Life
Each mammalian cell has the same genes, yet performs distinct functions. This is achieved by epigenetic control of gene expression; the switching on and switching off of genes. This course will cover the principles of epigenetic control of gene expression, how epigenetic control contributes to cellular differentiation and development, and
Matthew
I was being wheeled into the operating room. The hospital staff was running alongside the gurney. I had sustained a massive injury to my head, and I was unconscious, probably in a coma.
Life
Something has always troubled me about Darwin’s theory and even modern revisions of his work – there is still no explanation for instinct. Ethologists call instincts innate releasing mechanisms or IRM, which in layman’s terms means “we’ll use big fancy words because we just don’t know.” The
Myth
The Christian affirmation of belief in Jesus descent to Hades is in the Apostles Creed and in the so-called Athanasian Creed as well as being article III in the Anglican Thiny-Nine Articles. The Biblical origin for this belief which is a major and normative part of Christian tradition, seems to
Life
Bilateral symmetry is a type of body plan in which an organism has two mirror-image halves along a single axis. The axis of symmetry is the sagittal plane, which passes vertically through the head and body. Each half has one set of sensory organs and appendages: one eye, one ear,
3/15 Update: The video on the TEDx YouTube channel was removed by TED. I downloaded a copy before they took it down and posted it to Vimeo (creative commons license). TED created a page where people are invited to debate the merits of their decision to remove the videos.
Mind
Just about every day at work I have to dial a ridiculously long string of numbers in order to join a conference call. Just about every day on the internet I have to fill out those mind-bending CAPTCHA forms. For me, it takes intense concentration to complete those tasks. Maybe
Life
Throughout the twentieth century, one of the strongest taboos in biology was against the inheritance of acquired characteristics, sometimes called Lamarckian inheritance, after the pioneering evolutionary biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829). Lamarck proposed that adaptations by plants and animals could be passed on to their offspring. In this respect, Charles Darwin
Thinking
“The futility of everything that comes to us from the media is the inescapable consequence of the absolute inability of that particular stage to remain silent. Music, commercial breaks, news flashes, adverts, news broadcasts, movies, presenters—there is no alternative but to fill the screen; otherwise there would be an
Mind
“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Henri Bergson A few years ago I was showing my Nana pictures on my phone and though she looked at the phone it wasn’t obvious she understood what she was looking at. It was as if she was
Matthew
I managed to tackle around 20 books in 2012. Mostly for work but some just for fun. Looking back, it looks like 2012 was about acquiring new analytical skills for business. I enjoy my work so most of these were also great to read. I’m pretty sure my favorite
Culture