MetaFilter posts tagged with Biology and life

Discover Your Inner Frankenstein

amyms — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:23:52 -0800

"In Massachusetts, a young woman makes genetically modified E. coli in a closet she converted into a home lab. A part-time DJ in Berkeley, Calif., works in his attic to cultivate viruses extracted from sewage. In Seattle, a grad-school dropout wants to breed algae in a personal biology lab. These hobbyists represent a growing strain of geekdom known as biohacking, in which do-it-yourselfers tinker with the building blocks of life in the comfort of their own homes." They might be discovering cures for diseases or developing new biofuels, but are their experiments too risky? Via. Additional links from the article: "In her dining room lab, Meredith L. Patterson is trying to develop a bacteria that will glow green to signal the presence of melamine." "This home experiment for extracting DNA from strawberries [YouTube video] uses a zip-lock bag, a glass, detergent and some strawberries." "Read more about Katherine Aull's experiment in her closet lab." "DIYbio Group co-founder Mackenzie Cowell explains some of the initiatives [Vimeo video], and the community lab the group is setting up in Cambridge, Mass." Related: The Biohacking Hobbyist Biohacking: The Open Wetware Future The Open Biohacking Project

The Spark of Life

homunculus — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:38:57 -0800

Sparks of Life. "That the electric 'spark of life' figured prominently in debates over the nature of life in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries is well known. Less well known is the fact that prior to this period, gunpowder was often identified with the substances that were necessary to life, if not as a vitalistic spirit, then as an essential element in the animation of the body. The idea of a spark of life went back to ancient times, likening living beings to the glowing embers of a fire. In the Old Testament, for example, the wise woman of Tekoah begs for the life of her son, pleading 'they will stamp out my last live ember.' But from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, this vital flame was often equated with gunpowder. There was fire in the blood: not electric, but pyrotechnic fire."

Lateral gene transfer and the history of life

homunculus — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:26:12 -0800

Festooning The Tree Of Life. Carl Zimmer describes new research on lateral gene transfer which makes the Tree of Life look more like a Gordian Knot.

Suspending Life

homunculus — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:10:28 -0800

Suspending Life. "If almost every species on Earth was killed some 250 million years ago, how did our ancient ancestors survive and evolve into us?"

Life

homunculus — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:40:51 -0800

The Meaning of Life. "We create life, we search for it, we manipulate and revere it. Is it possible that we haven't yet defined the term (PDF)?" [Via The Loom.]

Evolution and Cooperation

homunculus — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:25:56 -0800

In Games, an Insight Into the Rules of Evolution. Carl Zimmer writes about Martin Nowak (previously mentioned here), a mathematical biologist who uses games to understand how cooperation evolved. [Via MindHacks.]

Encyclopedia of Life

homunculus — Wed, 09 May 2007 22:15:24 -0800

The Encyclopedia of Life project will create a compendium of every aspect of the biosphere. It aims to compile data on all of Earth's 1.8 million known species on one Web site, and will include species descriptions, pictures, maps, videos, sound, sightings by amateurs, and links to entire genomes and scientific journal papers. E. O. Wilson is getting his wish. [Via BB.]

Cancer Cure Patented

TravisJeffery — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 23:33:14 -0800

Cancer Cure Patented A group of researchers claim that they are patenting a possible cure for cancer involving nothing more than sugar and short-chain fatty acid combination.

Obesity and Diabetes

Gyan — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:34:16 -0800

Obesity and Diabetes - another free supplement by Nature

Stem Cells in nature

Gyan — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 08:12:29 -0800

Nature has a somewhat technical but free supplement on stem cells (alongwith a podcast and related blog).

GATTACA

Gyan — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 04:15:19 -0800

The Promise and Perils of Synthetic Biology

Johnny, Don't Eat Your Vegetables!

daksya — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 19:40:31 -0800

Eat less, live more - maybe.

MegaFeeders

Gyan — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:43:29 -0800

Obesity: Epidemic or Myth?

Shades of Grey in a Black & White Issue.

Gyan — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 01:29:25 -0800

The Inequality Taboo - Charles Murray defends his ideas, published in the controversial book The Bell Curve.

Consciousness

Gyan — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 11:14:43 -0800

Who are YOU?

Through the Looking Chords

Gyan — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 14:19:11 -0800

Dr Hugo's Museum of the Mind - Synaesthesia

-MATT-TAME-META-TEAM-

Gyan — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 21:11:59 -0800

The Human Genome.

I want Life, F****r!

stbalbach — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 18:02:08 -0800

"We have [a substance] that extends the life of every species it's given to. We're 50 years ahead of where I thought we would be 10 years ago." While Harvard Medical School rules prevent David Sinclair from recommending product, "I know a number of scientists who think [it] is their best shot. Others satisfy themselves with a glass of red wine," which contains the compound. Too good to be true?

Mammal Gene Memetics

Gyan — Tue, 11 May 2004 00:27:47 -0800

Analysis Uncovers Critical Stretches of Human Genome.

Genesis

Gyan — Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:02:07 -0800

Genesis. "Life" from inorganic mixture. Full PDF paper : Spontaneous Formation of Cellular Chemical System that Sustains Itself far from Thermodynamic Equilibrium.

LifeFilter

Gyan — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 13:00:29 -0800

The Tree of Life.

Snail into Comparison

nthdegx — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 18:29:29 -0800

Play with a virtual ecosphere. [Flash].