Honoring a major scientific contribution

A seminal chapter in the history of modern neuroscience closed this Tuesday when Henry Gustav Molaison passed away at age 82. Mr. Molaison, previously known only as H.M., underwent experimental surgery in 1953 to remove part of his hippocampus as treatment for severe seizures. After surgery, Mr. Molaison found he could not form new memories of people, places or experiences, although his personality, the memories of his life prior to surgery, and his capacity to form other types of memories (e.g. muscle memory) remained intact. His case revolutionized our understanding of memory and identity, and is familiar to any student of modern psychology or medical science. The New York Times has an interesting piece on his life, including accounts from the scientists who worked with him over the years.

“He was a very gracious man, very patient, always willing to try these tasks I would give him,” Dr. Milner, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Montreal Neurological Institute and McGill University, said in a recent interview. “And yet every time I walked in the room, it was like we’d never met.”

Thank you, Mr. Molaison.

Only Users Lose Drugs

Researchers in New Zealand are reporting that one joint has air flow obstruction equivalent to five cigarettes. The research cites the methods in which marijuana smoke is inhaled versus the filtered methods for inhaling cigarette smoke as well as how long the inhalation is held as factors contributing to the differences in marijuana smoke and cigarette smoke. One nug that I found interesting about the article is in the middle of the following statement,

To qualify as a long-term marijuana user, participants had to have smoked a minimum of one joint a day for five years, said institute director Richard Beasley, who also participated in the study. Tobacco users had to have smoked a pack a day for one year.

It doesn’t mention in which category Mr. Beasly participated, but if I were doing the research it would probably be fun to be in the “long-term user” category. It struck me as humorous that what seems a pretty serious and professional study was directed by a study participant. I wonder if they got grant money to grow giant greenhouses of dope so they could smoke it for five years?

I guess that’s one way to beat the system.

Terminal Toothache

Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday. It was actually the bacterial infection that spread from his tooth throughout his brain that killed him, but it didn’t help that the system was sort of rigged against him.

While I can attest that toothache pain is unbearable and I know that in the past it could be lethal, I would never expect anyone in today’s age of technological advancement to actually die from an abscessed tooth. I don’t have any idea how much pain this kid must have endured as the infection spread but he must have been strong-willed to have resisted the pain for so long.

If this kid had been old enough to join the military, he would have gotten free medical care. That’s a welfare system everyone in America can support. After all, how else will we legally kill off the uneducated and indigent? Oh yeah…do not provide medical care…

18 Things you won’t see on a billboard: #1 Your Parents Chose Sex. Shouldn’t You?

While driving through South Dakota recently I was struck by the amount of pro-god, anti-abortion and pro-abstinence signs. The person driving with me and I started talking about how best to combat this sort of religious propaganda. We decided that a billboard campaign mirroring the existing campaigns would be best. Following are the anti-abstinence ads we came up with. Some are modeled after the signed-by-god billboards, some after the anti-abortion signs we encountered and some we just thought would make good billboards. The following text is not safe for work.

Imagine coming across these billboards next time you drive through the bible belt:

1. Your parents chose sex. Shouldn’t you?
2. Abstinence sucks. –God
3. Everyday somebody dies a virgin.
4. I’m proud of your last orgasm. –God
5. Abstinence prevents a beating heart.
6. Making babies is cool. –God
7. Do you like to look at naked people? Thank you. –God
8. Stressed? Fuck. –God
9. After healing lepers, nothing beats a good screw. –Jesus
10. Make a joyful noise when you come. –God
11. Abstinence is murder.
12. Do others as they do you. –Jesus
13. DVDA! –God
14. Someone wants to have sex with you. –God
15. Put your pointy bits into each other. –God
16. After a shower a rim job can be fun. –Jesus
17. If I didn’t want you to have sex I wouldn’t have given you a cock. –God
18. I don’t exist. –God (not abstinence related, I just thought it was funny)

Let’s Throw an Alzheimer’s Prevention Party!

Does Alzheimer’s run in your family? Are you dismayed that studies have shown that the symptom’s of Alzheimer’s can occur to people in their 20s? Do you need an excuse to get all farked up? I have the answer for you:

Red Wine Could Reduce the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s

Marijuana’s Key Ingredient Might Fight Alzheimer’s

Who knew that fighting Alzheimer’s could be so much fun?