Tag Archives: Humor

Things we find funny

Video essay on Robots (plus a DIY chemistry demo)

I managed to post three videos since my last update.

A vlog about burning Iron: https://youtu.be/46YlW8qjp_c

Burning Iron Attempt 2: pure-ish oxygen: https://youtu.be/SURy8xRsRp4

A video essay about robotics and automation: https://youtu.be/TisXw8zS5r0

The slightly expanded essay is below for your reading pleasure.

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Senolytic targeting a membrane marker by Poblocka et al.

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You can also view this post in Video Format!

If we can kill off the senescent cells in our body, we will grow younger. This paper by Poblacka and associates describes a way to accomplish that… in cells in a dish. But it’s an important step and I’ll explain why. I want to go through a peer-reviewed paper I found really interesting. It’s about a new technique to kill senescent cells and it’s a step toward managing, slowing, or even stopping the aging process.

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Will NAD+ Longevity Supplements Extend Lifespan? Maybe.

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This post also appears on my youtube channel for long-form essays. Here’s the link.

Today, we’re diving into the world of longevity research – examining the supplements Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN). There’s buzz about them on the internet and in the scientific literature. I see ads, I see sponsored studies. The big question is: are these pills worth the money – will they buy a human a few extra youthful years – or is it just an unregulated supplement cash grab? It all comes down to making hard choices with incomplete information. Like our mouse friend in the comic.

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Vampire Aristocrats, Young Blood, Eternal Youth

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In the study of longevity, researchers turned to a macabre and shocking experiment called parabiosis where two animals are sewn together. It turns out that if you connect an old mouse to a young mouse, the old mouse grows young again. Nobody likes animal research (and content warning, obviously, this will be gross but not explicit). But, for now, understanding biology means we need to study live animals. And this study revealed something important, even if it sounds like some weird vampire stuff. This essay is also available in YouTube form.

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A comic with a scientist in 4 stages of the scientific method in a circle.

Brief: New Channel Announcement, the OTHER scientific method, Links

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I’ve been making comics with the new generative AI Art software. I put up a video all about it on my new channel for long form video essays. You can check out the whole video on the topic over at PeterAllenWrites (link). I do have concerns about the ethics of AI-generated content, but I can also see the value of AI art for science communication. As an example, I made this comic about the scientific method, as performed in real life.

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