Optical imaging labels can report on the molecular workings of tissues and cells in the body. Fluorescent protein tags that emit visible or infrared light are now common tools for studying cell biology in test tubes. But getting such light in and out of the body is difficult because light diffuses as it passes through biological tissues. Living lasers, if they’re made into practical systems, have the potential to change that. One can imagine having a hybrid living-nonliving medical implant under the skin that would beam out a stream of information about biomarkers in the blood, for example.
While I stand second to none in my contempt for the odious and oleaginous John Edwards (and I have held him in such low esteem long before it became fashionable), I agree with Kevin Williamson that what he may be indicted for shouldn’t be illegal.
In a recently screened BBC documentary called ‘Secrets of the Superbrands’, UK neuroscientists found that the brains of Apple fans are stimulated by images of Apple products in the same areas as those triggered by religious imagery in a person of faith. According to the scientists, this suggests that the big tech brands have harnessed, or exploit, the brain areas that have evolved to process religion.
At least they’re not Scientologists. Well, OK, maybe some of them are.
…but don’t. The problem is, I don’t even know who many of these people are, and I’ve never used most of the products. What this makes me feel is out of touch with popular culture. Not that I care.
[Update a few minutes later]
Analyzing the important thing: the physics of clown cars.
My question is, how many congresspeople can you fit into one?