Points of Interest, #18

Happy Father’s day, its that time again for me to share of the abundance of enriching and interesting items I found in my cyberspace wanderings this past week. So. without further delay, I present especially for you, the reader, the best of the Internet I could find…

Points of Interest, #16

Welcome, welcome to another edition of the very best stuff to come to my attention online this week. There is something for everyone here, whether you want to laugh, cry, learn, or ponder life’s mysteries, have a seat and dig in.

Ten reasons to celebrate modern medicine

We hear a lot on-line about everything that is wrong is medicine. Improvement should always be our aim and this is healthy. I think it does us all a little good to take a step back and realize just what we have. There are some things medicine has done for us I don’t think you could put any price tag on. While most are intensely aware of shortcomings, here is a reminder of just what how powerful modern medicine has been.

Points of Interest, 4/26

Making its comeback appearance after a week off, I present, especially for you the reader, the very best of the internet to have crossed my path in the last week.

Phenomenal Cosmic Powers

We live in an age where our understanding of life is far beyond what our forefathers could have dreamed. We have cracked the genetic code. We have to capability to splice and dice. We have an entirely new field, bioengineering dedicated to the proposition that we can literally, “engineer life” to suit our needs. The breakthroughs we have made are astonishing. We have sequenced the entire genome of mankind. We have the power to modify species at will.

In a sense we have been at this for a very long time. We have domesticated the dog and the cat. The grains that we rely on to feed mankind are all a product of manipulation of one seed with another, keeping the ones that grow the “best” crop. Rice, wheat, corn are all essentially artificial and manmade in a sense. I find it a little ironic those that will look at genetically altered agricultural produce with fear and disdain when by definition, agricultural products are manmade. Whether we select genetic traits in a lab or in the field, the fact is we alter them.

Points of interest 4/5

I just wanted to announce that the twice monthly Brainblogging carnival is out and excellent as always, moving beyond the neuroscience into more personal psychosocial side of the brain. It seems I am becoming a something of a regular contributor there, which is both flattering and humbling. Many thanks.

Also this weekend is time for the semiannual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, something of a spiritual feast for myself as we Mormons get to hear from those we hold to be living prophets and apostles proclaim God’s message to us today. Any interested are welcome to listen in. I have also found it is sometimes interesting to get other’s reactions at the LDS Bloggernaccle various open threads found here, here, here, and here.

Here is the remaining best of the web in what has been a very, very interesting week, especially for you, the reader.

Health Care Rationing

   I know, I know, how dare I start my post with such a dirty word.  A little while back I discussed the problem of Organ transplantation and supply shortage, giving my innovative and fantastically fair minded solution.  Of course, I got not so much a whisper’s feedback, so either readers have sat back in awe and stunned silence of my brilliance, or I am just delusional.  One thing I have no delusions about is the pipe dream of fairly distributing health care to everyone.

Points of Interest, 3/8

Well, another week come and gone with plenty of gems amongst the chaff if you will excuse the mixed metaphor. Here are my favorite stops surfing this week.