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Showing posts with the label health

Cryonics, Smallpox, and Pope Pius VII

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I remember when heart transplants were front-page international news, not local human interest stories: and when polio vaccinations were new. I really do not miss the 'good old days.' I remember them, and they weren't. I also remember when cryonics was 'science fiction stuff,' not a highly-experimental and controversial medical procedure. I probably won't live long enough to see whether it works. But if you're young enough: you might.... ...Since I'll be talking about life, death, and medical practices, I'd better start by saying that I'm a Christian: a Catholic. Like it says in the Apostles Creed , "I believe in ... the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." I'll be explaining why I don't see a conflict between that belief and trying to save lives.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Mutant Medflies, GMO Mosquitoes

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First, the good news: releasing genetically-modified medflies and mosquitoes may mean fewer crop failures; and fewer deaths from malaria. Now, the not-so-good news: I'm pretty sure some folks won't think it's good news.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Pig Organs, Ancient Immigrants

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We're years away from safe pig-to-human organ transplants: but scientists using CRISPR gene editing tech are working toward that goal. Other scientists are discovering a chapter of humanity's family history: Eurasian immigrants returning to Africa, when the Shang dynasty and Egyptian Empire collapsed. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A Robotic Tentacle, and Disney’s Baymax

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Disney Studio's film version of Baymax is fiction. Robots designed to work with people are real: although they're nowhere near as smart as their fictional counterparts. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

DNA, Babies, Life, and Death

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DNA evidence in a court case isn't new: but deer DNA in a poaching trial is. Less than two decades after a cloned sheep 's birth, British Members of Parliament okayed human cloning: using DNA from three people. Scientists who think this is a good idea may be right: at least for some versions of the new tech. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

"Months of Misery" and Job's Friends

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My wife and a friend are making bread, about 15 feet from my desk. They're having a great time, and I'm trying to not get distracted while writing this post. The results may be interesting. Or confusing. I'll let you decide which. Thanks to some very powerful prescriptions, my ADD-inattentive and major depression isn't nearly as hard to handle as it was: which reminds me of this morning's first reading. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Ebola: Scary, and Beatable

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This year's Ebola outbreak has killed thousand of folks in West Africa: and one in the United States. By any reasonable standard, it's a very serious health problem.... ...As I've said before, being healthy is okay. ( June 13, 2014 ) Not being healthy is okay, too: but I'm expected to take care of my health: within reason.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Alternative Medicine...Is It Right for a Woman of Faith?

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Many women today suffer from chronic illness. It may be autoimmune related diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus or it may be digestive issues like Colitis or Crohn’s.  And those are only the very tip of the iceberg.  I don’t think there are verifiable statistics for this phenomenon because it doesn’t appear that there is a real awareness of the seriousness of this trend—but it is there. I see it. I hear it, too. Since I’ve spent the better part of the past three decades (and probably even more time than that but I just didn’t put the pieces together) with what can best be described as “chronic illness” that evades concrete diagnosis, I may just be more sensitive to seeing and hearing the telltale signs of this trend among our female population. read more here

Regeneration: Getting Closer to Growing Lost Organs

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Too many folks die, waiting for a compatible donor organ. We can't coax a patient's body into growing a new heart or kidney: yet. But we can build made-to-order bladders, and scientists have grown a new thymus: inside a mouse. It's a first step.... ...If starfish and some mice can regenerate complete missing parts: why can't we? Right now, we don't know. Not for sure. It probably has something to do with our immune system, and the way our bodies deal with injury.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Robin Williams, Suicide, and Hope

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Robin Williams was a few months older than I am when he died. That photo is from 1979, when he was becoming famous for his role in " Mork & Mindy ." I admire Williams' work, regret his addiction to cocaine and alcohol, and am sorry that he is dead. He was a remarkably talented actor and comedian. Sadly, he apparently decided to hang himself. We can't be sure, but it's likely that suffering from depression had something to do with his death. Celebrity deaths get heavy media coverage: so when yet another movie star dies from suicide, drug overdose, or some other avoidable cause, it can seem that fame leads to self-destruction. Although famous folks from Hannibal to Margaux Hemmingway killed themselves, I think it's prudent to remember that many high-profile folks didn't: like Lauren Bacall and Bob Hope . I'll be writing mostly about life, depression, death, and why I haven't killed myself. You'll find links to articles about Rob

Neurosynaptic Cores and Retinal Implants: Getting a Grip About Tech

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IBM's neurosynaptic cores may not show up in home computers for years. Their circuits emulate a brain's neural circuits: and require an entirely new sort of software. Retinal implants are another matter. Thanks to new tech, several folks who would have been blind can see: a little.... ..."Metropolis," Tsukumogami, and the Roomba Revolution that Wasn't The inventor Rotwang in Fritz Lang's " Metropolis " is more 'evil wizard' than 'mad scientist:' my opinion. It's still a good movie: but not, I think, a particularly realistic look at what we'll see in 2026. Rotwang's maschinenmensch looked more like the human she was built to impersonate after a high-tech makeover, but even without upholstery she was remarkably — human.... But so far, artificial intelligence has been quite obviously "artificial:" and emphatically not up to the task of leading a Roomba revolution. More at A Catholic Citizen in America

Mutant Mosquitoes and a Made-to-Order Cancer Treatment

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After an utterly unscientific survey, I found that lists of dangerous animals include critters like sidewinders, piranha, and tarangual hawks . The latter are smaller than hawks but big for insects: and that's another topic. A few list-makers are savvy enough to include mosquitoes. These blood-sucking pests aren't dangerous by themselves: it's the lethal diseases they carry. The good news is that scientists are learning how to kill mosquitoes without poisoning people.... ...Health and Using the Brains God Gave Us... ..."Is being healthy okay?" Maybe that sounds like a daft question, or maybe not. Reading some of the more maudlin 19th-century 'lives of the saints,' a person could get the impression that sainthood required either a messy martyrdom, or dying of some horrible disease: smiling all the way. There's more to sainthood than that, and that's yet another topic. ( February 14, 2010 ) I occasionally run into news about someone who

Ticks in Amber, Mutant Crickets, and Paleolithic London

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Studying ticks preserved in amber, mutant crickets in Hawaii, and flint tools from paleolithic London give scientists a few pages from Earth's story: and help us understand how this astounding world works.... ...Living Amid Ancient Splendors (From NASA; ESA; G. Illingworth, D. Magee, and P. Oesch, University of California, Santa Cruz; R. Bouwens, Leiden University; and the HUDF09 Team; used w/o permission.) About a half-dozen centuries after Sargon of Akkad became the first known emperor , quite a few folks thought we lived on a circular plate , surrounded by a cosmic ocean. That's where we get the Old Testament's poetic imagery about this universe. ( January 3, 2014 ) More recently, a 17th century Calvinist decided that God created the universe at nightfall before October 23, 4004 BC . A remarkable number of folks still think he was right. ( April 4, 2014 ) I'll grant that, as far as my personal experience goes, the universe might be no more than a few tho

Guide, Friend, Counselor, Comforter: the Holy Spirit

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter 2014: Acts 8:5 - 8 , 14 - 17 1 Peter 3:15 - 18 John 14:15 - 21 Sixth Sunday of Easter 2014 By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas May 25, 2014 In an anonymous e-mail, we are told a story we need to hear on this Memorial Day weekend. It's about an old man and his wife sitting in the parking lot of a supermarket. The hood is up on their car. Evidently they were having engine problems. A young man in his early 20s with a grocery bag in his arms walks in the direction of the older couple. The older gentleman emerges from his car and takes a few steps in the young man's direction. He points to the open hood and asks the young man for assistance. The young man puts his grocery bag into his expensive SUV, turns back to the old man and yelled at him: "you shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age." And then with a wave of his hand, he gets into his car and speeds out of the parking lot. The old gentleman pulls out h

Tis a New Season (Part III): Greeting − and Meeting − our Next Challenge (with More Tips to Nourish By)

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Our CHALLENGE #2:  PEOPLE!  Yes, many different people :  F amily members, Friends, Co-workers, even Strangers this time of year... In many different ways , from subtle & sweet to downright aggressive & controlling ... [People-Pressure] From people who may wish to be supportive of our desire to do things differently [more healthfully], but don't really understand how to be of help; to others who may actually discourage or sabotage our efforts, preferring we didn't change our ways, even though such changes would be for our ultimate good. Yet, if we only had to meet this challenge just once in a rare while, such as on Christmas day, it really wouldn’t be a big issue at all.  But for many of us, however, it’s a challenge that we must often face, several times a week or even daily, especially during this season, from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, which is why Challenge #2 can be the problem  that's been taking “option C” out of t

Tis a New Season (Part II Diet Tips): Are You Prepared?

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Sorry to keep you waiting on pins & pine-needles for more Holiday-Time Tips!  After all, it won’t be too long before we find ourselves entering our Super Bowl season here instead... But, thankfully, it’s still only the first week of Advent: our Season of Hope & Preparation. How Wonderful! Yet it can also be a season of many challenges—to body, mind, & spirit... A time of year that's well known for setting us back (if not completely derailing us) on the way of wellness & weight management. So is it hopeless, then, to believe our year should be ending [and our liturgical year beginning] in a better, more healthful way??    Of course, it’s not hopeless!!  ...And hope (& triumph) can certainly be found through the very thing that the Season itself proclaims to us with joy … Be Prepared ! :)  It is in being prepared that we will best meet the extra challenges of this extra busy time of year! And in recalling the initial “Tis a New Season” post

Tis a New Season

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Tis the Season to Eat, Drink, and… a. ) be unhealthy—and stressed? b. ) be bloated—and fatigued? c. ) be joyful—AND nourished! Hmmm. Yes, it’s that time of year again… “the most wonderful time of the year”, of course! But as we begin to unpack our Christmas decorations, do you feel as though it's time once again to leave all your wellness goals, and good intentions for health, back upon the shelf?   Have you been lead to believe that being joyful and well nourished, at the very same time, just isn’t an option during the holidays??  But it is!  It is!  It’s a very real option… a pro-active choice that we have---that can actually make us feel better when we awake on January 1st – in body, mind, & spirit .  Oh, what a great new start that could be!  OUR OPTION "C" !! But it’s really less about our actual Thanksgiving and Christmas-day meals; and rather more about our approach to the whole 35-day season [last year it was 41 days] that will reall

YOGA: What's So Bad About Feeling Good?

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I’ve always had some sort of exercise routine—even if it wasn’t much of a “routine,” per se. Eating well and staying fit has been part of my life more out of necessity than desire. It rises from chronic illness rather than vanity. The catalyst for me “working out” has been my calling to live out my vocation as wife and mother and never how I look in a bathing suit. In fact, I use the term “working out” rather loosely since the same chronic illness that requires me to monitor my bodily well-being hinders my ability to really drill down and push myself to any physical limits. It’s not that I haven’t tried. I have—but there are always severe consequences. So I’ve had to find that balance between “working out” and not killing myself in the process. Enter yoga. Or the idea of yoga. The appeal of the gentle movements and stretching of yoga really drew me in as I searched for the perfect exercise routine that would tend to my body but wouldn’t break me, and so I began researc

"Cravings:" On Human Hunger and Being Wonderfully Made

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I'm going to go ahead and review Mary DeTourris Poust's latest book, Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image and God, without having finished it. This is a wonderful book. This a book on the relationship of spirituality to food and the first, its publishers say, written from a Catholic perspective. Keep Reading...

He Shall Be Peace

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Before my feet touched the floor on January 1 st , 2012, I offered a simple prayer: Please Lord, before the year is over, find me where you want me to be . Up to that point, I had been suffering from a decades-long chronic condition and although imagined health in my future, that morning I offered every cell in my body to the Lord. I just wanted to serve Him and His kingdom. If He wanted me to be healthy, so be it. If He had other plans, so be it. From that point on, all hell broke loose. The first Friday in January, I was on-air when I had an “episode” and was forced to hang up quite abruptly and was immediately taken to the emergency room by my husband. I’ve got to admit, there is nothing quite as humbling as having to hang up during an interview on a national radio show because the room is spinning and the floor seems to be at a 45 degree angle and you are crawling for help. I suffered more physical problems over the next few months than I had in the previous years