It’s pretty safe to say that 2016 sucked a big one. Adding insult to injury, the worst day of the year for me (and likely many of you) just happened to fall on my birthday–November 9th. But, before we slam the door on this year (and look forward to next? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), let’s reflect on some memorable science in the media in 2016. Continue reading Year-in-review
All posts by Heather D. Marshall
Reawakening the beast
Taking leaping strides back, he held tight to the rock in a firm grip. He gazed left, then right, scanning the horizon for just the right moment. The ongoing battle in front of him means he doesn’t have much time. Just as he reacts to a bengal tiger pouncing to his right, he sees his opening and unleashes the bomb. The tiger doesn’t stop and plows right into his midsection. Others join the foray and soon there’s a pile, thousands of pounds on top of him, crushing. He might have a broken rib and he definitely lost his breath for a moment. As the pile lessens and he’s helped up by one of his own, he shakes away the ringing in his ears, and looks up to witness his success.
Hard knocks on science
It’s that time of year again! Crisp air, the start of a new school year, a hint of red in the trees, and the beginning of the NFL season–this is undoubtedly my favorite time of year.
This NFL season should be full of intrigue. Will Ezekiel Elliot plow over all front lines? Will Jim Caldwell, Mike McCoy, and Gus Bradley still have their jobs at the end of the season? Will any AFC East team dethrone the 4-game Bradyless Patriots? Will Colin Kaepernick’s stance–or lack thereof–result in a season-long seat on the bench? Will mermaids rise from the ocean to cheer William Hayes and the newly relocated LA Rams?
I bet you thought this piece was going to be about concussions. Although that is an ever-present issue for football players, what I really want to discuss is Rams defensive end William Hayes’ anti-science diatribe on the HBO show Hard Knocks. Continue reading Hard knocks on science
Preventing cancer in our children
National vaccination coverage statistics for adolescents (13-17 years old) were recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a cancer blog? Oh, it is–the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine prevents infection by the HPV strains that cause cancer.
In 2015, 56% of adolescents had at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine, 45% had 2 doses, and 35% had all 3 doses required for maximal protection. In comparison for the same adolescent population, 87% had a Tdap vaccine and 81% had a meningococcal vaccine.
So why the low HPV vaccination rates? Continue reading Preventing cancer in our children
A socialist view of the Zika epidemic
Epidemiologists say there’s little worry about the impact the Olympics will play in the spread of Zika virus. While that may be true–it is winter in Rio–the virus is not there for the Olympics. The growing number of locally acquired infections in Miami highlight how restricting our attention to big, flashy events like the Olympics does a disservice to curbing this epidemic.
The most significant clinical outcomes of Zika virus infection are birth defects in babies born to infected pregnant women. While a majority of the focus to restrain Zika virus involves travel restrictions for pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant, we need to remember that the virus doesn’t seek out pregnant women. We are all susceptible and we can all contribute to minimizing the spread of Zika virus and reducing its affect on the next generation of our world. Continue reading A socialist view of the Zika epidemic
When air becomes breath
Cancer.
It’s a word everyone recognizes, but no know truly understands. Even when it ravishes through your own body, setting up impenetrable fortresses, and taking over each territory in an ugly game of Risk, it is near impossible to comprehend.
That’s because cancer is an enigma. For life, we need death. For the proper formation and function of our organs, cells need to die. Though cancer may be the cause of death for so many, cancer is enigmatically immortality. The agelessness of cancerous cells is what results in the shutdown of organ systems and ultimately death.
Death is as natural a process as life, and yet we grapple for understanding in its wake. Being the salient individuals we are, comprehending our own mortality is an impossible endeavor, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. No one in our time has put it in quite the same context as Dr. Paul Kalanithi in his posthumous memoir When Breath Becomes Air.
This article is not a review of his book, which was one of the few I’ve ever read front to back in a single sitting–it’s short, but also exceedingly captivating. This is, simply and meaninglessly, my appreciation for Kalanithi’s life and exploration of his own mortality, in his own words. Continue reading When air becomes breath
Cool as a cave
It was hotter than hot–over 90 degrees with a thick southern humidity that hits you like a bus when you step outside. As I pulled on my long sleeve shirt, I chuckled at the thought of wearing it on the surface, 250 feet above my current location. It was 55 degrees where I stood and boy was it fabulous.
With 405 miles of mapped cavities and some unknown distance of unmapped offshoots, Mammoth caves in Kentucky is the longest cave system in the world. I experienced a mere few miles of this wonder, with at least a couple of those miles intertwining and overlapping each other like spaghetti in a bowl. However little distance walked, crawled, & climbed, it was undoubtedly one of the coolest adventures of my life–both figuratively and literally. Continue reading Cool as a cave
Growing up in the dark
No, I’m not talking about unearthing some hidden family secret (you can exhale a sigh of relief, mom). Here I refer to fruit flies growing up in the dark as participants in a 62-year long experiment at Kyoto University in Japan. More than 1,500 generations of flies have been reared in total darkness ever since Syuiti Mori shut the blinds on his flies in 1954 starting one of the longest laboratory experiment on evolution. Continue reading Growing up in the dark
Waves
If you’ve been following CMB from the beginning or have scrolled back to early posts, you’ll recall the MY Age of Anxiety (and a bit of Scott Stossel’s too) piece. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which is personally ironic as awareness of my own anxiety tends to exacerbate my inner angst. Although I do agree that societal awareness is no doubt beneficial. Go #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth!
Since publishing that piece, I’ve had a few panic attacks. I’ve weaned off an SSRI, which was a slow and sometimes painful drag, but was important for other health reasons. And I’ve started yoga and mindful meditation, which centers me in a way I didn’t know possible. I don’t “struggle” with anxiety, it is part of who I am. But my anxiety is not me, it’s mine.
For me, anxiety exists like waves in the sea–always there, mostly unnoticeable, occasionally lapping at my feet, infrequently stormy.
And now–what you can do about it
So by now, I imagine most of you have seen the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver scientific studies spotlight from May 8. If not, here’s the Youtube clip. Watch it. I’ll wait….