My Virtual Reading Room

Runaway kangaroo’s hop down Alabama highway causes two-vehicle crash

The marsupial was unharmed, law enforcement said. It was shot with a tranquilizer and returned to its owner.

(there's a video in the article, take a look ;))

Promising research:

Experimental cancer drugs found to help some patients avoid surgery

(immunotherapy has really taken off in recent years)

A slightly older article, but one I'd not come across before:

She wrote to a scientist about her fatigue. It inspired a breakthrough.

(all three are from The Washington Post, and all three are gift links)

This is a very interesting interview with Alexandra Arkhipova (she's a social anthropologist) I've watched recently. It now has professionally-translated English subtitles (they're good quality, I checked). You get to see some of Paris, and Musee d'Homme--and there's an absolutely hilarious story from Mongolia, do take a look at that one, if nothing else--it's at 2 hours 32 minutes in, and only a few minutes long.

A few things that caught my eye recently, in no particular order:

Monogamy. Grandmas. Milk. The Evolution of Childhood Is Very Strange, from Sapiens

The Anthropology Professor in an Amazon Warehouse, also from Sapiens

Car Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit, from The Marginalian


24 Tips from Therapists, from BuzzFeed

25 Riddles, also from BuzzFeed

Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals

(amazing, really, especially if you'd studied cell biology)

How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.

(an interesting and detailed historical perspective)

(thanks to those on my reading list--conuly and minoanmiss , I believe)

And--

Better living through chemistry (or not so much...)

Sulfanilamide Disaster

Taste of Raspberries, Taste of Death: The 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide Incident

(one of the things I found interesting in this report was the reaction of the head of the company, versus that of the research chemist...)

amaebi pointed out this article:


1985 Austrian diethylene glycol wine scandal

(one of the things I found interesting in this article is near the end, under the subtitle "Destruction of the wine", what they had to do to get rid of it...)

...the birthday of Maria Sklodowska-Curie. A remarkable person and scientist; the MSN article below offers a very brief summary. One of her daughters, Eve Curie, had actually written an excellent book about her, titled "Madame Curie" (which had been translated into English and can be bought, on Amazon or elsewhere, if you are so inclined). I remember it is a book aimed at older children.

Marie Curie: The Pioneer of Radioactivity and a Legacy of Scientific Excellence


...today is also the 107th anniversary of the (ahem) Great October Socialist Revolution...

Photo contest reveals strange beauty of the microscopic world, from MSN

(via minoanmiss --many thanks!)

People, Relationships, Children, and Sports:

Pride sign decayed as a man fought cancer. Neighbors revived it, from The Washington Post

Silver Spring neighborhood restores iconic LOVE sign to honor its creator, Mike Heffner, who died of cancer last year.

They wanted to foster a child. Overnight, they got 3: ‘Can we do this?’

“These kids needed a place to live, and they needed to be together,” said PJ McKay, who documents his fatherhood journey with his husband.

An Olympic friendship that defied Hitler, from BBC

(thanks to lindahoyland for this link)

Science, Healthcare, and Art:

What is it like to attend a predatory conference?, from Nature

Nature sent a reporter to find out as part of an investigation into dud events.


  Nurse Survey Signals Improvements, Though Retention Still a Problem from MedPage Today

— Efforts to "recruit more nurses are akin to fueling a car with a leaking gas tank," one RN says

... "You can't recruit your way out of a retention problem."...

As Surrealism Turns 100, a Look at Its Enduring Legacy , from ArtNews

So Google tells me--

I suppose it's good she is getting some recognition now...

Three from Dr. Andrea Love on Substack:

The word "toxic" is meaningless without context

People who don't understand biology weaponize this word to scare you

Measles: Is it Immune or Human Amnesia?

People have really forgotten the impact of preventable illness

The appeal to nature fallacy is the false belief that "natural" is better

Plenty of natural things can be extremely harmful at tiny exposures

From the NYT (gift link):

Mildred Thornton Stahlman, Pioneer in Neonatal Care, Dies at 101

She developed one of the first modern intensive care units for premature babies, helping newborns to breathe with lifesaving new treatments.

(fascinating story, do take a look)

Her hearing implant was preapproved. But she still received multiple $139,000 bills, from NPR

(crazy story, and great advice at the end of the article)

Anthropological trivia from Sapiens

Did he want a cat scan? Mountain lion makes surprise visit to Arizona hospital, from USA Today

What are red sprites, blue jets, and other Transient Luminous events?, from Paul M. Smith Photography

(check out their FB page btw--amazing photos)


and three from Medium:

How to Become the Best in the World at Something

With skill stacking, you don’t need to be at the top to be extraordinary

(an interesting perspective)

We live to compete. What I learned by winning the Duolingo diamond league

Common side effects of not drinking

By rejecting alcohol, you reject something very human, an extra limb that we have collectively grown to deal with reality and with each other. Getting around without it is not painless.

(I was a bit puzzled by this one actually, but I suppose, as with many things, it depends on one's experience and social circle...)

Online weight-loss drug scams described

McAfee’s Threat Research Team has described the problem of malicious websites, emails and texts, posts on social media, and marketplace listings used by scammers to capitalize on both high demand and high prices for semaglutide drugs that can help with weight loss. [Karnik A. How Ozempic scams put people’s finances and health at risk. McAfee Blog, June 12, 2024] McAfee researchers reported:

• 449 risky website URLs and 176,871 dangerous phishing attempts centered around Ozempic, Wegovy, and semaglutide
• scammers on Facebook impersonate doctors based outside of the U.S. and promise semaglutide drugs without a prescription
• there were 207 scam postings in just one day in April for Ozempic on Craigslist and similar marketplaces
• scammers offered drugs at too-good-to-be-true, deeply discounted prices
• scammers offered to accept payment through Bitcoin, Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App, which are nonstandard methods for prescription drug payment.
• scammers may fail to deliver drugs consumers paid for or may even deliver fakes. Examples include EpiPens loaded with allergy medication, insulin pens, or pens loaded with a saline solution

They advise consumers to be wary of semaglutide drugs sold: (a) without prescriptions, (b) from unlicensed pharmacies, (c) at unreasonably low prices, (d) via websites that don’t provide verifiable product information, and (e) with testimonials.
Patients commonly discontinue semaglutide weight-loss treatment

An analysis of nationally representative, commercial insurance data has found while prescriptions of semaglutide drugs for weight management have increased exponentially, many patients discontinued the drugs before achieving clinically meaningful weight loss. [Real-world trends in GLP-1 treatment persistence and prescribing for weight management. Blue Health Intelligencer Issue Brief, May 2024] Key findings include:

• about half the patients who received prescriptions stayed on treatment for a minimum of 12 weeks, enough time to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss
• 30% of patients discontinued treatment within four weeks, before reaching the targeted dose
• patients aged 35 and older were more likely to stay on GLP-1 treatment for at least 12 weeks
• patients who regularly visited their healthcare providers were more likely to stay on the drugs

The report notes that almost all new users of the drugs suffer some gastrointestinal side effects. Patients often stop treatment due to difficulty coping with vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
“Adaptogen” marketing debunked

Yale University clinical neurologist Steven Novella, M.D., has noted the term “adaptogen” used in marketing some dietary supplements is vaguely defined and “just another marketing buzzword for snake oil products.” Claims made for adaptogens are akin to meaningless “structure-function” claims tolerated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Health Education Act (DSHEA) such as ”boosting the immune system,” “increasing energy," and “supporting a positive outlook.” Novella calls adaptogens “the same con with a new label.” [Novella S. What are “adaptogens”? Science-Based Medicine, June 5, 2024]

(from Dr. Barrett's Consumer Health Digest)

In no particular order:

How People With Dementia Make Sense of the World, from The Atlantic


Confessions of a Failed Self-Help Guru, from Narratively

I traveled around the country telling strangers how to better their lives—until I learned that those offering to solve your problems are often the ones who need help.

"...My social life wasn’t faring much better. Friends were growing annoyed with me for repeatedly canceling plans so I could work late. My fiancé asked more than once if we were still engaged. At a rare dinner with a couple of buddies, one asked what I was working on. “A story about entrepreneurs who don’t work 80 hours a week!” I chirped, entirely serious. One friend cackled wildly. Another spit out her beer...."


Some mice have a cheating heart. It’s a hormonal thing, scientists find, from The Washington Post

Oldfield mice are monogamous. The deer mouse prefers the swinging lifestyle when it comes to sexual partners.


Superbugs Pose a Deadly Threat to Cystic Fibrosis Patients, from MedPage Today

— A little-known microbe claimed Mallory Smith's life but did not quell her light


A mystery illness stole their kids’ personalities. These moms fought for answers, from The Washington Post

A teacher promised his 1978 class an eclipse party. He just hosted it., from The Washington Post

The Best Total Solar Eclipse Photos, from Wired

Sobering research in the Journal of the American Heart Association links marijuana use, whether through smoking, vaping or eating, to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

The risk increased with the amount of marijuana used. The associations persisted after accounting for other factors such as cigarette use and existing heart disease.

Proponents of cannabis use should consider the growing evidence that cannabis has a number of negative health effects, including cardiovascular disease.

Mental health and related matters:

How to enjoy your problems

Accepting your problems is one thing. To enjoy them? Well, that’s pretty much enlightenment. Here’s how to get there, by Chelsea Harvey Garner

The harms of adverse childhood experiences are well-known. But positive experiences can affect future health, too, from STAT News

Purpose in life and cognitive health: a 28-year prospective study, from Cambridge Uni Press

(Spoiler: their conclusion: Purpose in life is associated with healthier cognitive function measured up to 28 years later. Individuals with lower purpose, especially in their 60s or older, and with steeper declines in purpose, are more likely to have dementia at age 80.)

Quelle surpirse!

The New Science of Optimism and Longevity, from the MIT Press Reader.

A growing body of research suggests that optimism plays a significant role in promoting both physical and mental well-being.

Are we all doomed? How to cope with the daunting uncertainties of climate change, from Nature

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about the damage that might be wrought by global warming — but that is missing the point.


Microorganisms:

The Microbiome and Its Myth-Making Machine, from McGill Uni

If you have heard something very specific about the microbiome, odds are it’s wrong.

Everyone Is Eager to Forget Covid. But Who Are We Forgetting Along the Way?, collection of articles from Firefox Pocket

Critical care physician battles long COVID with hope and grit, from Kevin MD

Four years on: the career costs for scientists battling long COVID, from Nature

Many with the condition have found ways around their health problems, but they say more employer support is needed.

They’ve lived 100 years. Here’s their advice about everything ,from The Washington Post

Rachmaninoff’s last living piano student lives in Pa. She’s 99, also from The Washington Post

Facebook is entering middle age. So are you (also from The Washington Post)

The Real COVID Isolation Headline That Nobody Is Picking Up On, from MedPage Today

Breaking Down the Latest on Long COVID Research, also from MedPage Today

Here's How Effective the Latest COVID-19 Shots Are for Adults (also from MedPage Today)

Three from Self:

9 Small Ways to Let Go of Regret (Even When It’s Hard)

25 Mental Health Podcasts That Might Help You Understand Yourself Better

15 Sleep Apps That Will Help You Feel Less Damn Tired All the Time

And two from BBC Science Focus:

This article is scientifically proven to improve your willpower

Pop psychology: Eight myths that are probably wrong, or at least wildly overly simplistic

You see the title--caveat lector; it's a very cute little critter, but there is one slightly graphic photo.

These Tiny Creatures Become Cannibals After Sex Turns Deadly

Parodies of I am the Very Model of Modern Major General (43)

(via wendelah1 --many thanks!)

Other links:

The Major-General’s Song — Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘patter’ is still twisting tongues, from The Financial Times

Major General Song, from TV Tropes

Gilbert & Sullivan Do Tolkien

The Modern Entomologist

...which inspired this gem, here in the comments: I am the very model of a modern criminologist

and, by the same talented author, We Are The Very Model Of A Drug Squad Metropolitan

I am the very model of a Russian Major General (not so funny, alas, but as the times are, so is the humor)

I Am the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual

I Am The Very Model of a YouTube Individual

Politics in General

Every Major's Terrible, xkcd comic

And the song it inspired:

Coronavirus FAQ: My partner/roommate/kid got COVID. And I didn't. How come? from NPR's Goats and Soda blog

From ScienceAlert:

Diabetes Breakthrough: FDA-Approved Drugs Regenerate Insulin Production in 48 Hours

New Class of Antibiotic Found That Kills Deadly Drug-Resistant Superbug

Lactic Acid Isn't Making Your Muscles Sore. Here's What's Really Behind It.

This Might Look Like a Spider, But You're in For a Shock