Ask A Scienceblogger: Creation of Vaccines

post from Aetiology on 14 May 2007 11:38:00 AM. © Aetiology

Readers may have noticed that a re-vamped "Ask a Scienceblogger" has appeared, with prior questions and responses at Cognitive Daily and Thoughts from Kansas. Aetiology gets the current installment, discussing the question, "Why is it possible to create vaccines for some microbes and not others?"

First, let me start off with a quibble about how this question was phrased, which suggests that it isn't possible to create a vaccine for some organisms. This suggests a pessimistic view not shared by researchers in the field. Just because we've not been able to create them up to this point--or more pointedly, to create successful ones with the potential for human use--doesn't mean that we're down and out. It just means that we have to come up with new targets, new technologies, and even potentially new ways of getting them tested and out into the field.

With that said, there are a number of reasons why we've not yet created successful vaccines yet, even against some pathogens that cause a great amount of morbidity and mortality (including the big three: M. tuberculosis, which cause tuberculosis, Plasmodium species, which cause malaria, and HIV):

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Desert Beetle Helps Devise Convenient Way to
Construct Test Surfaces with a Variable Affinity for Water

post from CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries on 14 May 2007 11:00:59 AM. © CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries

From What's Next In Science & Technology: With a nod to one of nature's best surface chemists—an obscure desert beetle&#82...

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A few items from John Horgan

post from Pharyngula on 14 May 2007 10:57:07 AM. © Pharyngula

John Horgan and George Johnson are going at it again on Bloggingheads. The most interesting part, I thought, was the discussion of EO Wilson's turn towards group selection; one of the themes of Gould's last book was the existence of levels of selection above the individual and the gene. Gould and Wilson had such a bitter antipathy towards each other that it is fascinating to see this sliver of convergence now.

For more Horgan, check out his recent article in Slate—it's a skeptical look at neurotheology. Persinger and Hamer, oh my — two guys whose real talent is the ability to prompt eye-rolling and giggles in scientists.

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CO2 Capture for Commercial Use

post from CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries on 14 May 2007 10:55:41 AM. © CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries

Does anyone know of any proven technology that can be used to extract and capture carbon dioxide for future commercial use? I am working with a clien...

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Religion != ID

post from Good Math, Bad Math on 14 May 2007 10:48:12 AM. © Good Math, Bad Math

I debated about whether or not I should write this post. But as you can see, in theend, I overcame my better judgement, and so he we are.

Over the weekend, PZ wrote a Pharyngula post about the reaction people have had to MittRomney's statement about evolution. He was pissed. And I agree with his initial reaction.What we have is a politician basically saying "Yes, I agree with the facts". And somehow,that's been taken by a seemingly huge number of people as something brave and bold,something that should impress us. Nope, sorry folks: acknowledging that facts are facts isnot brave. I'm no more impressed with him for saying that evolution is true thanI'd be if he got up and said "I admit it: I believe that 2+2=4."

But typically, when discussing anything that involves religion, PZ went overboard. Andit ticked me off.

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Plastic Shirt Button Manufacture

post from CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries on 14 May 2007 10:41:00 AM. © CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries

My question is what is the manufacturing process of plastic shirt button and which material use in it?

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The Blurry World of Claude Monet Recreated

post from CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries on 14 May 2007 10:35:05 AM. © CR4 - Recent Forum Threads and Blog Entries

From LiveScience.com: Claude Monet's paintings diffuse into nothing more than a fuzzy riot of color when viewed too closely. Iro...

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Urban parks an answer to global warming

post from Science Blog - on 14 May 2007 10:29:09 AM. © Science Blog -

Scientists looking at the effect global warming will have on our major cities say a modest increase in the number of urban parks and street trees could offset decades of predicted temperature rises. The University of Manchester study has calculated that a mere 10% increase in the amount of green space in built-up centres would reduce urban surface temperatures by as much as 4°C.

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Alas, poor Guillermo Gonzalez

Les Lane has a summary of Gonzalez's unfortunate tenure situation. To nudge your memory, Guillermo Gonzalez is the Discovery Institute fellow who was working as an assistant professor of astronomy at Iowa State University; he was recently denied tenure there and is protesting the decision.

It's an awkward position, but very common — academia isn't an easy career to break into. It also doesn't help that Gonzalez fails to understand the process.

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Volt is Real Production Vehicle! (for now)

AutoWeek and several other sources reported last week that GM has taken major steps to develop a production version of the Volt plug-in electric hybrid car. They quoted Larry Burns, GM's vice president for RD as saying We are doing the production engineering on the Chevrolet Volt, it is a formal...

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