Random roundup

Whenever I find interesting things on the web, I try to leave the tabs open on my browser until I get the time to go back and post or write something up on the blog.  Lately, I have been keeping so many tabs open it has been causing the browser to freeze and crash, so I figure I'll put up a handful of the links and maybe I'll be able to surf the internet unhindered again...


Gonorrhea can acquire human DNA...  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110213174143.htm that’s right, when someone gives you gonorrhea, they’re really just giving you a piece of themselves.

Finally, science explains why Santa Claus is so jolly:
http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.com/2011/01/fat-genes-make-you-happy.html

A fairly long list of science jokes can be found here... http://blog.the-scientist.com/2010/07/06/a-biologist-a-chemist-and-a-physicist-walk-into-a-bar/comment-page-1/#comments 

My favorite so far: The artist, architect, and scientist are discussing the merits of having a wife versus a girlfriend. The artists says, “A girlfriend is preferable, because of the mystery and romance”. The architect says, “A wife is preferable, because you can build a lasting foundation for a good relationship”. Finally, the scientist says, “Having both is preferable!”. The other two say, “Both?”. “Yes, because the wife thinks you are with the girlfriend, the girlfriend thinks you are with the wife, and you can go into the lab and get some work done.”

More evidence that women don’t suck at math and science... apparently we just keep telling them they do, and for some reason, they listen...

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/11/25/15-minute-writing-exercise-closes-the-gender-gap-in-university-level-physics/

Like the comedian Kyle Kinane so eloquently stated: “This is America, which means that I have a God given right to be loudly opinionated about something that I am completely ignorant of.” http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/19/when-in-doubt-shout-%E2%80%93-why-shaking-someone%E2%80%99s-beliefs-turns-them-into-stronger-advocates/

An apple a day keeps the grim reaper away?

Apparently, there may be some truth to the old adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  A recent study suggests that polyphenols found in apples can extend the lifespan of fruit flies by ten percent.  Extrapolate that to humans and you could be talking about adding 7 years to your life.  And while some caution is warranted in comparing fruit flies to humans, it is important to remember that most of our knowledge about human genetics comes from studies originally done in fruit flies.  Indeed, the authors of the apple study examined the expression levels of several genes, from superoxide dismutase to the methuselah gene, that were up or down regulated in response to the apple polyphenol diet, and homologues of all of these genes are found in humans as well as fruit flies, suggesting that the findings may have some relevance to human health.

Sunday Comics: Random Thursday night edition

So, clearly I have not been posting very much lately, and while I could make the usual excuse that I am swamped while still trying to balance the new(ish) post-doc and work left over from grad school, it occurs to me that there is no excuse for not posting the occasional link, video, or cartoon... Apparently I have just been lazy.  Anyway, this one comes from the blog Drawing Flies.  Click on the link and see a whole bunch more.