By Marc Timm

Welcome to another edition of META-Physical Snippets from the Far Side of Science. With all the talk lately of stem cell research, I thought I would give an overview of these cells and how they could be useful in medical research.

WE ALL STEM FROM HERE

Stem cells are unique in that they can divide indefinitely and give rise to specialized cells. When fertilized, a human egg has the potential to form an entire human being. As the egg divides over the next few hours, any of the new cells can produce a complete human being. Any of these cells placed in the uterus could develop into a fetus. Identical twins are created in this way. About four days after fertilization the cells begin to specialize into a hollow cell sphere and an inner cell mass. This is called the blastula. The outer sphere develops into the placenta and other supporting tissues. The inner cells develop into many other tissues in the body. These inner cells cannot, however, support life since they cannot alone form the placenta and other tissues necessary to support growth in the uterus. The inner cells undergo specialization into stem cells that have various purposes. Examples of this include: blood stem cells which give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets; and skin stem cells that give rise to the various types of skin cells. Stem cells divide and specialize into all that is you and I. Quite an amazing beginning to us all.

Contrary to recent news programming, stem cells are present in all of us, young and old alike. For example, we all have blood stem cells that reside in our bone marrow and continually resupply our blood. We could not live without stem cells. The ability to produce new cells and the particular ability of unspecialized stem cells to become any type of cell is what makes stem cells extremely fascinating to researchers. Studying stem cells can help us understand the complex events that occur during human development. This could lead to the identification of factors involved in developmental decision making processes that result in a complete us. Central to the decision making process is the turning on and off of various genes. Understanding decision-making genes could lead to new understanding of cancers and other abnormal cell division disorders. Research could also help scientists develop new ways of developing and testing new drugs. The most long-term research is related to researching the possibility of using stem cells to generate tissues and cells used in "cell-therapies." Many diseases and disorders result from disruption of cellular function or destruction of tissues of the body. Today, donated organs and tissues are often used to replace ailing or destroyed tissue. In the future, stem cell research may point the way to therapies using stem cells that have been stimulated to divide into specific types of cells.

The future of stem cell research is tenuous at best. Whether or not it offers the far ranging promises that the evening news has touted, the very fact that we are now seeking to understand this very basic process of life will benefit humankind from here forward.

* You'll find some links at the bottom of the page if you would like to check out stem cell research in more detail.

IT'S STILL GETTING HOT DOWN HERE

Global warming is continuing to provide some very interesting Earth changes. The US Government reports that global mean surface temperatures have increased 0.5-1.0°F since the late 19th century. The last fifteen years of the century have accounted for ten of the warmest years on record. Sea levels have risen 4 to 8 inches over the past century. Northern Hemisphere and Arctic ice have decreased. Soil moisture will likely decline in many regions, and intense rainstorms are likely to become more frequent. The sea level is likely to rise two feet along most of the U.S. coast.

Night time temperatures are rising faster than daytime temps are. The winters in the northern latitudes (Canada and Alaska) are warming relatively fast. Urban areas are warming somewhat more rapidly than rural areas (known as the "urban island effect"). Arctic temperatures are the warmest in 400 years. The extent of snow cover has declined by 10 percent since the late 1960s.

These effects are all attributed to our increased production of greenhouse gasses. Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), all contribute to the problem.

What difference can I make?

Collectively, we can make a difference. Replace burned out light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, purchase appliances that display the EPA ENERGY STAR® label. Adding insulation and tuning up your furnace will also help. Planting deciduous trees increases the shade on your house and reduces energy usage while using a mulching mower reduces yard waste.

Recycle aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic, cardboard, and newspapers. This can reduce your home's Carbon Dioxide emissions by 850 pounds per year. Remember, every bit helps.

** Click on the links at the foot of the page to see how global warming could affect your area.

BRAIN TRAIN

I had an interesting event happen to me a couple of months ago that opened my eyes to a larger truth. As an engineer, I have been trained to look at life through a set of "verify all" colored glasses. I was recently visiting a friend who was also entertaining a psychiatrist specializing in biofeedback training. Practitioners report success in "training" children with ADD/ADHD, thus reducing the need for drug intervention. The process involves having the patient "play" a video game.

The trick is that the patient uses their mind to control the game. There are no inputs to the game except a set of electrodes placed on various places on your head. The varying locations allow the doctor and patient to train specific parts of the brain. As the brain is trained, the game begins to play. The software analyzes the brain patterns of the patient and moves the game in response to the EEG waveform.

After a lengthy discussion of the science involved in the treatment, I was offered a chance to play a game. I jumped at the offer. I donned the headpiece and settled in to play a game of spaceship. In the game, the middle spaceship races ahead of the other two ships as your brainwaves match the preset waveform pattern. It was a very interesting session in that if I tried to think about moving the spaceship, my vehicle would fall behind the other spacecraft. As I let my mind focus itself, my ship rocketed ahead to win the race and even get a few extra points. It was a very interesting evening. Things got even more interesting as I drove home from the evening.

Driving down the major highway to my house, I had the word "ROADBLOCK" jump into my brain as clearly as if someone yelled it at me from the passenger seat. I thought, wow, that was strange and drove on. A few miles down the road, the thought/feeling hit me again, "ROADBLOCK." This was getting really strange now. As I approached the road leading to my house, to my surprise there was a safety roadblock designed to catch drunk drivers. I was amazed.

I mentioned the roadblock incident to the Biofeedback Practitioner upon our next meeting. To my surprise, he stated that the same thing happened to him upon completing his first training session. He was driving down I-95 and the word "HOOD" jumped into his head. Three seconds later, his car's hood flew up and smashed his windshield.

I have read quite a lot about Biofeedback since that episode. Since that training, I have been listening to my inner voice more frequently, though not as much as I should. It is amazing that my first insight into a world larger than myself was a safety roadblock.

*** Check out the sites below for more details.

That's it for now. Let me know about any science snippets happening in your life. I can be reached at lightworker@mindspring.com.

Until next time,

Marc

*Stem Cell Research:

http://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/ - Latest news on stem cell research from the NIH
http://www.a-ten.com/z/stemcell.html ? Books and articles on the subject http://www.stemcellresearchnews.com/ - Additional stem cell research news

**Global Warming:

http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/impacts/stateimp/index.html ? US State impacts
http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc/regional/index.htm ? International Impacts

*** Biofeedback:

http://webideas.com/biofeedback/index/ - Commercial site
http://www.biofeedback.net/ - Association links and information

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Marc Timm has been involved in science and engineering for practically my entire career. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Minor in Electrical Engineering. He began working with GE, a NASA contractor at the Johnson Space Center upon graduation where he developed many science hardware items used to understand the effects of microgravity on humans in space. He then relocated to the Kennedy Space Center, where he expanded these skills into developing systems and managing programs investigating the effects of microgravity on plants and animals. You can reach Marc by email here.