Japanese researchers have reported in Nature that they have successfully inserted the gene for green flourescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria into primates. Previous teams in the US have been successful in inserting genes into primates, but this is the first report of a genetic change in primates that is Read more…
I am always up for suggestions on how to improve brain function, whether this means Sudoku, videogames, exercise, diet, and so on. So I read with interest that a group of UCLA researchers are reporting correlations between gray matter volume and the practice of meditation [1]. I have never tried Read more…
I’ve followed the development of the Kindle line with interest, but up until now, I have not been tempted to actually go out and buy one. I like books. Page-turners with pages to turn. But I have to say that the people behind Kindle DX are really listening to their Read more…
Scientists in South Korea have produced cloned beagles that fluoresce red by infecting dog fibroblasts with a retrovirus that inserted the fluorescent gene from sea anemones. The fibroblast was then implanted into a dog egg that had its nucleus removed, and was subsequently implanted into a surrogate mother dog. Beyond Read more…
Daughter Karen, our resident expert in social media, has encouraged me to continue to explore the use of new technologies in the classroom. Given the time constraints I have, keeping up with this is usually a hit or miss thing. But once in awhile, I hit on something that is Read more…