Since tomorrow is World Thyroid Day and the Empire Strikes Back celebrates its 30-year anniversary this year, we figured we ought to point out the striking similarities between the Storm IV Twin-Pod spaceship from Cloud City and the human thyroid. {Thyroid diagram by illustrator Carlyn Iverson}
Archive for May, 2010
Long Lost Twins?
Posted: Monday, May 24th, 2010Take a Trip Inside
Posted: Friday, May 21st, 2010
The human body never fails to amaze. I was watching Inside the Living Body last night, which takes viewers through the entire life cycle of a person, from birth and childhood, through puberty and old age. If you haven’t seen this 2007 National Geographic special, go rent it, it’s pretty darned cool. There’s some great nasty footage of poop traveling through the intestines thanks to tiny little cameras!
Be Nice To Your Body
Posted: Friday, May 21st, 2010
Heart all of the upbeat Jeremyville Community Announcements, but especially these three. These are “Imaginary posters from the streets of Jeremyville, to help us daily to be more alive, more real, and hopefully better people.” I wanna hug those organs, too! {via NotCot}
Mind Your Guts
Posted: Friday, May 21st, 2010
We most often think of serotonin as being a mood-altering chemical that works the nerves in our brain to make us happy or sad, but did you know that most of the body’s serotonin is actually produced in the gut, where it works to regulate your bowels? “Such a copious amount of serotonin is released into the gut every day, in fact, that it would be lethal if the excess were not disposed of by certain cells in the gut lining that contain serotonin transporters,” says an article on Psychiatric News, which describes this interesting brain-gut connection. While you’ve still got serotonin on the brain, check out this gorgeous serotonin molecule necklace by Made With Molecules.
Lungs and Heart
Posted: Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Not only did Florence & The Machine name their most recent album “Lungs,” they also found their way into our hearts with this awesome new version of their song “You’ve Got the Love,” remixed by The xx. Do yourself a favor and download it.
Glucose Robot
Posted: Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Could a robotic pancreas someday regulate blood sugar levels for diabetes patients? Perhaps. This gadget measures blood sugar levels and delivers insulin so you don’t have to, however, don’t expect to see it on store shelves anytime soon, the manufacturers have a lot of hoops to jump through before this thing is perfected and approved. {via Ubergizmo}
The Dog Ate It
Posted: Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Dogs eat the darndest things, and here’s photographic proof — x-rays of stuff dogs ate, including rocks, coins and serrated knives. While there’s no pics of schoolwork inside any of these pups, these photos gives a little more heft to the ol’ “dog ate my homework” excuse. {via New York Daily News}
Biological Legos
Posted: Friday, May 14th, 2010
Scientists haven’t improved much on biology when it comes to rebuilding human organs, but a new technology that allows a new way to create and assemble artificial tissues may change that soon. Tissue engineers at MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology found a way to gather cells together like bricks that bind into larger structures like tissues and organs. Cool! {via Science Daily}
Horrible Haggis
Posted: Thursday, May 13th, 2010
You’ve gotta be Scottish to love haggis, a gutsy mixture of a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs that is cooked inside the animal’s stomach. Apparently one in five British folks think haggis is an actual animal (maybe because of Haggis hunting season), so Boing Boing asked its readers what this mythical haggis creature looks like. The resulting haggis beasts will astound and disturb you.
Heart of the City
Posted: Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Fabulous anatomical retake on the New York Subway map, featuring “ventricles, atriums, aortic and pulmonic connections” now on a t-shirt over at Threadless. Love it! {Thanks, Russ!}
