Red Does Research

Tom Brobson, National Director of Research Investment Opportunities for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, joins me to discuss the latest in diabetes research including current clinical trials that are taking place for their Artificial Pancreas Project (APP).  Tom was also a participant in the trials, and he explains the vast improvement to his life as a Type I diabetic that this artificial pancreas was able to make.

Picture of Tom Brobson with the smartphone that he used to monitor his glucose levels courtesy of jdrfoc.org.

Why does a Mentos make Diet Coke explode?

This phenomenon was studied in an episode of Mythbusters and is shown as a spectacle that belongs at the Bellagio in the video above.  The porous material that coats a Mento provides several nucleation sites for the release of carbon dioxide from soda.  Aspartame and potassium benzoate in Diet Coke also contributes to the explosion, and explains why the reaction with Diet Coke is so much more intense than with other sodas.  A control experiment with a smoothly coated Mento resulted in no foam fountain, proving that the coating really is what makes this combination a perfect match.

When were science standards last changed?

1996! You can read all about the recently proposed science standards here, developed by Nobel laureates and educators.  States aren’t required to adopt these standards, but 26 have seriously considered it.  Fortunately, the inclusion of the education for subjects such as climate change and evolution do not include any provisions that bring religion into the classroom.  On the other hand, five states are considering bills like this one that allow students to challenge “theories” such as the two mentioned above, which some say is an invitation for God.  Really, it’s all political. Texas doesn’t plan to implement the standards, since they “write their own standards.”  The way I see it, Americans are falling behind as a nation in science, so maybe we should improve our science education - as a nation. What is the harm, anyway?

In some closely related news, Zack Kopplin, a young advocate for science education and keeping creationism out of classrooms, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher.  After a Wall Street Journalist tried to call out snail research for being unnecessary to fund, Kopplin quickly replied “You’re not a scientist!”  He’s not, and funding for science is not that easy.  Find out about why the snail research is so important here.

What is de-extinction? Where might mantle plumes exist? How do we see images when we dream?

Scientists answer the above questions among other topics in a podcast available through Science Magazine.  Podcasts are posted online each week and contain really interesting information about the latest science.

Who now has more proof to eat less burgers?

Nature recently published a study about the contributions of L-carnitine, a component of red meat, to the promotion of atherosclerosis.  Microbiota in our intestine actually performs the metabolism of the compound.  Presence of harmful metabolites as the result of red meat consumption further enhances the link of this type of diet to cardiovascular disease, with microbiota playing an important role.  Hopefully the scientific evidence will help me cut down on my burger intake.  I wish I could answer the question about why everything that is bad for you just tastes so delicious.

On March 20th, Neil deGrasse Tyson moderated the 2013 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate with fellow astrophysicists, professors, and journalists to discuss “The Existence of Nothing”

What is killing billions of wildlife and might live with you?

A recent study published in Nature concluded that free-ranging cats were responsible for the deaths of billions of birds and mammals.   Cats that were not owned caused the majority of these killings - more so than previously thought.  My cat, pictured above, certainly did his fair share of mice-killing.  Unfortunately, curiosity got the best of him…

Who might be bad for science?

A recent report in the New Yorker highlighted some of the biggest gripes that scientists have with Dr. Oz.  Notably, despite his prestigious background in the understanding of health and science, he accepts his wife’s stance on not vaccinating their children.  Further, he encourages his audience to use hormones that have only been proven effective on mouse or rat models.  Decide for yourself what your stance is on Dr. Oz by clicking on the picture above and reading the report by Michael Specter.

Photo by Ethan Levitas

Why do your fingers get so wrinkly when exposed to water for a long period of time?

In a study published in January, Kareklas et al from Newcastle University explored the advantage that wrinkly fingers have on handling objects.  Based on their study, handling of objects submerged in water is not any easier with wrinkled fingers.  However, on the contrary, handling of wet objects outside of the water seem to be much easier to handle with finger wrinkles.  Watch the video for further explanation.

Where do children show reading development problems because of their technology use?

Research by Tan et al reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA investigated the reading abilities of competent schoolchildren in three different Chinese cities after hypothesizing that the lack of handwriting caused by use of the pinyin input method was actually hampering development.  The authors concluded that, indeed, handwriting of intricate Chinese characters enhances learning, and the pinyin input method that requires no writing doesn’t allow the child to develop the same visuospatial understanding of their language’s characters.