Why I like science

Afraser
Afraser Member Posts: 4,444 ✭
edited July 2019 in Health and wellbeing
So we may be able to combat superbugs by using platypus milk! Which makes you wonder how that link was made. Female platyplurals don't have teats. Milk comes through pores, a bit like sweat glands, and runs through the fur to be consumed by the young. Huge chance of being contaminated by whatever bugs may be on the body, from whatever. So the milk contains elements that protect the young from infection, evolution at work . And so is the lateral thinking that allowed someone to explore that extraordinary capacity. We may have lost Stephen Hawking but there are other minds enquiring out there. Who knows what we can do? 
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Comments

  • Zoffiel
    Zoffiel Member Posts: 3,374 ✭
    It makes you wonder who thought of investigating the properties of platypus milk and how the hell they obtained enough samples to do any meaningful study. Perhaps the last bit doesn't bear thinking about.
    It is, indeed, a brave new world.
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,961 ✭
    The possible connections that are investigated do make you wonder, don't they.  But for every one that shows some promise, there's many that turn out to be just flights of fancy.  I wonder how many theories that might have been promising have not been funded because they looked too ridiculous.
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,961 ✭
    Item on the news, yesterday: https://www.ctmcrc.com/adelaides-carina-biotech-makes-killer-cells-cure-cancer/

    Unfortunately, The Advertiser requires subs to access full article.  I have a login somewhere.  If anyone really wants to read it, let me know and I'll try to get the whole article and post it later.
  • wendy_h67
    wendy_h67 Member, Dragonfly Posts: 466
    Science is really interesting.  I have recently been started on a different IV. Chemo called Eribulin.  Apparently it was made from a rare sea sponge although now it is synthetic ly made by man after years of research. I  found it very interesting reading about the rare sea sponge called Hali chrondria okadai and how it works to prevent the spread of cancer cells.
  • SoldierCrab
    SoldierCrab Member Posts: 3,429 ✭
    Yes I watched Insight on SBSondemand this week they were talking about healthy guts..... having the right bacteria etc in our guts.... https//www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1171896387665/insight-gut-feeling
    they were discussing how they have found fecal transfers work wonders in several cases of bowel problems ...  MY immediate thought was WTF  but again who thought of this way to go forward to gain better health of us humans???
    Onwards we progress with Science so thankful for those who investigate and try new things so for ONE I am here today because of those with a mind to try things.... 
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,961 ✭
    Saw that one, too @SoldierCrab I think the gut is absolutely fascinating with what they are finding out about it.  

    And as for cancer and treatment...I'm hoping that if the surgeon is wrong and mine wasn't all cut out, the crappy chemo and rads and whatever else, will keep me alive until there's wonderful new treatments that are only being researched now!  And that, if the unthinkable happens and one of my kids gets this or something similar, he or she will not have to go through what I am going through.
  • SoldierCrab
    SoldierCrab Member Posts: 3,429 ✭
    totally agree @Sister
    I have 2 daughters and 5 granddaughters   I am the first in the family to be diagnosed with BC 

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 ✭
    edited March 2018
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Mira
    Mira Member Posts: 678 ✭
    @SoldierCrab We may be able to thank koalas and the animal kingdom for letting us know about fecal transfers and gut bacteria.  I did wildlife care for a lot of years, and my mentor looked after tiny koalas and taught me that at a certain stage they are given poo from a healthy koala to get their guts right to help them digest eucalyptus leaves.  The baby koalas eat it naturally from their Mum in the wild.  In captivity when my friend brought out a jar of specially harvested koala poop (not the technical name) the koala joey actually jumped off its little branch and ran across her to get to the jar and eat some!  She wasn't game to leave an open jar in the same room as them!
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 ✭
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,961 ✭
    As long as there's no koalas around!
  • Mira
    Mira Member Posts: 678 ✭
    @Joannie Oooops sorry!!!  The baby koalas love it though!! :smiley:
  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,444 ✭
    We have a digestive system not unlike koalas, but our caecum (for digesting fibre) is a lot smaller. Probably just as well as koalas don't get all that much nutrition from gum leaves (poo or no poo) and sleep most of the time to conserve energy. The sleep challenged among us may not mind that aspect too much! 

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