Rulers of Information Kim Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz in Kiel, Germany, is perhaps the world’s most famous data pirate. The head of Megaupload, a data “service” that shared out copyrighted songs, films, books and much else to 50 million visitors a day, Kim is now incarcerated in a New Zealand jail following an FBI supervised […]
Why does exercise work? (2/01/12)
Making Regeneration More Efficient People are exhorted every day – exercise, exercise, exercise. Many patients I see are annoyed. Why should I bother? they ask. How much difference can it make? Next they’re told it will increase their lifespan; lower their blood pressure; decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke; lower the risk of […]
Can kids get addicted to the internet? (1/16/12)
Compulsion or Addiction? Can you get addicted to internet use? A new Chinese study in PLoS 1 argues that it certainly happens; that it clearly changes brain and behavior; and that the brain changes seen are in many ways similar to what happens with drug addiction and gambling. Kids Who Can’t Stop The adolescents – aged 14 […]
The War on Cancer and the War on Terror – what they have in common (1/3/12)
Who Wins? Historians often view wars as ending with winners and losers. We “won” World War II – and the Germans and Japanese lost. In most human conflicts results are less clear-cut. People don’t tend to think of the “War on Cancer” – started by President Nixon – and the “War on Terror” – begun […]
What you eat changes your genes – quickly (12/28/11)
Food Just Got a Lot More Complicated – Which Is a Good Thing Food changes gene expression – directly. Eat a bowl of rice and you can turn off genes controlling cholesterol synthesis. Right out of the pot. You’ve been eating genetic information – probably all your life. The data come from China, from Lin […]