Rebecca Skloot's Blog, page 5

Jade Goody Dies from Cervical Cancer

Not long ago, I posted about the fact that the world was obsessed with Jade Goody's cancer, but not talking about the real story behind her diagnosis.  Today, news hit that she has died.  Unfortunately, this story brought out the worst in many people right to the end.


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My New Weekly Slate Science Column Launching in May

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I'm pleased to announce that, starting in May 2009, I'll be writing a weekly science and health column for Slate's new Double X Magazine. I'll be covering any and all science that might be of interest to women (note: I won't just be covering science about specific female issues -- though I'll definitely cover those).  Here, from Double X's website, is a description of the new magazine:

Double X is a new Web magazine, founded by women but not just for women, that Slate will launch in spring 20

Amazing Archive of US Army Medical Illustrations and Photos Now Free Online

[image error]Can't blog ... lost in AMAZING ARCHIVE OF MEDICAL IMAGES!  Today from BoingBoing:  

This previously unreported archive at the National Museum of Health and
Medicine in Washington, D.C., contains 500,000 scans of unique images
so far, with another 225,000 set to be digitized this year. Mike Rhode, the museum's head archivist, is working to make tens of
thousands of those images, which have been buried in the museum's
archive, available on Flickr. Working after hours, his team has posted
a curated

Yet Another Disturbing Issue With Commercial Puppy Cloning -- Surrogate Mother Abuse?

[image error]There's been lots and lots written about the ethics of commercially cloning dogs and other pets -- a practice I see as a prime example of extreme human idiocy.  Who spends gazillions of dollars cloning a pet dog when it's widely known that (a) the resulting puppies won't be copies of the origianl dog, (b) they'll likely have health problems, and (c) there are SO MANY PUPPIES that need homes? The answer:  Very disturbing people, that's who. (And it doesn't look like this problem is going away any

In Vitro Fertilization Connected to Birth Defects -- Again. Problems With Lack of Regulation and Safety Testing in the Infertility Business

[image error]The other day, the NY Times ran a story called "Picture Emerging on Genetic Risks of IVF. It reported on a new Centers for Disease Control study that found that children conceived through the most common infertility treatments had a slightly increased risk of several birth defects, including cleft palate and septal heart defects.  believe this is one of the largest studies looking into the connection between Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and birth defects, but it's not  the first.  
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