A bittersweet story.

October 15, 2012 – 3:30 pm

It’s the early 1970’s, and you’re a scientist.  You’re interested in how the immune system works – and at this point in time it’s mostly still a mystery. You know about B cells and T cells, which identify and attack invaders in the body, but that’s about it. ‘But what controls the B cells and [...]

By Stacey | Posted in general, Stacey Rudd | Comments (3)

Cortisol, Adrenalin, and Armageddon

October 15, 2012 – 12:08 pm

You’ve heard of adrenalin (epinephrine) and cortisol before – they’re typically released naturally by the body under periods of stress. The former activates the fight-or-flight response immediately through the sympatho-adrenal-medullary axis (SAM), and the latter is released more slowly via the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) to help your body adjust to longer stressful moments. But these [...]

By Kristal | Posted in Kristal Sorby | Comments (3)

X-Men within reach – with mice

October 14, 2012 – 7:56 pm

I have a question for you: What do X-Men’s Wolverine and the African spiny mouse have in common? Apart from being completely gorgeous – images licensed under Wikimedia Commons The answer? They both have the ability to completely regenerate tissue, without any scarring whatsoever. The African spiny mouse is the first mammals ever found that [...]

By reimer | Posted in general, Tormey Reimer | Comments (2)

Kern, will you visit me too? Pretty please?

October 8, 2012 – 11:58 pm

I can’t believe I only heard about this recently. How could I miss it??! For all of you out there who are like me and WAY behind the times – meet Kern, the loveable, travelling gnome who teaches us that the world is potato-shaped!! Kern the Gnome. (Image: The Gnome Experiment) Wait… what? Kern is [...]

By Stacey | Posted in general, Stacey Rudd | Comments (4)

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol

October 7, 2012 – 4:14 pm

Bohol in the Philippines is home to a dramatically unusual geographic feature – the Chocolate Hills. Unfortunately for us, Willie Wonka and the Oompa Loompas haven’t produced a chocolate wonderland between the hills. The name ‘Chocolate Hills’ is derived from their appearance in summer where the lush green grass turns into a chocolate brown colour. [...]

By Dewar | Posted in general, Steven Dewar | Comments (2)