Archives
Longevity
Centuries ago, Ponce de Leon sought the Fountain of Youth in Florida. Today, his quest lives on in laboratories around the world. The discoveries are coming thick and fast, too. Just last week Leonard Guarente and scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced they have figured out how a gene found in yeast controls longevity. The gene, Silent Information Regulator, or SIR2, is present in mice and humans, too. It apparently controls lifespan in yeast by deactivating whole sections of the yeast genome. This has the effect of slowing the yeast's metabolic rate, and other studies have shown there's a strong correlation between a slower metabolic rate and longevity: ...The winter brain
On a cold, dark January day, your brain just slips into neutral. Thoughts crawl along like a snail on sedatives, you can barely remember your own name, and higher functions like mathematics are simply beyond your ability. Right? Not according to a recent study. Apparently, our minds are actually sharper in the winter than in the summer! Like you, psychiatrists who study seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a.k.a. the "winter blues," have always assumed mental processes slow in the cold and dark of winter. But last year Tim Brennen, a psychologist at the University of Tromsø, Norway--the most northerly university in the world, 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle--decided to test the idea. Brennen gave ...Stem cells
Imagine being able to grow any kind of human tissue in the laboratory and using it to replace the damaged cells of someone suffering from diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or muscular dystrophy. Within a decade or two that science fictional dream could be reality, thanks to a breakthrough last week that scientists have been pursuing for 17 years: the successful culturing of human embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are unlike any specific adult cell but have the potential to form any of them. They also have the potential to grow indefinitely in the laboratory. Together, those facts raise the possibility of growing unlimited supplies of any human tissue. Two different teams of scientists announced last week ...Digging for the Spanish Flu
In late 1917 or 1918, a new strain of influenza appeared in what is now Ft. Riley, Kansas. There's nothing unusual about that: new strains of influenza appear all the time. At first, this one seemed no worse than any other. But something changed. As this flu spread to the east, it became seven times more deadly than regular flu. Carried across the ocean by American troops heading for World War I, it eventually spread around the world. By the time the epidemic burned itself out, it had killed more than 20 million people worldwide. (In Philadelphia alone, in the third week of October, 1918, 4,600 people died of it.) It was more deadly than the War itself. The ...Sunscreens
Considering our winters, it's not surprising we love the summer sun. Unfortunately, too much sun isn't good for us: the thinning ozone layer is letting in more ultraviolet radiation than it used to, and as a result, skin cancer is on the increase. That unhappy fact has made sunscreens, concoctions that keep ultraviolet radiation from reaching the skin, all the rage. Just one problem: although they prevent sunburns, we don't know for sure if they prevent skin cancer. Ultraviolet radiation, which make up 15 percent of the solar energy that reaches Earth's surface, packs enough energy to damage our skin's DNA. Our skin tries to fight this by tanning: producing more of the dark pigment melanin. There are two kinds of ...Tea, revisited
I drink a lot of tea. In my family, every meal except breakfast was accompanied by a tall glass of iced tea, and today, I almost always have a glass of iced tea at hand when I'm watching TV, reading, or writing this column. Which means that recent studies touting the health benefits of tea drinking tickle me pink. But first, some background. Tea, the most popular beverage in the world, is created by pouring boiling water over the leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Southeast Asia. Chinese legend states the emperor Shen-Nung learned how to brew tea in 2737 BC when a few leaves from the plant accidentally fell into water he was boiling. From China ...Sports injuries
Ah, warmer weather at last! Time to get out there and throw that--ouch!--ball, and swing that--ooh!--golf club, and jog around the--oof!--lake...and then, more than likely, turn on that--aah!--heating pad, fill that--mmm--ice pack, and slip into--whew!--bed. Yes, 'tis the season for athletic injuries, as those who haven't done anything except shovel snow for half a year sudden remember that once upon a time they had other forms of recreation--something their bodies have forgotten. Sports injuries are one of the most common kinds of injuries we inflict on ourselves. It's not too surprising, either, when you consider the strain sports put on our bodies. A runner's foot pounds against a hard surface hundreds of times per kilometer, a tennis player's shoulder swings ...Weight control
Here's a topic I have far too much experience with: trying to control one's personal mass. Let me lay out my own history... December, 1979. After two years of university, eating far too many pizzas and far too much vending-machine food, I return to Canada weighing 265 pounds. Nobody calls me "Slim." July, 1981. After a year and a half of eating Mom's cooking instead of fast food, I've dropped 30 pounds. June, 1987. Following several gruelling months of serious dieting and exercise, I've reached the incredible (for me) weight of 190 pounds...my weight for the rest of my life, I figure. October, 1988. ...Kitchen germs
In my small, elderly house, the bathroom opens onto the kitchen, which has always worried me: I keep picturing armies of bacteria marching out of the bathroom to contaminate my food. It turns out my concern is misguided: a recent study indicates it's more likely bacteria from the kitchen will contaminate my bathroom.. Scientists from the University of Arizona in Tucson tested several houses and discovered the kitchens were almost always more contaminated with bacteria than the bathrooms, even by germs spread by fecal contamination, such as E. coli (source of "Hamburger disease"). In fact, the average toilet rim was relatively germ-free compared to the average counter top....Sleep revisited
"To sleep, perchance to dream..." So, did you sleep in over the long weekend? Chances are, you did. And maybe, if you're like me, you felt guilty about it. After all, the summer's almost over. We should all be outside enjoying the beautiful weather, or painting the house, or exercising, or spending time with our families, or doing anything other than wasting time sleeping. But is sleeping really a waste of time? Scientists don't think so. In fact, sleep is such a worthwhile way to spend time that every bird, fish, reptile and mammal does it. It's so worthwhile that we spend a third of our lives doing it. And if that doesn't make it seem worthwhile enough, if we ...
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Magebane
“Spectacular” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Evil wizards, multi-level conspiracies, hidden kingdoms…Lee Arthur Chane…has done a marvelous job…Magebane is a very entertaining book and well worth the time.” – A.M. Donovan, Night Owl Reviews
I happily recommend Magebane and I’ll certainly give Chane’s next novel a try based on this one.” —Bill Capossere, Fantasy Literature
“…an original and delightful tale of epic fantasy and magic, steampunk science, adventure, tragedy, and love…” – Errant Dreams Reviews
Eight centuries ago, the world changed. A devastating war swept the lands, and the MageLords, who had long ruled by virtue of their spell powers, were driven to a distant place, separated from those they had ruled by a magical Barrier. With magic banished from the rest of the world, the MageLords became mere legend and people turned to science to improve their lives. But if one man has his way, all that is about to change….
Written as Lee Arthur Chane (the middle names of my older brothers, Jimmy Lee and Dwight Arthur, and myself, Edward Chane Willett).
Marseguro
Winner of the 2009 Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English
Water world Marseguro is home to the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from human DNA. When an unmodified human seeks revenge on a Selkie by activating a distress beacon taken from the remains of the original colony ship, a strikeforce is sent from Earth to eradicate the genetic abomination. Yet Marseguro will not prove as easy to conquer as the Earth force anticipates…
Terra Insegura
Finalist for the 2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English
Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this “abomination.” But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth’s Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe. But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro’s location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Lost in Translation
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life had been destroyed when the alien S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Jarrikk was a young S’sinn, an unproven warrior who’d seen his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who’d sought to colonize his world.
As humans and S’sinn found themselves on the brink of war, these two Translators had to work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators’ oath and training could overcome the enemies leagued against them was very much in doubt…
Archives
Song of the Sword
My new YA fantasy novel from Lobster Press
Before the Lady called her, Ariane’s life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call….
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
Ten walks to points of historic and architectural interest in the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw (eight walks for Regina, two for Moose Jaw).
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
When country music legend Johnny Cash took the stage at Folsom State Prison in 1968, he solidified the public’s perception of him as a rebel who followed his own path. Born in Arkansas during the Great Depression, Cash endured poverty, the death of his older brother, and a difficult relationship with his father. He turned to gospel and country music to express the pain, and after many years of struggling, his songs of hardship and hope would finally reach the ears of those waiting for an artist who represented them, ordinary people fighting to survive.
Andy Warhol: Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes
“Paintings are too hard. Machines have less problems…” In the 1960s, Andy Warhol became the most famous creator of a new style of art called pop art, which transformed mass-produced items of popular culture into fine works of art. From Campbell’s Soup cans to photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Warhol’s willingness to use anything and everything from the mass media in his work expanded the range of subject matter available to artists. His avant-garde films, artistic usage of American icons, and unconventional social life made him a controversial figure, both greatly admired and deeply reviled. A trendsetter rather than a trend-follower, a dispassionate observer of both the seamy and celebrity sides of life, Warhol was a true American rebel.
Disease-Hunting Scientist
The true stories of six real disease hunters. Epidemiologists travel the world trying to keep us safe from deadly diseases—from high-tech labs in Canada to remote villages in Africa. Learn how these “disease detectives” are coming up with new ways to fight disease, and find out if you have what it takes to become an epidemiologist, too!
The Bounty Mutiny
The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of the men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of his ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies, most recently The Bounty. The Bounty Mutiny: From the Court Case to the Movie explores the famous case and the movies it inspired.
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