We are about half way through September and approaching Autumn….a time for reflection on the world around us.
Sit back and enjoy….
Local–Still hot but we did a bit of rain….cooled off for about an hour….then it turn to hot steam….it is a joy….
The oyster reefs will open after 5 years….after the last spillway opening killed most of not all of the oysters and it has taken this long for them to recover.
Personal–More doctors visit and more changes in my lifestyle….I am really getting sick of this….the first of the next year I shall be making a decision on all this treatment stuff.
Plus a little depression is creeping in for soon it will be two years since my wife Sue died and I miss her terribly….she was my rock and an all around saint.
I will begin this week with health news….
Let’s start with cancer treatment….
Chemo can take a toll on one’s body….
A psychedelic best known for inspiring visions might one day be used to spare cancer patients from a painful chemo side effect. A new mouse study in Science suggests that psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” helped prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage that can cause burning, tingling, or numbness and sometimes forces doctors to dial back or even stop the cancer treatment, per Live Science.
Researchers at Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center gave mice two doses of psilocybin before starting them on cisplatin, a chemo drug notorious for nerve injury. The mice didn’t develop the usual heightened sensitivity to touch and cold, and their nerve endings stayed intact. Lab work points to how psilocybin appeared to keep mitochondria—the cell’s energy suppliers—moving along nerve fibers, preserving energy where it’s needed.
The effect relied on a serotonin receptor tied to psilocybin’s psychedelic properties, though a non-hallucinogenic compound targeting the same receptor also showed protection in mice. Experts stress this is early-stage research; it’s unknown if the approach works, or is safe, in humans. A clinical trial is being planned, but for now, psilocybin remains in the lab, not as a chemo companion.
AS one in the know I say get this on the market NOW!
The fad of taking these GLP-1 drugs to shed some punds may lead to something that will not be to the liking of many men….
Those popular weight-loss shots may also be affecting men’s hairlines. A genetic study out of NYU Langone Health suggests that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound could nudge some men toward permanent male-pattern baldness, not just short-term shedding tied to rapid weight loss, NBC News reports. Researchers found that men with higher activity in a gene called GLP1R—whose receptors these drugs target—had about a 7% greater chance of baldness if they used GLP-1 medications, per a release.
he study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology doesn’t prove that the medications cause hair loss, and it only looked at men, but it hints that some users may be biologically more vulnerable. Dermatologists say most drug-related shedding of hair resolves within months. For hair-loss prevention, they point to options like low-dose oral minoxidil, platelet-rich plasma, adequate protein, and testing for nutrient deficiencies. Another recent study has similar findings regarding GLP-1 drugs and hair loss.
Oh great more bald guys roaming the streets.
But on the other side of the coin….GLP-1 could slow aging….
OZEMPIC AND OTHER GLP-1 medications are intended for people who want to lose weight and manage diabetes. But as research mounts, doctors are discovering that this class of medication may have other health benefits. Those benefits range from heart health to curbing addiction to cancer treatment. But the latest findings sound like something out of a science fiction novel.
Scientists recently found the first evidence of GLP-1s actually slowing down biological aging. This is aging at a cellular level and a better representation of health than your chronological age. In the study, semaglutide, the main ingredient of GLP-1s, helped slow the buildup of DNA markers tied to inflammation and accelerated aging in major organs.
In a world where sleep, diet, and exercise are considered the most important pillars of “healthspan,” are GLP-1s the hidden fourth factor?
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a73616698/semaglutide-biological-aging-study/
This is for all my readers that use a smartwatch for their health….
The glowing number at the end of a workout — let’s say 427 calories — looks precise enough to plan dinner around. But if you think your smartwatch’s calorie counter is remotely accurate, think again.
Researchers at Florida International University (FIU) compared four popular smartwatches with a clinical metabolic analyzer in 58 adults. The Apple Watch Series 8 performed best overall (which should be read as ‘the least badly’). Meanwhile, the Garmin Forerunner 955 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 systematically overestimated calories burned. Fitbit Sense 2 readings proved absolutely erratic. To make things worse, the errors grew as participants’ body-fat percentage increased. So, if you’re overweight or even obese and have been relying on these smartwatches to count your calorie expenditure, you’ve essentially been living a lie.
“You can’t treat the calories burned number it gives you as an accurate number, because it’s not,” said Jason Kostrna, an associate professor at FIU and the study’s lead author.
https://www.zmescience.com/medicine/nutrition-medicine/smartwatch-calorie-counter-pretty-bad/
Something to think about before you drop good money on one of these things.
Here we go again…lab grown steak….
Scientists at EMBL Barcelona have developed a new approach that allows bovine embryonic stem cells to form multiple tissue types at once, marking a notable step in efforts to produce cultivated meat. The work focuses on creating structures that include muscle, nerve, and blood vessel components without the need for separate assembly steps. This development addresses one of the core difficulties in scaling lab-grown meat beyond simple cell cultures.
Traditional methods for cultivated meat often rely on adult stem cells taken from living animals. These cells have a restricted ability to divide and are already directed toward specific tissue types, which limits their usefulness for building complex products like steak. Embryonic stem cells offer greater flexibility because they can multiply extensively while remaining capable of turning into different cell kinds.
The practical consequence is a potential reduction in the number of animals needed for cell sourcing. Stakeholders in the cultivated meat sector, including startups and research institutions, have long sought ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This proof-of-concept work shows how self-organization might simplify production processes over time.
There is more on the manufactured meat front….
Researchers have engineered lettuce and tobacco chloroplasts to stably produce myoglobin, the iron-binding protein that helps give meat its red colour, distinctive flavour and nutritional iron. They used lettuce and tobacco becase these plants have some of the most well-studied genomes. But don’t expect meaty lettuce anytime soon.
Myoglobin is an iron- and oxygen-binding protein found in the heart and skeletal muscle tissues.
The small protein sits inside vertebrate muscle and binds heme, an iron-containing molecule. Oxygen attaching to that heme helps determine meat colour, while myoglobin also contributes to the metallic and umami notes associated with meat. Heme iron is generally more readily absorbed by the human body than the non-heme iron that dominates plant foods.
The high beef prices are soaring this may be our only option.
The hunt for unknown species…..
The globe is full of unknown species. But is it really possible to find a completely new animal species in the middle of the largest city in the United States?
“People like to imagine that undiscovered species are only found in remote rainforests or the great ocean depths, but they can be found everywhere. Even in areas that are well studied, we continue to discover species that are new to science,” says Emily Hartop.
Hartop is an entomologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s natural history museum in Trondheim, the NTNU University Museum.
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-unknown-life-york-city.html
Now for something that few will care about…time travel….
The science channel Space Explainer explained ways that physics suggests time travel could work, including relativistic time dilation, gravitational time dilation, near-light-speed travel, wormholes, black holes, and closed timelike curves.
Just for giggles…a video….
Just a little something to think about the next time to go to the toilet….
Most bathroom hygiene advice focuses on the things your hands touch. You’re supposed to wash your hands and avoid germs on flush handles, taps, toilet seats, and door handles. But flushing a toilet can create another, less obvious route for contamination: the air around you.
As water rushes through the bowl, it creates turbulence that throws microscopic droplets upward. Some of these particles can carry bacteria, viruses or other biological material from the bowl water. Researchers have detected them more than five feet above the floor, within the breathing zone of many adults, and found that some remain airborne for at least 20 seconds after a flush.
The findings are the result of a systematic review carried by researchers at Flinders University, who analyzed 22 previously published studies of aerosols released during flushing.
“Toilet flushing creates turbulence that can release aerosols into the surrounding air. Some studies detected these aerosols at adult breathing height, indicating a potential pathway for inhalation exposure,” said lead author Lira Adiyani, a Ph.D. student at Flinders University.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/toilet-flush-breathing-zone/
Thanx for dropping by.
That is all I have for this Saturday….I hope is that everyone has a very good day and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Sue will always be with you, chuq.
Time travel isn’t just a possibility, it is an everyday reality in at least one aspect of our lives. GPS satellites, which have become an essential part of our modern technological civilization, could not work without our scientific understanding of it as theorized by Albert Einstein.
His Special Relativity, which stated that the rate of time passes more slowly for objects having higher velocities, was later verified by observation and experimentation; and, his General Relativity, which stated that the rate of time also passes more slowly for objects within stronger gravitational fields, was similarly verified. GPS satellites have higher velocities relative to objects at the Earth’s surface, and they reside in a weaker gravitational field than objects at the Earth’s surface. Logically, these two effects should cancel each other out; but, the gravitational effect on GPS satellites is stronger. Therefore, the rate of time passes faster for GPS satellites (relative to us earthbound humans) by about 38 microseconds per day. If computer software did not incorporate Einstein’s theories, those satellites would quickly become out of sync with receivers on Earth’s surface by about 6.2 miles per day.
So, everything everywhere is travelling through time albeit at different rates depending on their individual circumstances; and, we know accurately why this happens. Have a nice trip, fellow time travelers!
Robert she is with me everyday…..time travel is one of those things that I depend on others for clarification….if it does not involve politics I am lost…LOL chuq
🙂
Toilet flushing creates turbulence that can release aerosols into the surrounding air. HA! Well, I guess we could all forego flushing the toilet, right.? (EWWWW!)
Nan or find a tree you like….chuq
One of my sons is in a long term study of the effects and side effects of these weight loss drugs. Every few months he has to go into the university hospital for a full work up, blood draws, etc. The problem with these is the potential adverse side effects over the long term. In other words, what they do to a person over a period of years, even decades. And at this point they just don’t know. So far it’s been nothing but beneficial. He’s lost something like 50 lbs, his mood has improved enormously, he’s more active both physically and mentally. his BP is down to normal range without having to resort to drug therapies. Hair loss? He couldn’t care less. So far it’s all been positive. Plus because he’s part of the study there’s no cost to him for the treatment or the follow up medical visits.
The fake meat thing… I just don’t see the point. This is literally a product that no one actually wants to consume and most of us wouldn’t touch unless we were literally starving. Beyond Meat and the other companies that sprang up 10 or so years ago to promote and produce this stuff are struggling or have even gone away completely. Beyond Meat is in serious financial trouble. It’s dropped the word “meat” from its branding completely and has tried moving into other alleged plant based products to try to develop something, anything, that people will actually buy.
The reports I read are not so good….like if they lose weight they must stay on the drug….cash in hand for the business….I never thought fake meat was a good idea….at best it is a fad and will go the way of mist fads. chuq
Yeah. that’s the thing with these drugs. What happens once you’ve lost the weight? The drug helps people lose weight, yes, but it doesn’t do anything to change the bad habits that made them obese in the first place so I’d think that if they go off the drug it isn’t going to be long before they’re right back where they were before.
Are these people aware of that caveat? chuq
“Are these people aware of that caveat? chuq”
My son is, of course. He had to sit through a very lengthy briefing with the staff at the university hospital outlining all of the potential problems when he signed up to be in the study. But I suspect that most people who are on these drugs aren’t aware of the potential issues.
let’s face it, right now we live in a society that is driven mostly by “influencers” on social media, not by actual facts. All they see is attractive young people showing fake “before and after” photos generated by AI and bragging about how great their sex lives have become and that kind of BS. Heck, I just heard an advertisement on the local radio station about 4 AM before their regular programming starts for some abomination called “Poop Fix” and some woman gushing about how her husband now finds her sexy because she now has regular bowel movements.
I am so glad that I avoid social media….I think I would stay pissed off if I was a regular user. chuq