The Science Word 08_12_18
January 15th, 2009
Dr. Kiki briefly runs through a few of the more interesting recent science news stories to hit the presses. Distributed by Tubemogul.
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your so smart, if i could be half as smart as you i would be thrilled
you rock
Great job Kirsten. That was a much better science information clip than most of what I see on TV.
The Science Word just keeps getting better. I look forward to the next segment.
We have an enzyme called superoxide-dismutase that is the natural defense against free-radicals and reactive oxygen molecules. Maybe we need more of that one to help agains aging! Great show as always. Congratz! 🙂
I love this series … and you make learning science fun! If this doesn’t make more kids become more interested in science, I don’t know what will.
You get this all the time I’m sure….but…there is something WONDERFUL about a beautiful and VERY SMART woman. Thank you for your explanations….They are great. I could listen to you until my heart failed. 🙂 Have a wonderful life.
And I was SURE my life would be extended by consuming 1 lb of dark chocolate per day!
In any case, if oxidation causes disease, I find it hard to believe there’s much that can stop this, given that we are surrounded by and filled with the stuff (oxygen, that is).
Hi, Kirsten,
I’ve been listening to TWIS for about 6 months now, and just found this site through the Skeptiblog. You’re probably sick of hearing this, but you rock! The way you make science accessible is fantastic. Thanks for all of your efforts to help clear away the fog of ignorance that has settled over this country in the last 8 years.
Very sincerely,
Rick T.
Tampa, FL
Awesome. Thank you. Love the out takes. Adds personality.
I heart Dr. Kiki.
what a good looking doctor….
Dr. Sanford,
You just reminded us that cramming IS a method that lets us poor students remember information long enough for our tests. I’m soooo going to reference you from now on. Few things bug me more when people say cramming doesn’t work (when it clearly can).
What about the impact of Telomere theory? What happens societally if we discover how to stop aging? What if people could be 500 years old or more? Would my parents actually get on Facebook by then?
These and other questions should be answered in the next episode. 😉
Dr. Kiki,
I have a few concerns regarding your comments on antioxidants.
1) The paper you cite (Genes Dev. 2008 Dec 1;22(23):3236-41) illustrates that the manipulation of superoxide-dismutase (SOD) does not alter lifespan. You conclude that this rains on the antioxidant–anti-aging parade, implying that consumption of antioxidants is now less important. I think you may be taking it a bit too far. The authors conclude only that SOD “is not a major determinant of aging in C. elegans”, nothing more. That’s a wise interpretation of their data b/c the complexity of biology may provide other process to protect against oxidative stress in those mutant worms…processes in which anti-oxidant nutrients may be involved.
2) Anti-oxidants HAVE been shown to extend worm lifespans. In the most recent article on the subject (Free Radic Biol Med. 2009 Feb 1;46(3):414-21. Epub 2008 Nov 5.) the authors show “Under oxidative stress, EGCG could improve the mean longevity of C. elegans by 172.9%”, and that “significant longevity-extending effects of EGCG on C. elegans could be attributed to its in vitro and in vivo free radical-scavenging effects and its up-regulating effects on stress-resistance-related proteins, including superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3) and heat shock protein-16.2 (HSP-16.2)”
3) The article in #2 implicates the role of superoxide-dismutase in longevity, but lets consider that this enzyme is NOT important. The importance of “antioxidants” is still not diminished as implied. The food-derived polyphenols (often called antioxidants) play important roles in a variety of physiological contexts. Using EGCG as an example again, it is involved in modulating the activity of important neuronal kinases (Biochemistry. 2006 Oct 3;45(39):12011-9), in this case, alleviating the learning deficits of Down syndrome.
In summary, the paper you cite does not diminish the importance of “antioxidant” nutrients, and I hope your viewers continue to maintain a healthy diet as you mentioned.
-Thor
p.s. I enjoy this site and TWIG, keep up the good work!
EDIT: I meant TWIS. woops!
prrrrrrrrrrrr… brains + beauty