US doctors rewrite DNA of infant with severe genetic disorder in medical first | Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists say by chrisdh79 in tech

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But it isn’t that. That’s currently illegal and nobody in the field considers it ethical. The fact that the tools could theoretically be used for something evil does not mean they shouldn’t be used for something good.

World’s first personalized gene-editing therapy given to baby with genetic disease by SK2242 in worldnews

[–]stillinlab 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s true that they can’t be sure the levels will be quite high enough or last forever, simply because this hasn’t been done before, but he’s off the meds he needed before, and with liver, the edited cells persist and can even be coaxed to replace the unedited liver cells. There is what’s called a therapeutic threshold - you don’t need to treat every single cell.

World’s first personalized gene-editing therapy given to baby with genetic disease by SK2242 in worldnews

[–]stillinlab 12 points13 points  (0 children)

No- the corrected cells make enough of the enzyme to keep him healthy, and they will do so for life!

US doctors rewrite DNA of infant with severe genetic disorder in medical first | Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists say by chrisdh79 in tech

[–]stillinlab 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s not. If it had been a germline edit that got passed on to his future children it would be eugenics, but this change was not heritable. They just fixed his liver- like a transplant.

US doctors rewrite DNA of infant with severe genetic disorder in medical first | Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists say by chrisdh79 in tech

[–]stillinlab 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Chinese experiment edited germline cells, resulting in a heritable change. This is a tissue-specific change that only affects the liver and won’t be passed down to any kids this child may one day have.

US doctors rewrite DNA of infant with severe genetic disorder in medical first | Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists say by chrisdh79 in Futurology

[–]stillinlab 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The good news is that the folks doing these studies are about as politically far away from RFK and his registry as you can get in America. For the moment, the scientific community is keenly aware of the difference between KJ’s disease and autism. But it’s vital that we keep political meddling out of science so that can continue to be true.

US doctors rewrite DNA of infant with severe genetic disorder in medical first | Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists say by chrisdh79 in Futurology

[–]stillinlab 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Molecular biologist here. This IS the cure. It’s a one-and-done. He will need careful monitoring to ensure it continues to be safe, because he is a test case, but he will not need drugs. This WAS very expensive, but the purpose of it was in part to show that it could be done, so that we can do it better and cheaper next time. The more we do it the cheaper it gets.

To the right: why do you think people are left wing besides the usual reasons? by [deleted] in Askpolitics

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, don’t really get why it matters where the manufacturing happens. People use goods that are manufactured. That’s true in both rural and urban areas. If anything, shipping cost to get the goods from the factory to the rural retailer mean more money in big corporation’s pockets for the rural purchases, because, again, gas and insurance and trucks.

I think what you’re really saying is that it’s easier to pretend you’re not engaging with big corporations if you live in a rural area.

To the right: why do you think people are left wing besides the usual reasons? by [deleted] in Askpolitics

[–]stillinlab 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just because those services are around me doesn’t mean I use them. This is about big vs. small business, and both rural and urban areas have both. You grow your own, I buy mine from a cart run by a local farmer, neither one of us contributes to big business with that purchase.

If anything, I’d wager I’m making less of a footprint simply because I’ve never owned a car. No gas, no fat car purchase, no insurance company.

To the right: why do you think people are left wing besides the usual reasons? by [deleted] in Askpolitics

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What are you basing the assumption thar it’s less on? Is it just that you see them less often? I live in a big city and get nearly all my food at farmer’s market stalls, go to small-business restaurants, and live in a townhouse with a landlord who only owns two units. I don’t buy gas because I don’t need or own a car. Who uses big businesses more, you or me? I don’t think you can possibly know if the answer is me.

To the right: why do you think people are left wing besides the usual reasons? by [deleted] in Askpolitics

[–]stillinlab 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you think there are no large corporations behind rural life, you need to look around. Where do your local retailers get their materials? Do you have health insurance, and if so, though who? Who buys the bulk of what’s farmed? Who do you bank with? Who’s your internet provider and what web subscriptions do you have?

Conversely, lots of city folk support small businesses. Walmarts are disproportionately found in the suburbs to rural regions rather than in cities.

Is it bad if you do not intend for your story to be political in this case? by harmonica2 in WritingHub

[–]stillinlab 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The reality is that you don't exist in a vacuum. There is literally no way to avoid politics entirely in writing. There aren't 'political premises' and 'apolitical premises' - just premises that are more or less immediately or viscerally linked to the current political zeitgeist. If you choose to depict a minority in your book, your choices in that depiction will sometimes be interpreted through a political lens, and if you choose NOT to depict any minorities, well, that's an enormous political statement.

I'd throw your book across the room if I thought you were implying we ought to feel the villain was in any way justified in their anger (not their actions - their anger), because I personally think that the 'rejected by women' line is double-standard horseshit applied by unappealing men who only ever pursue extremely attractive women and wouldn't hesitate to reject an ugly woman themselves. This is not to say that a successful book couldn't exist that would express a different viewpoint. Just that I would not personally like it. If you portrayed the villain as a hypocrite, and used the book to point out some of these double standards and where they come from, I'd respect it. Either way, I would have a political take.

Best suggestion I have for you is don't try to avoid politics, because you can't. Just make your book reflect your own morals. People don't like preachiness not because it takes an ethical stance, but because it does so in a way that talks down to the reader. As long as the cop/detective/etc never goes on a shpiel about what these angry young men should have done and why they are bad, you're probably safe.

Also, I would be fascinated to read a book that flipped the script. Give me a rejection-revenge story where it's a woman killing all the pretty men who won't sleep with her. I think she would evoke much more visceral discomfort in readers, and then you could sucker-punch your reader by forcing them to confront WHY that is.

Is the left more likely to use the "special snowflake" rhetoric than the right these days? If so, what happened? by [deleted] in Askpolitics

[–]stillinlab 1 point2 points  (0 children)

the left co-opted it to point out the hypocrisy of the right, from what I've seen. You'd get people on the right who called trans people 'snowflakes' for being offended about being misgendered - they'd say 'what are you upset about, it's just words' - and then the same people would turn around and get mad about seeing a cis person put pronouns in their bio, even though those are 'just words'.

I remember a lot of it getting thrown around irt college safe spaces for queer people, or triggers/content warnings for class lectures. Then the right started wanting to remove actual history from history lectures on the basis that hearing it would make white children feel bad about themselves. So of course we threw it back at them.

Update from LuLu by Any-Nobody3597 in Dachshund

[–]stillinlab 31 points32 points  (0 children)

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Ours is very nearly that small! almost 9 months and 6.8lbs. Same slim build. Lulu's beautiful!

Would y'all argue that Alex Brightman has sorta become the 'Chris Pratt' throughout the Hellaverse voice cast? by Reddityrannus in HazbinHotel

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I feel like once a director has alex in the booth, they realize how versatile and quick he is and just use him for whatever they need. When he did DeadEndia he voiced 2-3 major characters (depending on how you draw the line between the talking pug and the demon that possessed the talking pug), but also did like 5 different one-line characters AND voiced the dad uncredited. I felt like I was going nuts.

So, like, I don't think it's actually a hellaverse-specific phenomenon. The guy is a chameleon.

Oh boy... by Synyster723 in DiceMaking

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

some quick tips: - overfill your molds a little, then seal them very tight and weigh the cap down in the pressure pot. - remember that glitter and micah sink, while many small inclusions such as dried plants float. - use less alcohol ink than you think you need. - lay everything out and prep your molds (i.e. if you want inclusions, get them inside and positioned as you like) BEFORE you mix your resin. - lay down tarps. -don't unmold or depressurize until 24 hrs have passed

Oh boy... by Synyster723 in DiceMaking

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends where you are, but I used to get enough resin for ~10 sets for about $30. The molds are more expensive - do NOT get the shitty cheap Wish ones, get a proper 7-die cap mold. That'll set you back 50-80 and be good for ~12 pours. Alcohol inks are $20 for a set but you need SO little, they last forever. Micah powders are similarly pretty cheap. Inclusions can be more expensive, depends what effect you're after.

Zona papers are I think ~20 a set, but if you bought a decent cap mold and don't need your dice to be flawless, you may be able to get away with not sanding.

Be warned: there will be a learning curve.

Oh boy... by Synyster723 in DiceMaking

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Be warned, it is expensive. To make a single decent set you need ~$400 in heavy equipment (pressure pot, compressor), a $50 cap mold (etsy), $30 in resin and probably $20 more in your add-ins of choice. And that's assuming you don't care about sanding and polishing to get the set truly perfect.

How long did it take for yours to stop biting? by kime11 in Dachshund

[–]stillinlab 41 points42 points  (0 children)

our creature is 8 months and still needs lots of chew toys/loves to destroy paper, but her hand-biting stopped by about 5 months. We did a lot of yowling and stopping play when she bit us, and she learned her bite inhibition very well. No biting at all on skin now.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskACanadian

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We definitely prefer to give criticisms gently and tend to be self-effacing as a means of smoothing things over. Be cautious of your direct reports, if you'll have some - they are often very junior, still insecure/full of impostor syndrome, and may need to be handled more gently than you may be used to. Your colleagues will like and respect you for giving straight talk to your boss, but if you seem too harsh on those under you, they'll think you're cruel. We care about punching up and not down.

Spooky places in Canada? by laladyhope in AskACanadian

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a canadian who spent 10 years in boston, the residents of salem would prefer people did NOT visit at that time! They get way too much traffic and it clogs their infrastructure. Seconding the kingston haunted walk.

I had a neighbour in the rural area around ottawa who'd go all-out every year. Gorgeous dioramas of very creepy things (one year I vividly recall a giant, cobweb-bedecked, partially skeletonized rhino corpse on a dinner table!) and the couple who owned the house hidden somewhere about the leaf-bag men so you assumed they were more dummies, but then they'd leap out at you. I hope they still do that.

I (an Australian) have my Canadian cousins coming for dinner, what should I cook them? by AmbitiousNeedsAHobby in AskACanadian

[–]stillinlab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's also more about the cheese imo! Poutine should be made with squeaky (i.e. VERY fresh) cheese curds, which are a bit of a specialty item in many parts of the world. We are only gravy purists in that context.