02 June, 2011 – This Week in Science

By

Kirsten Sanford

Published: June 8, 2011Posted in: agriculture, animals, artificial intelligence, astrobiology, astronomy, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, cognitive science, computer science, ecology, emergent behavior, energy, engineering, evolution, exploration, genetics, KDVS, mammals, medicine, microbiology, neuroscience, particle physics, physicists, physics, podcast, quantum computing, quantum physics, robots, science, science and politics, science history, sexy scientists, space, space exploration, spacecraft, technology, TWIS Bookclub, z-BroadcastsTags: Dr. Kiki, Justin Jackson, Kirsten Sanford, news, podcast, radio, science, talk, technology, This Week in Science, TWIS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:08 — 26.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS | More

Arsenic Life Report, WHO Knows Cells, Bed Of Algae, Short-term Brain, Breaking Photon Records, RIP Spirit, And Much More…

Arsenic life report…

WHO knows Cellphones

Get a free audiobook at Audible.com!

Get your algae filters!

Brain in a dish has a memory!

Breaking photonic records!

RIP Spirit

If you love TWIS, please support us by donating below:

About the Author

I'm the host of this little science show.

3 Comments

1. Gendou

   Posted June 9, 2011 at 11:10 AM

   I appreciated your segment on the Arsenic life issue. It was informative and honest. 🙂

   Speaking of “science by press-release”:

   [BEGIN RANT]
   The WHO press release mentions the faulty INTERPHONE study.
   The positive link in this study can be easily explained by selection bias and recall bias.
   The subjects in this poorly controlled study ALREADY HAD BRAIN CANCER, and were asked about their PAST phone use!
   Plus, the study is conducted in the UK, where the false myth that cell phones cause brain cancer has long existed.
   NO link between cell phone use and cancer is supported by ANY other study!
   [END RANT]

   In any case, let’s take a look at the IARC classification groups:

   Group 1: Carcinogenic to humans (107 agents)
   Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans (59 agents)
   Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans (266 agents)
   Group 3: Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (508 agents)
   Group 4: Probably not carcinogenic to humans (Only 1 agent!)

   Group 3 is for agents where the science hasn’t yet been done.
   So, for a well-studied agent, Group 2B is the SAFEST!
   The ONLY exception is Caprolactam, lucky member of Group 4.
   Group 4 is lonely because the IARC only examines substances under suspicion of being carcinogenic.
   They don’t study water, nitrogen gas, hugs, etc.
   The IARC should have placed radio-frequency electromagnetic fields in Group 4.
   If Group 4 isn’t for radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, what is it for?
   Oh yeah, Caprolactam. Stupid Caprolactam… 🙁

2. Gendou

   Posted June 9, 2011 at 12:13 PM

   Justin, your (better late than never) response to the WHO press release was fantastic!
   I laughed out loud when you said, “BOO!” to the WHO.
   I’m so glad we agree on this issue. 🙂

   Kirsten, Copper is the 28th most abundant element in Earth’s Crust, where it occurs at ~60 ppm. 🙂
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth%27s_crust

   Oh! A while back I wrote a poem for the late Spirit rover:

   Spirit’s Fate
   The dawn Sun hearkens an eternal, distant day.
   Dusty light stirs electrons to their tired routine.
   Aged aluminum body pings from thermal expansion.
   Tiny droplets of water ice boil and vanish from a shaded nook.
   Spirit has no off switch. It awakens every morning.
   and in the dimmest depth of winter,
   hard-wired its loyalty,
   calls home with dying breath.

3. Daniël

   Posted July 25, 2011 at 9:10 PM

   I very much like the poem, have shared it on my Facebook, Thanx Gendou!