SCICURIOUS RETURNS!!!!

Sci has officially returned from vacation! I wish I could say I was glad to be back…but…well…I mean, I did miss you all, but Sci has spent the last few days recovering from her vacation, and some of it was spent feeling like this (I love hungover owls, they satisfy almost all of my humor […]

Read more
Back to Basics 5: WEIRD SCIENCE EDITION: THE LADIES

This one is for the ladies: And today I present you with the man himself: Ernst Grafenberg, discoverer of the G spot, and, only slightly less well-known as the inventor of ‘the ring’ and its potential use in contraception. It’s weird, historical science time. Grafenberg, E. “The role of urethra in female orgasm”. The International […]

Read more
Back to Basics 5: WEIRD SCIENCE EDITION!

Yup, you knew it! Let’s go back to basics. Let’s talk about ERECTIONS. Deng et al. “Real-time three-dimensional ultrasound visualization of erection and artificial coitus” International Journal of Andrology, 2006. I would have loved to see the advertisements for this study: “Men needed between ages 18-65 for study of erection and coitus. Must have no […]

Read more
Back to Basics day 4: RITALIN

It seems, from the time I first heard about it, there’s been an eternal flare-up about Ritalin, and its similar counterparts, including things like Concerta and Tranquillyn. Issues with who should get it, who HAS attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whether or not ADHD is is even a real diagnosis. Issues about whether people who DON’T have […]

Read more
Back to Basics day 4: COCAINE!

On request from several people, I am here reposting my post that I wrote on cocaine way when I was but a little blogging larvae. I think now I have passed the pupa (SB move!) and Chrysallis stage (the dissertation, and have emerged as a lovely blogging butterfly. My color scheme is lovely, I assure […]

Read more
Back to Basics 4: Dopamine!

Well, yesterday was depressing. Heh. Anyway, welcome to day 4 of Back to Basics week! Today, we’re going to look at DOPAMINE and the lovely things we study which involve it. You know, stuff like cocaine. Fun stuff. It’s almost Friday! As you might be able to tell from many of my older and newer […]

Read more
Back to Basics 3: Depression post 6!

This is post 5 in my ongoing, now-approaching-behemoth-size series of posts on depression. I’ve got other posts available on the etiology of depression, the current pharmacotherapies, studying depression in the lab, and the serotonin theory of depression, which of course you can read and refer to if you’re curious. This post will be on what […]

Read more
Back to Basics 3: Depression post 5, The Serotonin Theory of Depression

…and why it’s probably wrong. Ok, the serotonin theory of depression may not be wrong. But it is definitely incomplete. One might ask why we use serotonergic drugs to treat depression if the theory behind it is wrong. A good question, but to this I say: because it worked.   This is post four of […]

Read more
Back to Basics 3: Depression post 4, the SEROTONIN SYSTEM

Yeah, today’s a big day, there’s a LOT I’ve written on depression, but do not fret, we will get through it all!!! You can’t get through a whole day on depression without talking about some serotonin a little! Hang on to your hats: Serotonin   Oh yeah, she went there. Photo courtesy of The Loom […]

Read more