Ones we think will run:
Intriguing insights on Multiple Sclerosis We think any research is a good thing, especially when something arrives from an unexpected direction. The terrible disease of multiple sclerosis (MS) may be linked to contracting the Epstein-Barr virus and glandular fever, according to John Ely of the Mail. Lots of unanswered questions as of yet, but fascinating nonetheless.
Plug: Even lefties should be looking at the Science page of the Mail online. There’s an eclectic mix of stories, and always great pictures. Grit your teeth and think of Bertrand Russell!
Never say Never We at LSS have long pontificated that you can never say anything conclusive about tetrapods/dinosaurs/earlyhumans/the neolthic/romans/etc etc because there is always going to be tonnes of game-changing stuff in the ground waiting to be dug up. Now someone intelligent and sober has come along to prove we were right! Nature on an imbalance in the fossil record-it’s a warning to all researchers in any discipline really.
| Our understanding of the history of life on Earth is biased towards wealthier countries, warns a study of the fossil record. The analysis reveals that 97% of palaeontological data come from scientists in high- and upper-middle-income countries, such as the United States, Germany and China. “I knew it was going to be high, but I didn’t think it was going to be this high. It was astonishing,” says palaeontologist Nussaïbah Raja. The analysis also found that colonial ties shed decades ago are still affecting palaeontology. For example, one-quarter of palaeontological research in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria — former French colonies — was done by scientists based in France.Nature | 6 min read Reference: Nature Ecology & Evolution paper |
A Clockwork Orange at (about) Fifty Kubrick’s Film, made in 1971, got its London release in 1972 and went Nationwide in ’73. Strange? Mannered? Relevant? Dated? Stylish? Disturbing? You will never run out of fresh opinions on a Stanley Kubrick film. Scott Tobias has far from the last word in the Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/19/a-clockwork-orange-at-50-stanley-kubrick
Deforestation destroys The short-sighted and reckless destruction of rainforests is having terrible consequences. What worries us here is the long-term, thoughtful nature of the study behind this one Christopher Taylor and Douglas Parker for The Conversation
Our Final thoughts In our country, criticism of the Tories often centres on their demographic-too old, too male, too posh, run the canards. So how about a slogan to attract younger voters: VOTE CONSERVATIVE, THE PARTY THAT KNOWS HOW TO PARTY
Any takers?
#deforestation #ecology #a clockwork orange #stanley kubrick #multiple sclerosis #boris johnson #conservatives #fossils #scientific method
Learning, Science and Society 
The link between the Epstein-Barr virus and other serious auto-immune conditions is well documented so the link with MS comes as no surprise. Many auto-immune conditions which have previously had unknown aetiology are now known to be post viral syndromes. Some self-resolve including the very serious and sometimes fatal Guillain-Barré syndrome (used to be known as creeping paralysis) while others linger as chronic long-term disease (type 1 diabetes), serious degenerative conditions such as MS, or as in my case pop up in response to infection to go into remission again. There are many known and some very rare autoimmune conditions.
There is a gender bias in that women are disproportionately more affected than men. Sadly, historically women have often not had their health issues taken seriously and their conditions have described as general malaise or hypochondria. In my case I first started having symptoms when I was 12, was repeatedly told by doctors that there was nothing wrong with me. It took 37 years to get a diagnosis for a very rare condition Rosai Dorfman and only got that because a sympathetic locum doctor referred me for investigations. Less than 1,000 cases of Rosai Dorfman have been reported in the medical literature since the disorder’s first description in 1969. Most GPs are unaware of the condition so there is probably massive under diagnosis. Unfortunately, not enough research goes into rare ‘orphan’ diseases because there is no money in it.
Hopefully there will be some positive outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic including a better understanding by GPs and more research into post viral and autoimmune conditions. I do hope so because my own experience leads me to believe there are many people who are not getting their symptoms dismissed and not getting the medical support they require because their conditions are poorly understood.
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