Nerdy Science Blog

Though is rarely happen, two-headed animals are often found in natural environment. This phenomenon is due incomplete splitting of embryos, which otherwise will give rise to identical twins. When this incomplete splitting of embryos happens in humans, it lead to phenomenon known as Siamese, or conjoined, twins.

For the very first time, paleontologists have found a tiny reptile fossil with two heads. The 120-million-year-old specimens found in china is only 2.8 inches long, is a hatchling of a species of Choristodere.

For full story, please visit “Two-Headed Reptile Fossil From Age of Dinosaurs Found” @ National Geographic.

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Last month I wrote an article about Wnt signaling system help in limb regeneration.

They know that as a human embryo matures, loads of cells await the command that directs each to become a certain type of cell with a particular function such as a heart-muscle cell. Once tissue formation begins, a red-light signal puts the brakes on cell growth before it gets out of control.

Dubbed Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling, cell-to-cell conversations control the fate of these as-yet undeveloped cells in the embryo.

—— LiveScience.com: How a Zebrafish Regrows a Fin

There are more researches show that the Wnt signaling system promote tissue regeneration.

Actually this fin-regrow-research do help in saving sharks. You can keep a shark in your aquarium and repeatedly cutting of its fins, the fins will regrow! Is it better to torture one or kills lots of them?
(Picture Source)

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Producing a science fiction movie is not easy, as it require a lot of background knowledge to produce a good one. But Jurassic Park has become one of the greatest sci-fi movies, and CSI is one of my favorite sci-fi series.

Now, we have our ‘Cicak Man’ (Gekko Man) which was categorized into science fiction movie. As for local movie, I don’t expect it as great as Jurassic Park or CSI or other superhero’s movies produced in Hollywood. But is sorry to say that, this movie is… terrible, misleading, and totally not making sense, scientifically.

JerryWho has given his review, so as sam. And now I am giving mine, here in Nerdy Science Blog.

1. to examine viruses and vaccine, scientists DO NOT use a light microscope. Instead, scientists use electron microscope (EM) which give higher magnification for observing viruses.
   Just FYI, scientists nowadays has better technique such as molecular technique to detect viruses. However, in the case where unknown infectious agent is involved, as in the case of SARS, EM is still the only choice.
   As for vaccine, it is much more complicated. I would prefer not to elaborate here as it is going to be an essay long. But for sure, scientists do not search for a vaccine using a microscope.
2. I have no idea what was Hairi looking into the light microscope? Hairi is a scientist in the movie, his research is about searching for vaccine against disease caused by ‘Virus 266’.
   However, what was shown under microscope is definitely neither viruses nor vaccine! By looking at the giant-size-cartoon-like microorganisms and the speed of the organisms which divided in seconds, I would like to say that it is a total new species. With the size of the ‘micro’organisms under the microscope, we can probably view it even with our naked eyes.
   And just FYI, I observed how yeasts (Saccharomyces pombe) divided under a light microscope.
3. eating and drinking is strictly prohibited in laboratory. This rule applies to any lab.
4. a scientist with brain, will never let a cage containing laboratory test subjects i.e., geckos open widely without monitoring.
5. still, I got no idea how can a gecko dissolve in a coffee. Any explanation?
6. no matter how, Hairi successfully had his gecko goes into his stomach, which transform the man into gecko.
   I have no idea what transform a man into a gecko, the gecko itself? Theoretically, whatever that enter you stomach, will breakdown into smaller pieces and slowly get digested. And practically, you don’t transform into something you eat.
   Because of the Virus 266? I do not know how is the infection mechanism of Virus 266, but given the virus H5N1 as example: if you eat a raw chicken infected with H5N1, you are more likely to get infected by H5N1, rather than transform into an Ayam (Chicken) Man. Moreover, what is the Virus 266 to do with gecko?
7. none of any species of lizard excrete sticky excretion to walk on vertical surface or upside down. In this case, I referring to ‘cicak’ or gekko, they use their adhesive toe pads.
   since a iguana was involve in the movie, so FYI, iguana don’t have adhesive toe pad which allow them to walk like how ‘cicak’ walk. If you ever notice, they only have claws.
   btw, geckos are carnivores, iguanas are herbivores.
8. performing scientific research in a apartment? Looking for antidote for gekko man? Frankly, I love that idea, that’s mean we will have freelance scientists working from home, where you can easily make order for viruses that can turn human shit into purple color.
9. cloning an animal, including human is not a process of photocopying. Researchers had explained the concept over and over again, all the cicak man script writer need to do is refer to the famous clone, Dolly as an example.
10. though this is not really related to science: the barcodes on those clones look so cheapskate as it can just rub away with a finger.
11. anyone with some medical knowledge will tell you: air bubbles in a syringe can kill. Ok, maybe it doesn’t apply for a half gecko half man’s creature.

Do I miss out anything? Feeling like scan through the movie again. Any DVD?

*Gecko: a type of small lizard (longman dictionary).
**Gekko: one of the genus name of gecko.

Addition:

Well… I didn’t notice that Metrofulus was actually a cold country (huh? Does it look like one? I don’t see anyone in the movie breathe out air?). Paris Beaverbanks point out the some facts about the behavior of lizards in cold country. Have a look into her Cicak Man review, “Cicakman - glitch in facts?” @ Paris Beaverbanks.

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What is Papular mucinosis?

“Papular mucinosis is a rare condition, where the dermal layer of the skin breaks into small and solid bumps, usually conical in shape. Unlike pustules, these bumps do not contain pus and usually come in clusters.

In the case of papular mucinosis, the papules contain mucin – which is a substance of mucus, the body’s natural and protective lubricant found in saliva and epithelial cells in lungs and the sensitive part of the nose.

There is no effective treatment for this condition and it has recently been reported in patients infected with the HIV/AIDS virus.”

source.

Papular mucinosis is a type of rare skin disease. It cripples a Berita Harian newsman, Karim Sulaiman, the winner of the 2001 Kajai Journalism Award, making him lies on the bed and losing ability even move even his own body.

The news was on Star recently, and it available online, at here.

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Grrlscientist triggered my curiousity about how chocolate kills dogs.

After doing some Googling, theobromine is why chocolate kills dogs.

Theobromine is always confused with caffeine, i wonder whether caffeine has the same effect on dog. Maybe some cruel scientists should try this out, don’t count on me, i won’t kill dogs if the dogs don’t try to kill me.

So drug smugglers, remember to put on chocolate all over your drugs, that kills dogs.

Remember kids, remember to bring chocolate gun just in case any dogs attack you.

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There are people who were born without the sense of pain. Apart from not feeling any pain, they look like just every other normal people.

The initial case study was a ten-year-old Pakistani street performer with the ability to put a knive through his arms and walk on burning coal without feeling pain.

Together with this young street performer, researchers were able to identify six other people who also have same ability from three families in the same region.

These people were able to sense the sensation of hot, cold and pressure. Also, they are able to differentiate between sharp or blunt objects by touching.

All without pain.

Researcher have now revealed that the ‘superpower’ is actually a kind of rare gene disorder, caused by a very rare genetic mutation, and had decoded the genetic information successfully.

By studying these individuals, the scientists were able to determine that a mutation in the gene SCN9A causes a loss of function in the voltage-gated sodium channel it encodes (subunit Nav1.7). Sodium channels are proteins which excite neurons, and though the precise function of Nav1.7 is unclear, as part of a sodium channel it would play a role in exciting sensory neurons.
– Science Daily

Through better understanding of how pain works, researchers are now hoping to develop new pain killer with fewer side effects.

Source: Gene Mutation Which Prevents Carriers From Feeling Pain Discovered — Science Daily.

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In blogazine, tunasing listed out his biotech wishlist, the first item is “Tongkat ali lubricant (water based to work with condoms)”.

You might be asking, “What on earth is Tongkat Ali?” Tongkat Ali is a plant which is famed for its treat on sexual dysfunctional.

Scientific America:

Kiser and his colleagues developed a polymer mixture that is liquid at room temperature, but thickens into a gellike coating at body temperature and a pH of 4 to 5, which occurs in the vagina. The researchers designed the gel to liquefy again at neutral PH, because semen neutralizes vaginal PH. Kiser says it can then mix with semen and deliver a desired antiviral payload, perhaps a small molecule or a polymer microbicide (microbe-killing compound).

In the future, “Tongkat Ali Ginseng Coffee” is not what you need, but “The Tongkat Ali Molecular Condom”.

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You may think that your pets will not get any disease that affect human, but you are wrong:

(HealthDay News) — Cats can develop a feline form of Alzheimer’s disease, say U.K. and U.S. researchers who identified a protein that can build up in brain nerve cells and cause mental deterioration.

You may not care about the old folks, but most people do care for their pets. So if you are trying to pull funds out of people who don’t care for old folks, maybe you can change your slogan to “Save Your Cats from Alzheimer’s disease, Fund Us”.

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New York City became the first city that bans trans fats at restaurants.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York on Tuesday became the first city in the nation to ban artery-clogging artificial trans fats at restaurants, leading the charge to limit consumption of an ingredient linked to heart disease and used in everything from french fries to pizza dough to pancake mix.

What is a trans fat? It is an unsaturated fat that is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. So what can trans fats do to you?

1. higer risk of heart disease
2. deplete good cholesterol (HDL)

Since trans fats are bad for us, why do the manufacturers put them in so many food products? It’s all about money because trans fats increase the shelf life of the food products such as crackers. So the more you eat, the more they earn and the poorer you are as you are getting fatter.

Heavy people do not spend more than normal-size people on food itself, but their life insurance premiums are two to four times as large. They can expect higher medical expenses, and they tend to make less money and accumulate less wealth in their shortened lifetimes. They can have a harder time being hired and, once on the job, a harder time winning plum assignments and promotions.

So who are in troubles now? The fast food restaurants!

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Do you have an imaginary friend?

The imaginary friends a child dreams up, naughty or nice, are good to have around. They have emotional, social, and cognitive benefits, and they help prepare children for real life, scientists say.

—— LiveScience.com: Imaginary Friends and Enemies All Good, Scientist Say

I did not have imaginary friend, but I did have imaginary monster and I myself playing a very powerful role to defeat those monsters. By the way, I had my imaginary friends when I’m bored in the lab, they are my gloves.

I am quite happy and relieved that neither my teachers nor my parents try to kill my imagination, but I felt sorry for those who said “but the book/teacher/dad/mom/postman said that…”.

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