Virginia Prescott

The Philadelphia Chromosome: The Story Behind The Mutant Gene That Unlocked A Cure For Cancer

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:49:26 +0000

In 1959 scientists caught their first glimpse of a genetic mutation, ‘the Philadelphia chromosome’ and began unraveling the mysterious role it plays in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML); the discovery led to the eventual cure for this once extremely lethal cancer. Jessica Wapner is a freelance science writer, and her new book chronicling the back story behind the breakthrough, “The Philadelphia Chromosome: A Mutant Gene and the Quest to Cure Cancer at the Genetic Level” was released this month.

Has Terrorism Research Become Stagnant?

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:17:08 +0000

“Why did they do it?” That’s one of the first questions on the lips of every reporter and pundit after a tragedy like the Boston Marathon bombing, and often there is no satisfying answer. In cases of domestic terrorism, the motives of the perpetrator leave us with other, equally difficult questions: what separates angry young men, most of whom will never commit acts of mass violence, from those who do?

Why No "National Tragedy" Label For The New Orleans Shootings?

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:03:55 +0000

From the Newtown shootings to the Boston marathon bombings, the last year has seen no shortage of tragic acts of violence that have dominated news coverage. But one story appeared as no more than a blip on the national news radar: that of a neighborhood mother’s day parade in New Orleans, where shots were fired and 19 people were wounded. Two suspects were arrested late last week, but for days, the incident stood as the largest mass shooting in the United States with perpetrators still at large – so why weren’t we bombarded with media coverage? Our guest is David Dennis Jr., a journalist and New Orleans native who wrote about the issue for the UK Guardian.

The Sketch Book Project

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16:27 +0000

Artists from one hundred and thirty-five countries have submitted sketches, doodles and ambitious notebook illustrations to The Sketchbook Project, a crowd-sourced art project that’s been exhibiting collective creativity from contributors worldwide since 2006. With more than twenty-seven thousand sketchbooks housed in its Brooklyn Art Library and a trusty mobile library hitting the road for a nation-wide summer tour, Sketchbook’s ever-growing collection of art shows no signs of slowing down; Steven Peterman, founder and director of operations for “The Sketchbook Project”, joins the program to tell us more.

The Routines Of Creative Geniuses

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:12:14 +0000

Hemingway, Darwin, Joyce, Tesla and Picasso were all remarkably different in their temperament and creative output, but they had one thing in common: a successful routine. From Franklin’s solitary nude reading hour to Picasso’s silent lunch gatherings, the outstanding rituals and habits that created genius are as fascinating as they are unexpected. Combing through over 160 accounts of creative minds, Mason Currey’s new book “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” uncovers the daily almanac of history’s most eccentric, troubled and genius figures. Mason’s writing has appeared in Slate, Print, and Metropolis, where he was an editor for six years.

High-Rise Fires A Growing Risk In Arab Gulf States

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:03:25 +0000

A raging fire gutted the Al Hafeet tower late last month, a 20-floor residential building in the United Arab Emirate city of Sarjah. The incident drew uncomfortable comparisons to other recent blazes in a region known for spectacular high-rise sky-scrapers. One expert in the United Arab Emirates has estimated that 70% of high-rise buildings in the gulf are at a high risk of catching fire. Here to discuss this growing safety concern is Bill Law, gulf analyst for the BBC News.

The Documentary That Helped Convict Rios Montt

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:48:05 +0000

Last year we interviewed Pamela Yates about her documentary Granito: How to Nail A Dictator which details the indictment of General Efrain Rios Montt, believed to be responsible for the murder of 200,000 mostly indigenous Mayan Ixil people during the Guatemalan genocide.

Summer Arts Roundup

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:31:48 +0000

The works of two important Chinese artists, the return of a festival of experimental sound, and a retrospective by a legend of pop art are all on the summer events radar of Michelle Aldredge. She’s a writer and photographer and the creator of the Gwarlingo website and podcast. It’s an online resource for conversations about creativity and finds in the world of contemporary art.

CrowdMed: Diagnosing Unsolved Sicknesses With Crowdsourcing

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:55:31 +0000

After using email and using a search engine, looking for health information is the third most popular web activity for internet users. That’s according to a 2011 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. A new website combines that quest with the popularity of online crowd-sourcing...or putting communal wisdom to work on perplexing problems. CrowdMed is a site for crowd-sourcing medical diagnoses. It uses the collective wisdom of some actual – and mostly armchair -medical professionals to solve tough medical cases and diagnose rare diseases that left traditional healthcare professionals stumped.

Jared Heyman is founder of the online market research firm Infosurv, his new venture is CrowdMed. welcome to word of mouth.

Clare Martorana worked previously as a general manager and editor-at-large of Web-MD, and now serves as an advisor for CrowdMed.

Battle Of The Nations

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:58:09 +0000

Battle of the Nations is an international event held annually since 2009 – this year in the medieval walled city of Aigues-Mortes in the south of France. About five-hundred men from twenty-two countries competed in what is part historic re-enactment, and part full contact sport. Wearing full medieval armor and using blunted period weaponry, participants hack, slash, and wrestle opponents to the ground in events ranging from one-on-on, to dueling groups of twenty-one each. Our next guest, Jaye Brooks was there – he’s executive officer for team USA and the Armored Combat League, and he came in at 10^th place in the one-on-one competition.

The Sun's Blood Pressure Benefits

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:06:00 +0000

For years, fear of skin cancer has had us slathering 50+ SPF sunscreen, donning hats or avoiding prolonged sun exposure under umbrellas or shade. Some unexpected research recently out of Edinburgh University could shift the perception of sun as unrelenting enemy. In the study, UV rays were found to release a compound that lowers blood pressure. On the line to explain how we might weigh the sun’s benefits and drawbacks is Doctor Richard Weller, Senior Lecturer of Dermatology at Edinburgh University.

Loneliness Can Be Lethal

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:38:19 +0000

Humans are vastly more social than most other mammals. Neuroscientists point to the development of our social brain as key to the survival of our species; early humans survived by cooperating with each other in the rearing of children, by hunting in bands, by organizing night watches. A battery of research reveals that people still need people.

Are Trailer Parks The Answer To The Boomer Housing Crisis?

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:29:54 +0000

The mass retirement of baby boomers could trigger yet another housing crisis. Boomers were responsible for roughly 80% of home construction in the 80’s and 90’s, and many of those homes were big, too big for empty nesters transitioning to a fixed income. Enter a housing solution that’s been with us all along: mobile home communities, or trailer parks.

The Rebranding Of Sylvia Plath

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:23:05 +0000

This year marks the 50th anniversary of poet Sylvia Plath’s death by suicide, the singular lens through which many readers and academics have viewed her life, writing, and marriage. Now, a new generation is re-discovering Plath from a fresh perspective, one not colored by her sad and macabre death.

The Hedonometer: A Mood Ring For Twitter

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:12:34 +0000

A new data collection tool is being heralded as the first “mood ring” of the social media world. The “twittersphere” has become the home for millions and millions of micro-stories - fleeting tales of everyday life broadcast to the masses. Now, researchers at the University of Vermont are looking to extract a social pulse from Twitter’s vast output. Millions of tweets have been processed through UVM’s Hedonometer, which measures collective levels of happiness over space and time. Here to discuss the project - and the newly launched website, is Chris Danforth, associate professor at the University of Vermont’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics and one of the developers behind the Hedonometer.