5 Reasons to Blog Science

Where do you get science news? Two decades ago, you probably have answered “TV news,” “newspapers,” or “magazines.” Now, science blogs—written by wide range of authors, from journalists, science buffs, to scientists themselves—have emerged as the go-to source for science news.

Historically, researchers strictly restrained their communications to either formal talks given at conferences or publications in peer-reviewed science journals, with the latter as the end-goal. This method tends to be one-way discussion that only shows the polished, final product, with a lot of things omitted along the way. The process also takes time to reach the reader, and in turn, reader response takes time to relay back to the scientists.

Although the publish or perish principle still holds true in research today, increasing number of scientists participate in science blogging as an additional—not alternative…yet—method of communication. Some post a day-to-day research progress, like Dr. Rosie Redfield in RRResearch, while others like to discuss various topics that the bloggers found intriguing, like my blog here.

So why blog about science? A scientist, science-communication enthusiast, and herself a science blogger, Eva Amsen interviewed scientists and science writers to find out why.

Reason 1) Meet other scientists
Blogs work like a bulletin board, where people with similar interests can find each other. This is a good way to share their knowledge and, for scientists, to collaborate on future projects.

Reason 2) Keep up with current topics
Most blogs are updated frequently, if not daily. This motivates both the blogger and the reader to stay on top of recent developments.

Reason 3) Bring together science enthusiasts
Similar to Reason 1 above, blogs bring together people who are passionate about science.

Reason 4) Outlet for interesting topics that didn’t make it to paid work
This is mostly for science writers. Sometimes (or often?) writers find topics that are fascinating but not quite fitted for paid work. So they post on their blogs instead. After experimenting and exploring the topic in collections of blogs, it could end up in a book or magazine article.

Reason 5) Contribute to the discussion of science
Blogging is a great way to promote discussion. While not many readers send a letter to the editor (which is the traditional approach for science journals), many readers are willing to leave comments on blogs. This allows for the instant feedback for the bloggers and other readers.

Reference:
Who Benefits From Science Blogging?

A giant squid — Caught on video for the first time

140 years after a giant squid attacked the submarine Nautilus in Jules Verne’s masterpiece, the formidable creature has finally been caught in the act.

A giant squid in its deep-sea habitat was captured on camera for the first time ever, thanks to the efforts of the joint expedition consisting of scientists led by a Japanese zoologist, Japanese filmmakers and broadcaster, and the Discovery Channel.

A close-up image of a giant squid in the deep ocean

After the first photographs of the giant squid in the deep water appeared in 2004, obtaining video footages of the creature in its habitat had remained a challenge. The mission took the team 100 dives and 400 hours of recordings to succeed. The video was taken last summer (July 2012) in the Pacific Ocean – 1000 kilometers (600 miles) south of Tokyo, at the breath-taking depth of up to 900 meters (2950 feet).

The squid caught on the camera measured 3 meters (9 feet) long, which is still relatively small for its kind.

The video capturing in the deep ocean was made possible by the use of ultrasensitive camera that uses infrared light.

The Japanese broadcaster, NHK aired the footage on January 13^th. The Discovery Channel will air it on January 27^th, but in the meantime, you can take a sneak peek of the footage on the ABC News at the Youtube link above.

Happy squid watching!

References:
Giant Squid Filmed in Ocean Depths for 1^st Time
Denizen of the Deep, Caught on Film

Poison? Potion? — Snake venom as heart attack treatment

Snakebites can be deadly, but their poisons could be a lifesaver.

Eastern green mamba

This glossy green snake is an Eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps), found throughout the eastern Africa. Don’t be fooled by its lack of flashy red stripes or other visual warnings: its bites are highly poisonous. While you would want to avoid venomous snakes like the green mamba out in the wild, they are a treasure trove for some medical researchers.

One example of the potential of snake toxins is their use in heart attack therapy.

Heart attacks are the single largest cause of deaths in the United States, with approximately one death every minute. Heart attacks commonly occur due to the plaque buildup inside the heart arteries, often resulting in blood clot formation and blockage of blood flow into the heart. The lack of oxygen reaching the heart cells kills them, a phenomenon called fibrosis. Consequently, damages on the heart tissue result in less pumping of the heart (heart failure) or even a termination of the action itself (heart attack).

So, how do the snake venoms act as both lethal and therapeutic agents? This sounds counter-intuitive.

Many snake toxicants target vital parts of our body, such as nervous system and circulatory system. For example, some venoms cause the victims to bleed to death. By tweaking the toxins, they can be used for preventing blood clots. And this is not a new concept: the medical potentials of some snakes have been sought after for decades. In the 1960’s, the venom of the Malayan pit viper was conceived as a therapeutic agent for clearing blood clots.

Eastern green mamba

Let us return to our green, lethal friend, the Eastern green mamba. Recently, Mayo Clinic researchers developed a new drug, called cenderitide, using a part of the snake’s venom. The modified snake toxin was fused to a naturally occurring hormone that lines our blood vessels. Together, the venom-hormone hybrid improved the blood flow and the heart function, preventing heart muscle death. The new drug is currently under Phase II clinical trials for treating patients with acute heart failure. Although it would take some time before cenderitide can be approved for the market – if it makes it to there at all, as many potential drugs fail during drug development and trials –, Mayo Clinic doctors and researchers are keeping their hopes high. They believe that their “efforts to merge the best of science and the best of nature” represent “a therapeutic breakthrough in drug discovery.” It would be interesting to see the results of the current clinical trials.

Other venom-derived drugs on the market for preventing or treating minor heart attacks are available since 1998: eptifibatide (from rattelesnake venom) and tirofiban (African saw-scaled viper venom).

Snake venoms are also regarded for their potential to treat other disorders: high blood pressure, stroke (being also caused by blood clot formation, but in the brain), Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

Read more on blood clots and new treatment method here.

Read more on heart injuries and new treatment method here.

Check out amazing photos of venomous snakes by Mattias Klum in “The Bite That Heals” (National Geographic) here.

References:
CD-NP: A Novel Engineered Dual Guanylyl Cyclase Activator with Anti-Fibrotic Actions in the Heart
Mayo creates heart drug from snake venom
Making Medicines from Poisonous Snakes