I have this abnormal hatred for really innocuous things… parades, chocolate, plays, purple, and food labeled “organic”. I was so excited to see these two studies that came out this month, calling bullshit on organic foods. One of the articles, an extensive review of papers over the last 50 years, concluded that not only were studies limited in number, but that overall they showed no added nutritional related benefits of organic vs. conventionally grown foods. This same group published a similar review last year, which showed that organic & conventional foods were comparable in nutrient content. Another study came out this week from a company in Germany with the same conclusion. So, the only argument left for the organic foodies is that they don’t use pesticides… I guess they somehow magically invented a way to create organic farms that are naturally free of insects. Oh, wait, that’s not true either… of course organic farmers use pesticides, just not synthetically made ones. Instead they have to use pesticides from natural sources. You know what else is comes from natural sources? Anthrax. Asbestos. Snake venom. Monkey poop. Natural does not equal harmless. Actually, about half of natural chemicals used for pesticides are carcinogenic, not any better or worse than the synthetic ones. I’m not tryna say organic food is inherently bad, just that study after study shows that it’s pretty much equivalent to conventional. So, eff you organic foods, for being so expensive & misleading.
I‘m a professor with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I also like running half-marathons, going to hip hop shows, and trying to explain organic chemistry to friends after a few too many drinks.
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I think the nanotechnology department at Berkeley is secretly forming a superhero team. A coupla years ago, they used metamaterials to direct rays of visible light around objects (= invisible cloak), and now they are making nanogenerators using tiny piezoelectric fibers (= electricity-generating clothes). The nanofibers are made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (also known as the stuff that insulates electrical wires, like in your computer or on airplanes). PVDF has piezoelectric properties, meaning that, in response to mechanical stress (in this case, movement), it generates energy. The use of piezoelectricity to generate energy isn’t new. It’s used in electric cigarette lighters, inkjet printers, tweeters (as in woofers & tweeters, no relation to twitter)… But this group found a way to make them using materials that are more flexible and easier to create, and think they can weave them into fabrics to make clothes. Here’s the article for more info…
I just watched a video from Nat Geo about dark energy, and how it “could one day rip the planet into pieces”. Dark energy is a mysterious force that scientists came up with to explain observations that the universe may be expanding despite the force of gravity pushing everything together. The video is talking about a theory (aptly named the “Big Rip” theory) that the force of gravity will eventually become undone by dark energy, and galaxies, solar systems, planets, even atoms will be torn apart. I’ll refrain from any attempts to use a Star Wars analogy here. Anyway… What IS dark energy? No one is quite sure. Even though it’s thought to make up about 2/3 of all the energy in the universe, very little is know about it. We can’t see it, and it’s only detected by its effect on other things in the universe that we can see.
But what I found even more disturbing than the eventual demise of the universe (come on, we’re talking about this happening billions of years from now), was the slew of angry comments and arguments on how awful “scientists” are, with all our “theories” (I have no idea why they were putting those words in quotes). I totally agree that there is a better way to describe dark energy than something that is going to destroy the shit out of our planet. And the lady in the video probably shouldn’t have been smiling while she said, “ripping us to pieces”. But, man, those comments are brutal…
Thank you, Dr. Miner, I always wondered what would happen if I got a bunch of sheep high on methampetamines and tasered them.
Academy of Emergency Medicine 2010 Apr;17(4):436-43.
Effect of an electronic control device exposure on a methamphetamine-intoxicated animal model.
We all know we shouldn’t drink alcohol… hurts our ever-so-important livers. But, of course we do it anyway. How are you supposed to eat sushi without drinking Echigo (love that beer) and/or Ohtouka (love that sake)? It’s practically impossible. So if we’re going to do it anyway… why not counter it with something that will protect our livers too, like green tea.
Drinking alcohol causes oxidative stress in the liver, which can lead to an increase in the formation of free radicals and transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
WTF does that mean?
Think of free radicals as one of those bouncy superballs that you got from a toy vending machine when you were a kid. Then think of throwing that bouncy ball as hard as you can at a shelf displaying all of your mom’s favorite porcelain angel figurines. Or even more accurately (which my mom HATED), throw it at the ceiling fan turned on high and watch the destruction. That’s how free radicals behave inside your body, except that they are smashing against DNA and messing with other important proteins. This process can interfere with the ability of the cells in your body to carry out their normal functions… potentially leading to cancer. Free radicals can also lead to increased production of other molecules, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are pretty much just messenger proteins from your immune system, but they can ultimately affect the ability of the liver to repair itself after damage (i.e. cirrosis).
So, why green tea? Because it has a high amount of antioxidant compounds. “Antioxidants” are just what they sound like… they slow or stop oxidation by sort of neutralizing free radicals (by donating electrons). They’re things like vitamins, phytochemicals, enzymes… Lots of other nutritious foods and drinks contain them too. But green tea is special because it is a very rich source of a super powerful antioxidant called gallocatechin gallate.
I’m certainly not promoting alcoholism here… my dad was a major alcoholic for most my life, so I’m definitely well aware of how serious and devastating the disease can be… but if you’re like me, and like to kick back with friends+sushi+beer now and then, why not throw some catechins into the mix.
i’m a scientist
