Epigenetics and Chronic Pain

Preliminary research may hold clues to epigenetic factors having a role in chronic pain.

"In the study, published today in Cell Reports, they found that nerve damage changes epigenetic marks on some of the genes in these immune cells. Epigenetics is the process that determines which gene is expressed and where. Some epigenetic signals have direct functional consequences, while others are just primers: flags that indicate a potential to act or be modified.

The cells examined in this King's study still behaved as normal, but the existence of these novel epigenetic marks may mean that they carry a 'memory' of the initial injury."

As a sufferer of chronic pain, this is quite interesting. Sadly, I suspect it may take several years before it may help lead to treatment plans.

Neighbours of Lottery Winners Significantly More Likely to go Bankrupt

So, this study was pretty interesting. People who live next to recent lottery winners are more likely to go bankrupt, new research suggests.

According to a recent report from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve, an arm of America's central bank, for every $1,000 your close neighbour wins in the lottery, you are 2.4 per cent more likely to go bankrupt in the next two years.

Full story on the CBC website.

Conspicuous consumption leading others to spend more is not surprising at all, but the fact that the effect is powerful enough to drive a significant number of families into full on bankruptcy and ruin is rather shocking. 

Degradation of the Web

So, I've started to notice the Web seems to be getting more and more unpalatable. Pages are covered with links to stories about "jaw dropping dresses on the red carpet", "10 foods to avoid for less belly fat", "shocking this" and "Unbelievable that". They change every few months, but appear all over the place.

In addition to this, the quality of news articles continues to degrade. The level of click-bait nonsense and space filling waffle just grows and grows. Not to mention the prevalence of news stories with such atrocious spelling, grammar, and sentence construction one can barely make sense of them.

I don't want to live in a world of web sites that only serve to confirm my bias on various topics, but I do feel I may need to create some type of curated sub-web that only contains high quality sites, and generally avoid the rest of the web when trying to stay up to date with the world.

It does all make me feel rather sad about humanity I must say.

Robots and AI: Unemployment, the Singularity and More. Part 1

OK, so I plan to post on this topic a few times, so this is just the first.

Saw another headline about Robots putting us all out of work in the future. These stories seem to be getting more and more common.

AI and robots threaten to unleash mass unemployment, scientists warn 

February 14, 2016 12:55 pm

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/063c1176-d29a-11e5-969e-9d801cf5e15b.html#axzz40M4v4gzP


It seems there are four possible near to mid-term futures.

The first is that, as in the past, new jobs arise to replace the old ones, productivity increases, people continue to work the same amount. When the horse and cart replaced human labour, people found new jobs, some of which included shoeing horses and building carts and roads. When the steam engine, and then the internal combustion engine replaced the horse and cart, a similar thing happened. Perhaps this will also occur with AI and robots.

The second is that AI and robots will be able to do so many jobs, that we simply won't find a significant number of new jobs to do that can't also be automated, and we will have to deal with exceptionally high unemployment in one way or another.

The third is that when the singularity occurs, humans are all, or mostly, wiped out by the Machine, and unemployment rates will be of little concern.

The fourth is that we decide to stop the march or technical progress, and keep flipping burgers, driving trucks, scrubbing floors, digging ditches, and so on, and freeze the world pretty much as it is now.

Option four will only happen if the world becomes convinced that options two or three almost certain and imminent, which we are a long way from right now, so I'll ignore it for now. Option three seems to be an either or thing. If the singularity occurs and "The Machine" is "evil", we are probably screwed.

So options one and two are left to talk about and plan for, and really option two is the scenario that requires new and different planning. It also, to me, seems to have a pretty high chance of happening in the next couple of decades, and how well we organise our societies can have a huge impact on quality of life. Will resources be shared well, or will the few rich and powerful hoard the worlds wealth? How long and deep would the misery be before there was a general revolt?

I guess my main though is this - the sooner we can determine which option is the most likely to occur, the sooner we can begin to adjust society accordingly and prevent as much misery as possible, or more optimistically, accelerate human society and potential as far as possible.

Sorry if this post is a bit rough, struggling mentally at the moment, but it's been a while since I last posted. Better rough than nothing.

Imaging with an 'optical brush'

New imaging system uses an open-ended bundle of optical fibers: No lenses, protective housing needed.

Date: February 12, 2016
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Summary:
A new imaging device has been developed that consists of a loose bundle of optical fibers, with no need for lenses or a protective housing. The fibers are connected to an array of photosensors at one end; the other ends can be left to wave free, so they could pass individually through micrometer-scale gaps in a porous membrane, to image whatever is on the other side.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160212130514.htm

It looks like this technique has a way to go before if finds real-world applications, but they mainly seem like the remaining steps are mostly just the application of existing materials, software, and processes, so perhaps it might only be a year or two away? I'll try to check back on this one with a web search a year from now to see if there are any updates.

Autonomous Vehicles - Links to Articles

Driverless Cars Are Going to Kill Insurance Companies

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/driverless-cars-are-going-to-kill-insurance-companies

Autonomous cars could save Canadians $65B a year

Technology will shake up transit, urban planning, job market, Conference Board of Canada reports
By Emily Chung, CBC News Posted: Jan 21, 2015 5:12 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 22, 2015 10:23 AM ET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/autonomous-cars-could-save-canadians-65b-a-year-1.2926795

Self-driving cars could remove government income from parking tickets and driving-offence fines

By Mary-Ann Russon
July 21, 2015 18:10 BST

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/self-driving-cars-could-remove-government-income-parking-tickets-driving-offence-fines-1511919

How Uber’s Autonomous Cars Will Destroy 10 Million Jobs and Reshape the Economy by 2025

http://zackkanter.com/2015/01/23/how-ubers-autonomous-cars-will-destroy-10-million-jobs-by-2025/

Autonomous Vehicles Will Replace Taxi Drivers, But That's Just the Beginning

06/11/2015 03:51 pm ET | Updated Jun 12, 2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-tracy/autonomous-vehicles-will-_b_7556660.html

New glass technology discovered: Window doubling as a huge TV?

This is the kind of thing I find exciting, but it's also the type of story that seems to have been around for years, always just 5 to 10 years away from release.

R.

Date: February 11, 2016
Source: University of British Columbia
Summary: Imagine if the picture window in your living room could double as a giant thermostat or big screen TV. A discovery has brought us one step closer to this becoming a reality.

Imagine if the picture window in your living room could double as a giant thermostat or big screen TV. A discovery by researchers at the University of British Columbia has brought us one step closer to this becoming a reality.

Researchers at UBC's Okanagan campus in Kelowna found that coating small pieces of glass with extremely thin layers of metal like silver makes it possible to enhance the amount of light coming through the glass. This, coupled with the fact that metals naturally conduct electricity, may make it possible to add advanced technologies to windowpanes and other glass objects.

"Engineers are constantly trying to expand the scope of materials that they can use for display technologies, and having thin, inexpensive, see-through components that conduct electricity will be huge," said UBC Associate Professor and lead investigator Kenneth Chau. "I think one of the most important implications of this research is the potential to integrate electronic capabilities into windows and make them smart."

The next phase of this research, added Chau, will be to incorporate their invention onto windows with an aim to selectively filter light and heat waves depending on the season or time of day.

The theory underlying the research was developed by Chau and collaborator Loïc Markley, an assistant professor of engineering at UBC. Chau and Markley questioned what would happen if they reversed the practice of applying glass over metal--a typical method used in the creation of energy efficient window coatings.

"It's been known for quite a while that you could put glass on metal to make metal more transparent, but people have never put metal on top of glass to make glass more transparent," said Markley. "It's counter-intuitive to think that metal could be used to enhance light transmission, but we saw that this was actually possible, and our experiments are the first to prove it."

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of British Columbia. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Mohammed Al Shakhs, Lucian Augusto, Loïc Markley, Kenneth J. Chau. Boosting the Transparency of Thin Layers by Coatings of Opposing Susceptibility: How Metals Help See Through Dielectrics. Scientific Reports, 2016; 6: 20659 DOI: 10.1038/srep20659

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160211104752.htm

Autonomous Vehicles

I'm totally excited about autonomous vehicles these days. I can see them bringing about huge changes in the world over the next decade or so, especially when combined with electric engines and such. Even more awesome than self-driving cars are self driving aircraft!

I'll probably post a few entries on this overall topic in the months/years to come, but here is one for today.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-autos-selfdriving-exclusive-idUSKCN0VJ00H

Exclusive: In boost to self-driving cars, U.S. tells Google computers can qualify as drivers

U.S. vehicle safety regulators have said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law, a major step toward ultimately winning approval for autonomous vehicles on the roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), of its decision in a previously unreported Feb. 4 letter to the company posted on the agency's website this week.

Google's self-driving car unit on Nov. 12 submitted a proposed design for a self-driving car that has "no need for a human driver," the letter to Google from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Chief Counsel Paul Hemmersbaugh said.

"NHTSA will interpret 'driver' in the context of Google's described motor vehicle design as referring to the (self-driving system), and not to any of the vehicle occupants," NHTSA's letter said.

"We agree with Google its (self-driving car) will not have a 'driver' in the traditional sense that vehicles have had drivers during the last more than one hundred years."

Major automakers and technology companies such as Google are racing to develop and sell vehicles that can drive themselves at least part of the time.

All participants in the autonomous driving race complain that state and federal safety rules are impeding testing and eventual deployment of such vehicles. California has proposed draft rules requiring steering wheels and a licensed driver in all self-driving cars.

Karl Brauer, senior analyst for the Kelley Blue Book automotive research firm, said there were still significant legal questions surrounding autonomous vehicles.

But if "NHTSA is prepared to name artificial intelligence as a viable alternative to human-controlled vehicles, it could substantially streamline the process of putting autonomous vehicles on the road," he said.

If the car's computer is the driver for legal purposes, then it clears the way for Google or automakers to design vehicle systems that communicate directly with the vehicle's artificial pilot.

In its response to Google, the federal agency offered its most comprehensive map yet of the legal obstacles to putting fully autonomous vehicles on the road. It noted existing regulations requiring some auto safety equipment can not be waived immediately, including requirements for braking systems activated by foot control.

"The next question is whether and how Google could certify that the (self-driving system) meets a standard developed and designed to apply to a vehicle with a human driver," NHTSA said.

Google is "still evaluating" NHTSA's lengthy response, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday. Google executives have said they would likely partner with established automakers to build self-driving cars.

WORRIES ABOUT PEOPLE UNDERMINING SAFETY

Google told NHTSA that the real danger is having auto safety features that could tempt humans to try to take control.

Google "expresses concern that providing human occupants of the vehicle with mechanisms to control things like steering, acceleration, braking... could be detrimental to safety because the human occupants could attempt to override the (self-driving system's) decisions," the NHTSA letter stated.

NHTSA's Hemmersbaugh said federal regulations requiring equipment like steering wheels and brake pedals would have to be formally rewritten before Google could offer cars without those features.

For example, current federal rules require alerts on dashboards if tire pressure runs low. NHTSA said a test would need to be created that shows the vehicle computer is informed of the problem. NHTSA raised the question of whether humans in the vehicles should also be made aware.

In January, NHTSA said it may waive some vehicle safety rules to allow more driverless cars to operate on U.S. roads as part of a broader effort to speed up development of self-driving vehicles.

NHTSA said then it would write guidelines for self-driving cars within six months. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the administration may seek new legal authority to allow deployment of autonomous vehicles "in large numbers," when they are deemed safe, the department said.

The process of rewriting federal regulations governing the design, placement and operation of vehicle controls could take months or years. The NHTSA counsel said Google could consider applying for exemptions for certain regulations, providing NHTSA with supporting documents.

(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing byCynthia Osterman)

Teaching neurons to respond to placebos as potential treatment for Parkinson's

I've been pretty fascinated with the placebo effect for a while now. This article outlines an interesting new discovery. It seems that you can trick neurons into thinking a placebo treatment is an active drug,  by pre-training them with the actual treatment. I'm really curious to learn if they can figure out how this works!

Date:

February 9, 2016

Source:

The Physiological Society

Summary:

Scientist have discovered a way to make neurons respond to a placebo (a medically ineffective treatment), in the same way as they would to medically effective treatment, according to a new study.

They found that it is possible to turn a neuron which previously hasn't responded to placebos (placebo 'non-responder' neuron) into a placebo 'responder' by conditioning Parkinson patients with apomorphine, a dopaminergic drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD).

When a placebo (saline solution) was given for the first time, it induced neither clinical benefit nor associated neuronal changes in the thalamus, a brain region known to be involved in PD. However, if repeated administrations of apomorphine were performed before placebo administration, a placebo was capable of increasing thalamus neuronal activity along with clinical improvement (reduction of muscle rigidity). Interestingly, the higher the previous administrations of apomorphine was, the larger the neuronal changes and the clinical improvement. When apomorphine was administered for 4 days in a row, the subsequent administration of a placebo induced a response that was as large as the one induced by apomorphine. These changes lasted for 24 hours.

The researchers administered apomorphine, either 1, 2, 3 or 4 days before the surgical implantation of electrodes for deep brain stimulation, which is an effective treatment for PD. During surgery, they replaced apomorphine with a placebo and recorded from single neurons in the thalamus along with the assessment of muscle rigidity of the arm.

Fabrizio Benedetti, from the Department of Neuroscience at University of Turin Medical School, Italy and first author of the study, explained, 'These findings show that is possible to teach neurons in the thalamus to respond to placebos, so that a placebo non-responder can be turned into a placebo responder. These findings may have profound implications and applications, because we can reduce drug intake by exploiting these learning mechanisms. Since this study shows that there is a memory for drug action, the alternate administration drug-placebo-drug- placebo etc. means people would need to take less medication but yet obtain the same clinical benefit.

'If a placebo is given after four previous administrations of apomorphine, the placebo response can be as large as the drug response, and this effect lasts up to 24 hours. Therefore, a future challenge will be to see whether this effect can be extended beyond 24 hours.'

---

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by The Physiological Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160209221142.htm

Why your muscles get less sore as you stick with your gym routine

Unexpected immune system cells may help repair muscles

Date:

February 8, 2016

Source:

Brigham Young University

Summary:

Scientists have studied the reduced-soreness phenomenon for decades, but they still can't figure out exactly why people feel less sore the second time around. What they do know is the immune system plays some role in how the muscle repairs itself and protects against additional damage. But now exercise science researchers have produced evidence that shows for the first time the surprising presence of very specific immune workers: T-cells.

The first time back to the gym after a long break usually results in sore muscles. Fortunately, the return trip a few days later--if it happens--is generally less painful.

Scientists have studied this reduced-soreness phenomenon for decades and even have a name for it--the repeated bout effect. Despite all those years of research, they still can't figure out exactly why people feel less sore the second time around.

What they do know is the immune system plays some role in how the muscle repairs itself and protects against additional damage. But now exercise science researchers at BYU have produced evidence that shows for the first time the surprising presence of very specific immune workers: T-cells.

"You think of T-cells as responding to infections, not repairing muscles--but we found a significant accumulation of T-cells infiltrating damaged muscle fibers," said Robert Hyldahl, assistant professor of exercise science at BYU. "Our study is the first to show T-cells present in human muscle in response to exercise-induced damage."

The research appears this month in Frontiers in Physiology and builds off past studies that implicate immune cells in muscle healing. One such study was a 2013 paper out of Harvard showing T-cells active in the skeletal muscles of mice (but not yet humans) after injury.

For the study, researchers, put 14 men and women through two vigorous rounds of exercise on an isokinetic dynamometer machine, 28 days apart. ("All of them got really sore," Hyldahl said.) Before and after each bout of exercise, the team took muscle biopsies from the subjects and then used immunohistochemistry and microscopy to analyze the muscle tissue.

The BYU group found an expected increase in certain white blood cells after the second bout of exercise, but only identified the T-cells after it was suggested by Amanda Gier, one of two undergraduate coauthors on the paper, who was enrolled in an immunology course at the time.

"T-cells, up until recently, were not thought to enter healthy skeletal muscle," said lead author and grad student Michael Deyhle. "We hadn't planned on measuring them because there's no evidence that T-cells play a role in infiltrating damaged muscle tissue. It's very exciting."

The presence of the T-cells suggests that muscles become more effective at recruiting immune cells following a second bout of exercise and that these cells may facilitate accelerated repair. In other words, the muscle seems to remember the damaging insult and reacts similarly to when the immune system responds to antigens--toxins, bacteria or viruses.

The group was also surprised to find inflammation actually increased after the second round of exercise. Hyldahl, his students and many physiologists have long thought inflammation goes down after the second bout of exercise, contributing to that "less sore" effect.

Instead, the slightly enhanced inflammatory response suggests inflammation itself probably does not worsen exercise-induced muscle damage.

"Many people think inflammation is a bad thing," Deyhle said. "But our data suggest when inflammation is properly regulated it is a normal and healthy process the body uses to heal itself."

Adds Hyldahl: "Some people take anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin after a workout, but our study shows it may not actually be effective. The inflammation may not be directly causing the pain, since we see that muscle soreness is reduced concurrent with increases in inflammation."

---

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Brigham Young University. The original item was written by Todd Hollingshead. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Michael R. Deyhle, Amanda M. Gier, Kaitlyn C. Evans, Dennis L. Eggett, W. Bradley Nelson, Allen C. Parcell, Robert D. Hyldahl. Skeletal Muscle Inflammation Following Repeated Bouts of Lengthening Contractions in Humans. Frontiers in Physiology, 2016; 6 DOI:10.3389/fphys.2015.00424

Lifespan of mice extended by as much as 35 percent; no adverse effects found!

This looks awesome.

Date:

February 3, 2016

Source:

Mayo Clinic

Summary:

Researchers have shown that senescent cells -- cells that no longer divide and accumulate with age -- negatively impact health and shorten lifespan by as much as 35 percent in normal mice. The results demonstrate that clearance of senescent cells delays tumor formation, preserves tissue and organ function, and extends lifespan without observed adverse effects.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have shown that senescent cells -- cells that no longer divide and accumulate with age -- negatively impact health and shorten lifespan by as much as 35 percent in normal mice. The results, which appear today in Nature, demonstrate that clearance of senescent cells delays tumor formation, preserves tissue and organ function, and extends lifespan without observed adverse effects.

"Cellular senescence is a biological mechanism that functions as an 'emergency brake' used by damaged cells to stop dividing," says Jan van Deursen, Ph.D., Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular biology at Mayo Clinic, and senior author of the paper. "While halting cell division of these cells is important for cancer prevention, it has been theorized that once the 'emergency brake' has been pulled, these cells are no longer necessary."

The immune system sweeps out the senescent cells on a regular basis, but over time becomes less effective. Senescent cells produce factors that damage adjacent cells and cause chronic inflammation, which is closely associated with frailty and age-related diseases.

Mayo Clinic researchers used a transgene that allowed for the drug-induced elimination of senescent cells from normal mice. Upon administration of a compound called AP20187, removal of senescent cells delayed the formation of tumors and reduced age-related deterioration of several organs. Median lifespan of treated mice was extended by 17 to 35 percent. They also demonstrated a healthier appearance and a reduced amount of inflammation in fat, muscle and kidney tissue.

"Senescent cells that accumulate with aging are largely bad, do bad things to your organs and tissues, and therefore shorten your life but also the healthy phase of your life," says Dr. van Deursen. "And since you can eliminate the cells without negative side effects, it seems like therapies that will mimic our findings -- or our genetic model that we used to eliminate the cells -- like drugs or other compounds that can eliminate senescent cells would be useful for therapies against age-related disabilities or diseases or conditions."

Darren Baker, Ph.D., a molecular biologist at Mayo Clinic, and first author on the study is also optimistic about the potential implications of the study for humans.

"The advantage of targeting senescent cells is that clearance of just 60-70 percent can have significant therapeutic effects," says Dr. Baker. "If translatable, because senescent cells do not proliferate rapidly, a drug could efficiently and quickly eliminate enough of them to have profound impacts on healthspan and lifespan."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160203145723.htm

---

Journal Reference:

1. Darren J. Baker, Bennett G. Childs, Matej Durik, Melinde E. Wijers, Cynthia J. Sieben, Jian Zhong, Rachel A. Saltness, Karthik B. Jeganathan, Grace Casaclang Verzosa, Abdulmohammad Pezeshki, Khashayarsha Khazaie, Jordan D. Miller, Jan M. van Deursen. Naturally occurring p16Ink4a-positive cells shorten healthy lifespan. Nature, 2016; DOI: 10.1038/nature16932

New drug could be safer, non-addictive alternative to morphine

This sounds awesome. Hope they have it ready for sale soon!

Date:

January 28, 2016

Source:

Tulane University

Summary:

A painkiller has been developed that is as strong as morphine but isn't likely to be addictive and with fewer side effects, according to a new study. Opium-based drugs are the leading treatments for severe and chronic pain, but they can be highly addictive. Their abuse results in thousands of overdose deaths in the United States annually.

Researchers at Tulane University and Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System have developed a painkiller that is as strong as morphine but isn't likely to be addictive and with fewer side effects, according to a new study in the journalNeuropharmacology.

Using rats, scientists compared several engineered variants of the neurochemical endomorphin, which is found naturally in the body, to morphine to measure their effectiveness and side effects. The peptide-based drugs target the same pain-relieving opioid receptor as morphine.

Opium-based drugs are the leading treatments for severe and chronic pain, but they can be highly addictive. Their abuse results in thousands of overdose deaths in the United States annually. They can cause motor impairment and potentially fatal respiratory depression. Patients also build up tolerance over time, increasing the risk for abuse and overdose.

"These side effects were absent or reduced with the new drug," said lead investigator James Zadina, VA senior research career scientist and professor of medicine, pharmacology and neuroscience at Tulane University School of Medicine. "It's unprecedented for a peptide to deliver such powerful pain relief with so few side effects."

In the study, the new endomorphin drug produced longer pain relief without substantially slowing breathing in rats; a similarly potent dosage of morphine produced significant respiratory depression. Impairment of motor coordination, which can be of particular importance to older adults, was significant after morphine but not with the endomorphin drug.

The new drug produced far less tolerance than morphine and did not produce spinal glial cell activation, an inflammatory effect of morphine known to contribute to tolerance.

Scientists conducted several experiments to test whether the drug would be addictive. One showed that although rats would spend more time in a compartment where they had received morphine, the new drug did not affect this behavior. Another test showed that when the press of a bar produced an infusion of drug, the rats only increased efforts to obtain morphine and not the new drug. The tests are predictive of human drug abuse, Zadina said.

Researchers hope to begin human clinical trials of the new drug within the next two years.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160128155006.htm

Vandal Savage sold his house to Damien Darhk?

So, not only does it seem that Diggle and Layla have replaced Patti Spivot with Diggle's little brother as their housemate, but it also appears that in 2015, Damien Darhk is living in the house that Vandal Savage owns in 1975.

It does seem weird that Diggle's house and Patti's house look almost identical inside, considering they live in different cities. I don't recall if the Legends team were in Star City in 1975 or not?

X Files - What is Mulder Afraid of?

So, I was watching the new season of the X Files, and I noticed that Mulder had put duct tape over the camera. This made me laugh and seemed cool at first. But when you think about it, it's actually rather silly. What is the point? To stop the aliens/government watching him walk around his living room in his undies? Why not just close the lid on the laptop when he's not using it? I think a camera hack would the least of his worries. What about key loggers or a microphone hack?

I know, I'm over thinking it. This was meant to be a quick visual clue to his paranoia (or rational fear, depending upon your perspective).

I also think it's sad he and Scully broke up. Back in the last movie I thought it was really sweet that they had finally hooked up and seemed somewhat happy together.

Old white men telling young women not to abort babies with microcephaly

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/03/health/zika-tests-catholic-position-on-birth-control/

I wonder - if the Catholic Church leadership was not made up of old men who don't have children themselves, and don't take part in raising children, would their opinion on abortion be different?

Telling a 9 year-old rape victim it's evil to abort the baby, or a mother with the zika virus, who has been told by her Dr that her child will have microcephaly and be severely brain damaged, that it is evil to have an abortion, just seems wrong. Telling people in areas with high rates of the zika virus not to use birth control also seems crazy.

If you think this is the word of God, then I'd think hard about picking a different God. There seems to be a few to choose from...

Saw this quote from Gwyneth Paltrow online today.

"We're still very much a family, even though we don't have a romantic relationship. He's like my brother."

http://www.eonline.com/news/736219/gwyneth-paltrow-and-chris-martin-still-have-sleepovers-but-not-romantic-ones-he-s-like-my-brother

So, does that mean she used to have sex with her brother?

OSX Yosemite - Quiet and cool MacBook at last!

I may not have this MacBook much longer, but in the meantime, I'm very excited to see that the Yosemtie update seems to have finally fixed the problem with the fan running non-stop, and the MacBook getting super hot, even when running zero applications.

Odd that Apple took so long to fix this issue. They have so little in the way of hardware variation to support. Oh well, nice to see they finally got around to it.