I'm actually happier messing about with DNA in labs than with field trials of GM. New work on identifying cancer cells and thus being able to target them without blasting healthy ones and so on is producing results and will lead to practical improvements. We are a long way from safety in these areas as recent clinical trial disasters have shown. My key interest is in how we are beginning to understand these extremely small, super fast, cascading processes, almost to the point of being able to see them.
On 8 Jan, 15:50, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > Where lies the problem in simply wishing for a more healthy life, or > even better, a healthier life? > > On 8 Jan., 10:41, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > There is considerable debate in the disability field about medical and > > social models - both are palpably wrong. Practically, the medical > > model being shoved down our throats at the moment is eat better, move > > more - a return to glorious days when we actually died earlier, > > accompanied by closing municipal leisure facilities because we can't > > afford them. I'd probably take Chaz's line on Molly's "medical model" > > - yet I'm sick and tired of not being able to live a more "natural" > > life (science included). > > > On 8 Jan, 03:22, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > OMG - life expectancy amongst the Egyptians! The ones I meet hardly > > > look like they are living very healthy lives. Ride that cow Gabby! > > > > On 7 Jan, 23:01, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > > "Self regulation is a myth. Before modern medicine people would just > > > > bloody die of the most simple thing.: > > > > > This might have been true in England. But there are cultures > > > > throughout the world that proved longevity through diet and natural > > > > medicine. The Egyptians were said to have often lived over a century, > > > > at least those who did not die in servitude or the military. > > > > > On Jan 7, 2:22 pm, chazwin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > This seems to me to be the typical anti-science model that is > > > > > pervading our "alternative" consciousness. It is unfortunate and > > > > > dangerous as most proponents choose to ignore the massive advances > > > > > that have been made and would throw the baby out with the bath-water. > > > > > This has led to an increase in some diseases that were sorted because > > > > > people have been failing to participate in inoculation programmes. > > > > > > On Jan 7, 2:39 pm, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > I think this is just a longer extension of the old, broken medical > > > > > > model - we have to "do" something (take something, manipulate > > > > > > something, remove something, add a device to the body) every time we > > > > > > are uncomfortable with the way it is performing. The body heals > > > > > > itself naturally and often has what is sometimes referred to as > > > > > > "healing crisis" which can appear to be "illness" but is, instead, > > > > > > the > > > > > > natural function of the bodies adaptation and change function. By > > > > > > traumatizing the body with a medical interruption to this process > > > > > > instead of allowing the body its natural healing cycles, we delay or > > > > > > destroy the healing. I am not talking about mending a broken bone > > > > > > or > > > > > > life saving measures (although some of what is considered life > > > > > > saving > > > > > > I find questionable.) Take the bacterial strep pneumonia, a > > > > > > bacteria > > > > > > found everywhere that lives dormant in everyone. Occasionally, and > > > > > > we > > > > > > don't know why, it takes over the body and in a very short time can > > > > > > be > > > > > > fatal. Yet we live peacefully with it in most cases. > > > > > > > I don't think we understand enough about the true nature of illness > > > > > > to > > > > > > start changing our DNA to stop it. Our current model of illness > > > > > > intervention (pharmaceuticals and surgeries) has prolonged life but > > > > > > the quality of that life is questionable and it is highly doubtful > > > > > > that it makes us any healthier overall. In fact, quite the > > > > > > opposite. > > > > > > The healthiest people I know are the ones that take no pills on a > > > > > > daily basis. The unhealthiest are the ones (and there are MANY) > > > > > > that > > > > > > take handfuls each day. > > > > > > You are mistaking cause and effect. Unhealthy people need the pills > > > > > because they are unhealthy. Old people get to a stage when pills are > > > > > what keep them going. When I say old I mean 40+. Life expectancy has > > > > > massively increased with the advent of modern medicine. > > > > > I am now 48. > > > > > I get gout (hereditry), for which I can choose to take allapurinol OR, > > > > > my choice, avoid protien rich food. I have managed to avoid the drug > > > > > by taking care of my diet. But however careful I am the number of > > > > > attacks is getting more frequent. > > > > > I also have a gall stone. To avoid liver pain I have to keep my fat > > > > > intake to a minimum. This I do with some success. > > > > > I also have acid reflux. This is caused by a diet with too much > > > > > carbohydrate. > > > > > I think you can see where this is going. > > > > > I can't survive on boiled cabbage and lettuce. So I treat the acid > > > > > with Lansoprazole and seem to be doing okay. > > > > > Getting cancer fucked up this carefully conceived and balanced > > > > > strategy. > > > > > > Currently, our medical model catches people > > > > > > > as soon as they begin to use the system - antibiotics to treat > > > > > > colds, > > > > > > if the lungs are wheezing, prescribe an inhaler, > > > > > > As there is no other alternative to Asthma, I think the inhaler route > > > > > is great. I have one at hand at all times. > > > > > > a mild heart > > > > > > > palpitation, heart medication, anxiety, anti anxiety pills... on > > > > > > and > > > > > > on until the body is completely out of balance and not able to self > > > > > > regulate. > > > > > > Self regulation is a myth. Before modern medicine people would just > > > > > bloody die of the most simple thing. Evolution has not equipped us > > > > > well enough. In a natural environment child mortality is massive, and > > > > > longevity is much shorter. > > > > > In H/g societies during the Palaeolithic life expectancy was around 40 > > > > > years. > > > > > > > Our DNA has a natural evolution of change that allows our conscious > > > > > > evolution. Because we have the science to manipulate it doesn't > > > > > > mean > > > > > > it is always beneficial for us to do so. > > > > > > But it is mostly. > > > > > > > On Jan 6, 11:36 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > We've known for a long time that our antibody-forming system > > > > > > > adapts > > > > > > > itself to every microbe we encounter. What we didn't understand > > > > > > > fully > > > > > > > is exactly how this happens. Now that we know, we can begin to > > > > > > > find > > > > > > > ways to manipulate this process so illnesses can be prevented or > > > > > > > made > > > > > > > significantly less dangerous. > > > > > > > > When the body encounters a foreign invader, like a virus or > > > > > > > bacterium, > > > > > > > it immediately begins to find a way to neutralize it by means of > > > > > > > cellular or antibody-mediated defenses. Part of the process > > > > > > > involves > > > > > > > tailoring the genes that code for antibodies to specific viruses > > > > > > > or > > > > > > > bacteria. Researchers have known that this involves two types of > > > > > > > genetic manipulation. One type changes a single gene at a time, > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > the other type changes multiple genes at the same time. Multiple > > > > > > > genes can be modified simultaneously to make the "evolutionary > > > > > > > leap" > > > > > > > necessary to stave off infection. You treat DNA responsible for > > > > > > > making > > > > > > > antibody molecules with an enzyme, called activation-induced > > > > > > > deaminase, while the DNA copies RNA polymerase. Like a scanner, > > > > > > > RNA > > > > > > > polymerase moves across the DNA to copy it. When this scanning > > > > > > > process > > > > > > > moves smoothly, there were either single mutations or no > > > > > > > mutations. > > > > > > > We can now stall the RNA polymerase (under certain conditions) as > > > > > > > it > > > > > > > "scans", causing cluster mutations in the DNA, adapting our > > > > > > > antibodies for a rapid and effective response to a new microbial > > > > > > > invader. Germs are mutating all over the place - we can now > > > > > > > "plan" > > > > > > > mutations of our own to save us as global warming makes infectious > > > > > > > diseases one the biggest threats to human survival. Personally, I > > > > > > > would rather leap into a new form of existence much more sensible > > > > > > > than > > > > > > > the human one, No work seems to being done on this. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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