PBS lets you choose your favourite science program

As I wanted to watch my all-time favourite PBS’ “The Elegant Universe”, I discovered PBS has come up with a new initiative to let the viewer decide which series is being broad-casted for the rest of the year. A wonderful idea, I think, because this voting-mania on television has never surpassed the level of dating-, survival- or big-brother shows. Now, for the cause of science, it suddenly seems like a revelation!

PBS gives us the choice between three series:

• Wired Science – A jeu de mots with Weird Science, the famous eighties series and film in which two youngsters invent and make (?) a woman. Apparently, Wired is a popular science magazine, with which the series is affiliated. The pilot shows a lot of diverging but all interesting subjects, for example: they scrutinize the most recent stem-cell research. Not bad!
• Science Investigators -Delivers answers to science questions from the viewers. As there where no viewers before the pilot program, they came up with some themselves: Is the bionical man coming? Hmm, quite boring; Myth Busters and Brainiac combined.
• 22nd Century – In form and subject, the most progressive of the three series. In this pilot they discuss brain implants, which are already available. However, they don’t shun a little speculation and suppose this might make a world-wide brain (WWB?) which compromise all of mankind. A little far-fetched, but quite nice to look at.

All programs are available here, and await your evaluation!

Miltefosine: een nieuw geneesmiddel voor leishmaniasis

Finally; my first indexiation (as first author!) in PubMed.
Read the pdf-file below to get to know everything you always wanted to know about miltefosine (Impavido®) for the treatment of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.

Abstract:
There is a need for a safe and effective oral treatment for cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Miltefosine is the first oral drug that is efficacious against different forms of leishmaniasis, however it is not equally effective against all Leishmania species. Miltefosine is an alkylphosphocholine, originally developed for the treatment of cancer. The mechanism of action is probably based on interference with the synthesis and degradation of parasitic membrane lipids. Little is known about the pharmacokinetics of miltefosine; an important characteristic is its long elimination half-life of seven days or longer. The most frequent adverse effects are of gastrointestinal origin. Miltefosine should not be used during pregnancy. Over thirty leishmaniasis patients have already been treated with miltefosine in the Netherlands.

Extremely loud & incredibly close – Jonathan Safran Foer

Jaar: 2005
Originele Titel: -
Aantal Pagina’s: 356
Uitgave: paper-back

Eerste zin: ‘What about a teakettle? What if the spout opened and closed when the steam came out, so it would become a mouth, and it could whistle pretty melodies, or do Shakespeare, or just crack up with me?’ 

Laatste zin: ‘ We would have been safe.’