Hello, my name is Jessica. Who am I? I am a mother of 2 young boys, under 5, but this isn’t about them. I’m just a proud mother. I’ll be 30 this year, and, unfortunately, on top of all that I have brain cancer. A grade IV glioblastoma to be exact. What were my symptoms?…
Category: Need to Know Science
Cancer Factsheet: Glioblastoma and the Need for Targeted Cancer Therapies
What is Glioblastoma? Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of brain tumour. It is an extremely fast-growing cancer which has no known cure. Glioblastomas are named for the cells they form in; glial cells. Though the brain is best known for having billions of neurons, 90% of brain matter is made from glial…
Trump Is Banning Science Communication
We all knew that when Trump eventually rose to office it would be a bit rocky. I cannot say with any certainty, however, that we predicted quite how insane things would become. At the time of writing, Trump has been inaugurated for 5 days. In that time he has: Withdrawn the USA from the Trans…
Guest Post: A Superfast Look at Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (now called Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder in the UK) can be regarded by some professionals with trepidation. BPD has many traits and can affect individuals in many different ways; this is in part due to the DSM IV TR requiring an individual to meet 5 out of a possible 9 criteria to…
Brain-Machine-Interface Restores Sensation & Voluntary Movement in Paraplegic Volunteers
During the opening ceremony of the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil, Juliano Pinto stepped onto the field of the Corinthians Arena. The man was about to make history. Flanked by two opposing teams, Mr Pinto stepped up to take the opening kick-off of the tournament. His left foot struck out to meet the ball and he raised…
Remarkable Study Shows Immune System’s Effect On Social Interactions
Researchers from the University of Virginia’s Centre for Brain Immunology and Glia have made a remarkable discovery; the immune system has a direct and measurable impact on our social interactions. For decades scientists have believed that the brain is “immune privileged”, meaning that there is no direct connection from the brain to the immune system. In…
Gingernut's Science Dunk 