Monthly Archives: December 2015

I Don’t Get This “Phantom Menace” Superbug Rebranding Crap

Posted on December 14, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Last week, I came across this article that referred to carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (‘CRE’) as a “phantom menace.” It struck me as odd, since the article claimed CRE is known as a phantom menace, yet I had never heard that phrase … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Framing | 1 Comment

Links 12/13/15

Posted on December 13, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Lifeline for elephants: Ivory price halves in China after Xi pledges ban #HackAHairDryer and gender parity in the lab New Superbug Resistant To All Antibiotics Linked To Imported Meat How to Stop a Bird-Murdering Cat Scientists … Continue reading →

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Shkreli Has To Be A False Flag Op For Corporate Charter Reform

Posted on December 13, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Because no one could possibly be this much of a cartoon villain (boldface mine): Martin Shkreli is once again provoking alarm with a plan to sharply increase the price of a decades-old drug for a serious infectious disease. This time … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Biotech, Viruses | 2 Comments

Links 12/12/15

Posted on December 12, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Chomsky was right, researchers find: We do have a ‘grammar’ in our head One reason you didn’t get that grant is because Theranos Prospective whole genome sequencing enhances national surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes The Cougar Next … Continue reading →

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The Great Agar Crisis of 2015

Posted on December 12, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

This doesn’t bode well (boldface mine): Microbiology’s most important reagent is in short supply, with potential consequences for research, public health and clinical labs around the world. Agar — the seaweed-derived, gelatinous substance that biologists use to culture microbes — … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Microbiology | 1 Comment

Links 12/11/15

Posted on December 11, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Why the World’s Most Powerful Telescope Has Just Been Ruled Unlawful Hundreds of researchers are using the wrong cells. That’s a major problem. (covered this last year) Who will manage outbreaks? A crisis looms for infectious … Continue reading →

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Terrorizing Children to Protect Fetuses

Posted on December 11, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Or, anti-abortion assholes gotta asshole (boldface mine): Leaders at a public charter school in Northeast Washington filed a lawsuit Wednesday against antiabortion protesters who they say are harassing students in their efforts to stop construction of a Planned Parenthood facility … Continue reading →

Posted in Blastocyst Liberation, DC, Terrorism | 2 Comments

Links 12/10/15

Posted on December 10, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Apocalypse Pig Redux: Last-Resort Resistance in Europe When labs clash over tardigrade DNA, that’s just science working as it should Five Things Climate Scientists Actually Disagree About Proposal: Set International Targets for Farm Antibiotic Use Is … Continue reading →

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Ginkgo and Ivy

Posted on December 10, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Observed at the corner of O and 27th Streets NW, Georgetown, D.C.:

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The ESEA Giveaway to Wall Street

Posted on December 10, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

You’ll be shocked, I’m certain, to learn that the ESEA (pdf) has provisions to support social impact bonds. Actually, they’re not called social impact bonds but “pay-for-success initiatives” (I have a feeling people are getting paid either way…). The entire … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Education | Comments Off on The ESEA Giveaway to Wall Street