Giving breast cancer cells a squeeze

This lends itself to all sorts of amusing imagery.

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/12/17/malignant-breast-cells-grow-normally-when-compressed/

So, compressive force can result in a reversion to a normal growth pattern.

Now, can one turn this information into a successful bar pick-up?

Think you know the Second Amendment?

Great piece by Jeffrey Toobin:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/12/jeffrey-toobin-second-amendment.html

Bottom-line: what happens post Sandy Hook is in our hands; the more public pressure we heap on politicians, the more likely "meaningful reform" will be had.

It's easy to be cynical and say the NRA has a stranglehold on this policy discussion, but if the recent reactions from Joe Scarborough, Joe Manchin, and other pro-gun politicians are indicators (as well as pro-reform John Yarmuth), the time is ripe for meaningful change.

As I am currently doing so, I encourage all of you to write to your local political leaders. I will post my letter up here soon.

Let's make sure this sort of thing never happens again.

Shameless self promotion

Many thanks to Scicurious for the opportunity to write for her blog.

My inaugural piece:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/2012/12/19/scicurious-guest-writer-x-ray-crystallography-100-years-at-the-intersection-of-physics-chemistry-and-biology/

I highly recommend her work as well, great articles on neuroscience research.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/