Friday, August 26, 2016

SHARKS


Sharks are already super cool animals! So when I saw this article on how there is a large species, near blind sharks that can live upwards of two to five centuries I freaked!

It makes sense when they put the growth of a year and age together. Prey animals grow and reach sexual maturity very quickly so the species doesn't die out, while predators at the top of the food chain grow slowly and reach sexual maturity later in life. So a large shark, that is presumably at the top of the food chain, would grow very slowly (a centimeter a year) and reach sexual maturity at around 150 years old.

What interests me is how do they mate, what do they eat?
They are clearly sharks, but do they move slowly to expend less energy? Or do they expend it in quick bursts to capture prey?

The link wasn't working for me, so here is the article I got this from:
Near-Blind Shark Is World’s Longest-Lived Vertebrate


Wednesday, August 3, 2016

CRISPR

Where do I even start with this article.

I got so excited when I saw it. My family has a long line of cancer diagnoses and deaths, and the thought of there being a chance of there being a cure for some of the worst incurable cases brings tears to my eyes. I have been helping out with Jen's Friends for my entire life. Jen was my aunt, and though I never got to meet her, her death has brought a community together and so much change. My uncle, was also a cancer patient and we had tried everything to cure his tumor and if this had been around he would have taken it in a heart beat (and he would have been such a nerd about it too).

This article, even though it gives me so much hope, lets me down. What are the side effects? Will it trigger an immune response that can't be stopped and rampage through the body where ever the injected cells are carried off to? What were the animal trials like for this cure? Will it be available for everyone, or will it just turn out to be stupidly expensive (like all life-saving drugs)?

I am skeptical, but I really do hope that it works!