Tag Archives: Links

Epigenetics Links

Epigenetics Links

Starting with the easiest one. . .Hank from scishow (subscribe!!) explains epigenetics:

And Scitable, the student section of Nature Online, explains some of the history of the discovery of epigenetics. (Again, subscribe. This is a great place to get free, reputable science information that’s easy to understand.)

Three videos of talks from Harvard graduate students about epigenetic studies in mice. Part 1, part 2, and part 3. They’re a good introduction, but make note that the longevity of the epigenetic effect described turned out to be not quite as promising as they thought it would be back when these were made.

FAQ about the epigenome from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

A good overview, maybe not for an absolute novice, but it comes with pictures: Epigenetics

P. Z. Myers gives an overview from the perspective of a university biology professor.

Jerry Coyne, author of “Why Evolution is True”, has several good posts about it on his blog, here, here, here, here, and here.

ERV gets into some of the more complex aspects of what it is here.

Kevin Mitchell goes into some of the problems surrounding epigenetics and its misunderstanding. Part 1 and part 2.

And, of course, the incomparable Orac both explains what epigenetics is and how it’s not what quacks are telling you it is here. Not only will you understand it better, but you’ll be able to spot the lying liars.

A study on the possible epigenetic changes in twins.

Questions begin to arise about the heritability of environmental epigenetic changes, and whether animal models translate to humans in this study from Nature.

Wednesday Links

Wednesday Links

A collection of photos that show beauty in decay.

Did the ancient Egyptians play Dungeons and Dragons?

Now I’m going to have to learn more about mitochondrial DNA – P.Z. Myers explains why your mother’s mDNA might influence your lifespan.

It looks like the FDA is finally putting the moves on fake cancer doctor Stanislaw Burzynski

But the FDA is powerless right now when it comes to protecting us from other, potentially more dangerous medical threats. Now that Massachusetts has finally gotten its act together and actually inspected its compounding pharmacies, only 4 out of 37 passed.

Greg Laden goes to visit a creationist science fair. At least these kids are homeschooled. Some politicians want us to pay for this kind of education with our tax dollars.

And, finally, OTTERZ!! BAYBEEE OTTERZ!

Wednesday Links

Wednesday Links

It’s Wednesday, and I actually planned ahead for this. Enjoy the links!

The saddest web server in the world really, really regrets giving you a 404 page.

Speaking of sad, this is some basic information about the working poor in America. John Scalzi wrote a personal perspective back in 2003 that is still relevant today – and still not understood by people who don’t have to struggle.

And speaking of people who don’t understand. . .Farhad Manjoo over at Slate pitches a hissy fit about two spaces after a period. Only recently has it come to my attention that I’ve been DOING IT WRONG for 40 years. Until I read this article, I was considering trying to overcome the habit that was instilled in me in high school typing class, but now I’ll keep doing it just to piss off people like this. So there.

Carl Zimmer talks about modularity in The Parts of Life and a computer model of the eye that might explain how this evolved in nature.

This one reminds me of a discussion with someone who apparently thought that dogs were just wolves that had been trained by humans to be tame. It was a silly idea, especially since dogs have been so obviously bred by purpose by man. Virginia Hughes, in People and Dogs: A Genetic Love Story, explains how dogs’ ability to digest starch is key to understanding how they came to be companions to humans.

Good news for anyone who might need a CT scan in the future: Next-generation CT scanner provides better images with minimal radiation It just got approved, so it might be a while before the machines are easy to find, but now you know they’ll be out there somewhere.

Infactorium takes on the problems caused by gathering up funds for research and has some ideas to make things better here.

These are not otters, but they are close, and having a wonderful time:

OK, I’ll give you an otter, but only because you insist. Video after the pics.