Tag Archives: Science

Paralyzed man sips beer — using robot arm he controls with his mind

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“Erik Sorto hasn’t been able to move his arms or legs in a decade, after a gunshot wound 13 years ago rendered him quadriplegic. But after scientists implanted chips into his brain three years ago, he’s been able to move a robotic arm — to shake hands; play rock, paper, scissors; and yes, drink beer, according to a study in the journal Science. Sorto is one of a handful of people who have been given brain implants to help move objects with their minds since 2006, when a paralyzed man named Matthew Nagle moved a cursor on a computer using only his thoughts. Since then, scientists have been trying to refine the process to benefit other paralyzed patients.”

http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/21/8639905/brain-control-robot-arm-paralyzed-quadriplegic

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Federal Judge Upholds Marijuana’s Schedule I Status

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“A federal judge has rejected a motion challenging the constitutionality of cannabis’ classification as a Schedule I prohibited substance without any accepted medical utility.  Judge Kimberly J. Mueller of the Federal District Court in Sacramento, California issued her oral ruling during a 15-minute court hearing on Tuesday. Judge Mueller heard closing arguments in the case in early February, but she had postponed ruling on the matter until this week. Her written opinion was not available at the time of her ruling.  In October, experts for the defense presented evidence over a five-day period arguing that the scientific literature is not supportive of the plant’s present categorization.”

http://norml.org/news/2015/04/16/federal-judge-upholds-marijuana-s-schedule-i-status

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43 scientific papers retracted amid wider fake peer-review scandal

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“A major publisher of scholarly medical and science articles has retracted 43 papers because of ‘fabricated’ peer reviews amid signs of a broader fake peer review racket affecting many more publications.  The publisher is BioMed Central, based in the UK, which puts out 277 peer-reviewed journals. A partial list of the retracted articles suggests most of them were written by scholars at universities in China. Meanwhile, the Committee on Publication Ethics, a multidisciplinary group that includes more than 9,000 journal editors, issued a statement suggesting a much broader potential problem.  Those journals are now reviewing manuscripts to determine how many may need to be retracted.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/27/fabricated-peer-reviews-prompt-scientific-journal-to-retract-43-papers-systematic-scheme-may-affect-other-journals/

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Federal Government Admits Marijuana Shrinks Serious Brain Tumors

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“The National Institute on Drug Abuse, a research institution run by the federal government, has grudgingly admitted that marijuana is capable of killing certain cancer cells.  A publication from NIDA, revised as of April 2015, states that ‘recent animal studies have shown that marijuana can kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others. Evidence from one animal study suggests that extracts from whole-plant marijuana can shrink one of the most serious types of brain tumors. Research in mice showed that these extracts, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation.'”

http://dailycaller.com/2015/04/02/did-the-federal-government-just-admit-that-marijuana-can-shrink-serious-brain-tumors/

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It’s time to destroy the U.S. smallpox reserves [2011]

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“Smallpox isn’t completely gone. That’s because two large government laboratories, one in the U.S. and one in Russia, insist on maintaining stocks of the smallpox virus (called variola). In the U.S., the smallpox virus is kept at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. In Russia, it’s at the Vector lab in Siberia.  Why keep this incredibly deadly virus around? The scientists at the CDC and in Russia give the same answer: more research is needed to develop better vaccines, to protect us from a bioterrorism attack. They’ve been making this argument for 30 years now, but they are wrong. The only thing they need to do is to destroy their stocks of smallpox, and wipe out this virus once and for all.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sciencebiz/2011/03/13/its-time-to-destroy-the-u-s-smallpox-reserves/

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Merck Has Some Explaining To Do Over Its MMR Vaccine Claims

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“Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, is facing a slew of controversies over its Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine following numerous allegations of wrongdoing from different parties in the medical field, including two former Merck scientists-turned-whistleblowers. A third whistleblower, this one a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control, also promises to bring Merck grief following his confession of misconduct involving the same MMR vaccine.  The controversies will find Merck defending itself and its vaccine in at least two federal court cases after a U.S. District judge earlier this month threw out Merck’s attempts at dismissal.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/lawrence-solomon/merck-whistleblowers_b_5881914.html

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GlaxoSmithKline fined $3bn for bribing doctors to increase drugs sales [2012]

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“The company encouraged sales reps in the US to mis-sell three drugs to doctors and lavished hospitality and kickbacks on those who agreed to write extra prescriptions, including trips to resorts in Bermuda, Jamaica and California.  Psychiatrists and their partners were flown to five-star hotels, on all-expenses-paid trips where speakers, paid up to $2,500 to attend, gave presentations on the drugs. They could enjoy diving, golf, fishing and other extra activities arranged by the company.  GSK also paid for articles on its drugs to appear in medical journals and ‘independent’ doctors were hired by the company to promote the treatments, according to court documents.”

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jul/03/glaxosmithkline-fined-bribing-doctors-pharmaceuticals

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A Troubling Feature of People Who Seem Nice All the Time

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“In 1961, curious about a person’s willingness to obey an authority figure, social psychologist Stanley Milgram began trials on his now-famous experiment.  A new Milgram-like experiment published this month in the Journal of Personality has taken this idea to the next step by trying to understand which kinds of people are more or less willing to obey these kinds of orders. What researchers discovered was surprising: Those who are described as ‘agreeable, conscientious personalities’ are more likely to follow orders and deliver electric shocks that they believe can harm innocent people, while ‘more contrarian, less agreeable personalities’ are more likely to refuse to hurt others.”

http://mic.com/articles/92479/psychologists-have-uncovered-a-troubling-feature-of-people-who-seem-nice-all-the-time

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New study reveals: Marijuana may slow, halt progression of Alzheimer’s

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“Neuroscientists found that extremely low doses of a compound found in marijuana may slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.  A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reported that neuroscientists using a cellular model of Alzheimer’s found low doses of [THC] reduced the production of amyloid beta, and prevented abnormal accumulation, which is one of the early signs of the memory-loss disease.  Neuroscientists also found THC enhanced mitochondrial function which is needed to supply energy, transmit signals and maintain a healthy brain.  As many as 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, projected to reach 14 million by 2050.”

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/08/28/marijuana-compound-may-slow-halt-progression-alzheimer/

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Dr. Grinspoon’s Kind War: Interview With a Renegade Marijuana Proponent

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“I was put up for early promotion to full professor in about 1975, a few years after Marihuana Reconsidered came out. My chief, who had put me up for early full professorship, was on the promotions committee. He came back from the promotions committee meeting and asked me to come to his office to give me the bad news. They had turned me down. When I asked him why he said, ‘Well, they loved your work on schizophrenia, but Marihuana Reconsidered – they hated that.’ I asked why. He said, ‘They said it was too controversial. [..]’ I said, ‘What has controversy got to do with it? We’re in the academy. Isn’t scholarship the criterion, or one of the most important?'”

http://www.thedailybell.com/exclusive-interviews/35602/Anthony-Wile-Dr-Grinspoons-Kind-War-Interview-With-a-Renegade-Marijuana-Proponent/

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