Episode #1050
News Items
- Older Americans Using AI
- Semi-Solid State EV
- Ad Hominem Attacks Online
- Non-Surgical LASIK
- Now 3I-Atlas is Glowing
Quickie with Steve
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13461
Questions and Emails
Hi Steve and team, I’m probably not the only one to point out that there are many elemental drugs apart from Li. While many indications are for replacement in physiological deficiency, for example Fe2/3+, these have pharmacodynamic properties used to treat a distinct disorder: Mg2+ in eclampsia, cardiac rhythm disturbances such as VT/“Tousades de Pointe”, hypertension, asthma. Ca2+ in haemorrhage and massive transfusion (granted that it is counteracting the citrate effect from RBC infusion), hyperkalaemia and hypercalcaemia. Pt in chemotherapy. Arsenic is also used in chemo. Au in rheumatoid arthritis, granted is now rarely used. Ph in bowel prep for colonoscopy. Ag in burns as antimicrobial, and as cautery agent. Iodine in thyroid disease, for radioactive ablation or protection in radiation exposure. Others that are mainly used for their properties as a salt: Na, K, Se, Bi, Sb, Zn. Hope this provides some additional information for listeners. I use many in my work as an anaesthetist (anaesthesiologist in your parlance). Kind Regards Simon.
Science or Fiction
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Item #1
Fiction
Astrophysicists have published exact solutions to Einstein’s gravity relativity equations that allow for pre-Big Bang cosmology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41114-025-00058-z
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Item #2
Science
Scientists observe a unique supernova that observationally confirms, for the first time, the layers of different elements that make up the deep internal structure of massive stars. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09375-3
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Item #3
Science
Researchers have created a protein qubit that can function inside biological systems and potentially be used for imaging inside living cells. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09417-w
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
‘The human understanding is unquiet; it cannot stop or rest, and still presses onward, but in vain. Therefore it is that we cannot conceive of any end or limit to the world, but always as of necessity it occurs to us that there is something beyond.’ Francis Bacon