Science is magic that works

A jumble of posts on webcomics, writing, sports, and other topics that interest me.

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from StatQuest It used to be when you did RNA-seq, you reported your results in RPKM (Reads Per Kilobase Million) or FPKM (Fragments Per Kilobase Million). However, TPM (Transcripts Per Kilobase Million) is now becoming quite popular. Since there seems to be a lot of confusion about these ter

Very useful explanation of the concepts of RPKM, FPKM and TPM in RNA-seq experiments.

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Nice data vizualization from Bloomberg News on land use in America.

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nadirah on Twitter

“#JamesBaldwin's response to a Yale professor asking “So why must we always concentrate on color?” is still the most fire answer in answer history. Happy Birthday! https://t.co/u8xYRqwLJM”

A really great video of James Baldwin describing racism in America.

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Where Graduates Move After College

Which cities have the most drawing power among college grads? Small metros lose out to big ones in gaining graduates, but some buck the trend. Our database of 445 schools shows where the alumni of each one wind up.

Nice data visualization from the Wall Street Journal.

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Friendship was magic: How Bronies are preparing for the end of My Little Pony

At BronyCon 2018, a strain of fear and a sparkle of hope

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These 5 Women Deserved, And Were Unjustly Denied, A Nobel Prize In Physics

Representation matters. Meet five stellar women in physics who were unjustly denied their place in history.

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What to eat at Mitsuwa Marketplace, home to Chicago area's best ramen and tempura

Though you can pick up produce and fresh fish, Mitsuwa is far more than just a Japanese grocery store. Keep walking toward the back of the store, and you'll encounter a cozy food court, which offers some of the best, and most affordable, Japanese food in the area.

Saving for future reference.

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Parkinson’s disease could originate in appendix, study finds

Appendix removal early in life linked to a 19% reduced risk of developing the illness

Interesting new theory on Parkinson’s disease.

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How biologists are creating life-like cells from scratch

Built from the bottom up, synthetic cells and other creations are starting to come together and could soon test the boundaries of life.

Nice news piece from Nature describing new work in the area of synthetic biology

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I’m sure you’ve been wondering where I’ve been. (At least I’d like to think I’ve been missed!) Well, for the last two months I’ve been in stuck the hellhole that is known as applying for the NIH K9…

A great guide to applying for the NIH K99/R00 award.

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Great tips for those on the academic job market.

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How an ancient cataclysm may have jump-started life on Earth

Massive impact could have led to formation of simple organic molecules and eventually RNA

A great news piece from Science describing new theories on the origin of life.

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What happens when a lifesaving drug becomes intolerably expensive?

As the cost of insulin skyrockets, some desperate diabetics are taking to rationing — and risking their lives.

Today, critics argue that the price of insulin has far outpaced any innovations. In the past decade alone, U.S. insulin list prices have tripled, according to an analysis of data from IBM Watson Health. In 1996, when Eli Lilly debuted its Humalog brand of insulin, the list price of a 10-milliliter vial was $21. The price of the same vial is now $275. Those costs can be compounded by the multiple vials that diabetics may require to survive each month. “It’s a very big problem,” says Robert Gabbay, chief medical officer at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. “It’s a tragic barrier to care.”

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Get Fit — Faster: This 22-Minute Workout Has You Covered

To stay healthy, we need at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly. This routine, created with a celebrated trainer, hits this goal in 22 minutes a day — cardio, weight training and stretching included.

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How to design a winning fellowship proposal

Be clear about your training plan and goals to boost your chances of a favourable outcome, say Crystal M. Botham and Tanya M. Evans.

Nice tips from Nature on how to write graduate student and postdoctoral fellowship proposals.

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The story of a Harvard undergrad who began an (unsuccessful) startup to develop a new treatment for pancreatic cancer.

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Five lessons from Canada on single-payer health care

Look to Canada for lessons on health care.

A nice piece in the Chicago Times on lessons from single-payer healthcare in Canada:

1.  A single-payer system does not and should not cover everything — just everybody.

2.  A single-payer system need not mean bleak government hospitals staffed by underpaid doctors. Single-payer can include a vibrant private sector both within and ancillary to the public plan.

3.  Single-payer need not mean reduced patient choice and increased wait times.

4.  Single-payer need not mean funding the system only from taxes.

5.  The U.S. can learn from Canada’s vexed experience with federal-provincial negotiations about health care.