All meds, all the time

Some thoughts on how "science news" is turning into health and medical "news you can use":

I suspect that there is a feedback loop that runs between pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions promoting their products, the desires and anxieties of consumers regarding their physical limiations and imperfections, and our elected representatives and government agencies responding to constituent pressures. More demand drives greater supply, which fuels more demand.

I'm certainly interested in health and medical articles, but I'm also concerned about sustainable energy sources, responsible manufacturing practices, buildings that withstand earthquakes and hurricanes, and bioweapon sensors in public places, among many other things. One example of a neglected topic is "clean coal technology", which was bandied about in numerous press conferences by staffers for the Obama, Clinton, and McCain campaigns. I saw maybe one or two articles in the consumer press that talked about what this term actually referred to and what the state of the art was for this technology. Another example: several years ago, I attended a conference in Washington DC on a major federal initiative establishing nanotechnology research centers at several of the national labs. When I picked up my press pass at the registration desk, the conference organizers came out to greet me personally -- apparently, I was the only media person who bothered to show up.

Ask your non-scientific friends and neighbors if they have heard about good and bad cholesterol, dietary antioxidants, and Botox parties. Now ask them if they know about the pilot projects in several cities where parts of the existing electrical grids were replaced by superconducting cables.

I'm just sayin'...

On a related note, check out this commentary in Nature: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/456702a.html

The title is "Towards responsible use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by the healthy". Here's a sample sentence from the article:
"The drugs just reviewed, along with newer technologies such as brain stimulation and prosthetic brain chips, should be viewed in the same general category as education, good health habits, and information technology — ways that our uniquely innovative species tries to improve itself."

So how long before you have to start using these drugs just to stay competent at your job? What happens to your career if you can't afford your "enhancement" meds? What if you just want to be your own natural self? Go rent the movie "Gattica" and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Back on the Radar Screen

The last month or so, I've been either working overtime or recovering from working overtime. Two conferences, bracketing Thanksgiving week, left me wishing I was rich enough to retire from the rat race and just spend my time blogging and writing novels. Someone has to pay my mortgage, so retirement will have to wait. And the novels will have to wait until I figure out a way to make enough time and energy to get the creative juices going again. So for now, blogging it is. I've got two followers now (an overnight doubling of my fan club!).

I'm going to try my hand at summarizing science articles for the general public in this space. If all goes well, I'll continue this theme, interspersed with the general musings that you have all come to know and love (well, Todd and Linda anyway). I did the science writing thing professionally a few years ago, and as soon as I figure out how to make enough money to stay afloat, I'm going to go back to that full-time again. Tell all your friends.