Wednesday, June 07, 2017

How the mighty are fallen!

Scientific American published an article on plans to recall the brain-dead to life.
First there’s the injection of stem cells isolated from the individual’s own fat or blood. Second, there’s a peptide formula injected into the spinal cord, purported to help nurture new neurons’ growth. ... Third, there’s a regimen of nerve stimulation and laser therapy over 15 days to spur the neurons to form connections. Researchers will look to behavior and EEG for signs that the treatment is working.

The article gives voice to a number of skeptics. Count me among their number. This is too silly for words--"Your laptop's hard drive isn't working? I'll fix it with superglue!"

This isn't the same Scientific American magazine I grew up with.

6 comments:

Assistant Village Idiot said...

No, it isn't the same. I had lost touch with it for years, and when I came back it had turned into "Discover."

The Mad Soprano said...

This sounds like it's doomed to fail no matter what people do.

jaed said...

Actual quote:

"CO2 makes up some 80 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, but five others—nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and methane—also contribute."

I don't remember Discover ever causing me to literally klonk my head on the keyboard....

Donna B. said...

I subscribed to SA from 1983 to the late 90s. I miss that magazine. I wonder if the internet killed it.

jaed said...

I don't know whether it's the Internet, or tribal divisions (hi AVI), or the rise of irrationality as virtue-signaling, or what. But several magazines I know of seem to have gotten noticeably worse. Smithsonian Magazine went from excellent to meh. The New Yorker isn't nearly as good as it used to be, although there's something worth reading in most issues. Even Sunset has way too much about how evil farmed salmon is.

Even the fashion magazines are padded with "Michelle: Our New Style Icon!" and "Meet these brave pro-choice senators!" and "Hillary breaks the glass ceiling for all women!", and I really prefer my piffle free of politics. In Style was my last holdout, and it went last fall and I didn't bother renewing it.

I don't read enough magazines to say whether it's universal, but it sure seems pervasive to me.

Korora said...

I'm even keeping a weather eye on Games Magazine, which has shown a few signs of what might become politicization down the road.