time I taught my son what a thagomizer was. Also in my nerdy household it's the mom and dad way to tell someone to stop being a pain or you will use your "thagomizer".
I'm just glad to see that all roads lead back to Trek!! Such a Dino themed Gorn ship would be something to see for sure.
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Post by JAFisher44 on Oct 2, 2020 12:04:55 GMT -7
When I was annoyed at my old job I'd sign all my paperwork as Thag Simmons just to annoy the office staff.
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Post by trynda1701 on Oct 2, 2020 12:21:16 GMT -7
Okay, here's what popped up in my imagination. The Feds had a starship with a long thing on the bottom that helped it do long-distance surveillance. Perhaps either the Klingons or Romulans would make such a "thagomizer"-style ship to counter what the Feds were doing. Or perhaps the Gorns might make such a ship with the Fed designation "Stegosaurus" tacked on. Just a thought. Atolm, if you're reading this, see what you come up with. And.....BINGO! Found it! From the fasaststcs.com, here is the link to the Fed's Claymore-class V-VI Intelligence Scout. Look at the way it is built and was built for.
Picture in your minds the Klingons or Romulans building something like the Claymore but within their technological limitations. Hence they'd make an "intelligence scout" shaped like a "thagomizer". They'd need four of those "spikes" to match the Claymore's one.
What do you think, folks? Please let me know and thank you in advance.
Here's my version of the ship! ststcsolda.proboards.com/post/269/thread
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Post by brickwall on Oct 2, 2020 12:26:31 GMT -7
And.....BINGO! Found it! From the fasaststcs.com, here is the link to the Fed's Claymore-class V-VI Intelligence Scout. Look at the way it is built and was built for.
Picture in your minds the Klingons or Romulans building something like the Claymore but within their technological limitations. Hence they'd make an "intelligence scout" shaped like a "thagomizer". They'd need four of those "spikes" to match the Claymore's one.
What do you think, folks? Please let me know and thank you in advance.
Here's my version of the ship! ststcsolda.proboards.com/post/269/threadYes, thanks for jogging my memory of it now. Time to get either a Klingon or Romulan counterpart with those type of spikes! Then playtest, playtest, playtest!
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Post by trynda1701 on Oct 20, 2020 16:39:08 GMT -7
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atolm
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Post by atolm on Oct 20, 2020 18:31:23 GMT -7
reminds me of an awesome tos bsg Recon vipre.
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Post by trynda1701 on Oct 21, 2020 4:08:24 GMT -7
reminds me of an awesome tos bsg Recon vipre. Yeah, it does, doesn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2020 15:22:11 GMT -7
Weird have we talked about the "thagomizer" before? This has come up twice this year but not sure if it was all here or not. Last time I taught my son what a thagomizer was. Also in my nerdy household it's the mom and dad way to tell someone to stop being a pain or you will use your "thagomizer". I'm just glad to see that all roads lead back to Trek!! Such a Dino themed Gorn ship would be something to see for sure. Oooohhhh.... that WOULD be a nice idea for a Gorn ship. You would think that O'l Gorn would have brought up the Thagomizer at least once... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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