Prions are misfolded proteins with the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. They characterize several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in humans and many other animals.[3] It is not known what causes the normal protein to misfold, but the abnormal three-dimensional structure is suspected of conferring infectious properties, collapsing nearby protein molecules into the same shape. The word prion derives from “proteinaceous infectious particle”.[4][5][6] The hypothesized role of a protein as an infectious agent stands in contrast to all other known infectious agents such as viroids, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, all of which contain nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, or both).
Remember Mad Cow Disease, from cows being fed cows?
We can look forward to “Mad Humans Disease”.
And there is currently no shortage of very mad humans.
I’ve been noticing ads for the upcoming Foundation movie. I read the original Trilogy back when I was in high school and thought it was great. But that was more than 50 years ago. Until checking Wikipedia lately, I did not realize that Asimov had added several additional books to the series.
My question: Has anybody read the books more recently? How well did they read against the passage of time? I’m curious about the movie and am thinking about rereading the first three and then continuing into the others. But I am worried about their seeming quite dated. And that would not reward a HUGE investment in time, that I could definitely use for other pursuits.
@phendrick It’s been years since I’ve read them as well, but I do remember thinking that Foundation was one of the very few stories that forecast anything like PDAs/smart phones.
@blaineg I actually don’t remember any of that from my reading of Foundation that long ago. (Maybe the idea just didn’t gel with me then.) Main technology I recall from that universe was miniaturized nuclear reactors built into virtually anything needing portable power (much like Li batteries nowadays) and being the primary product of the traders. Maybe that’s an idea to get back to!
I’ve always blamed Star Trek for the popular fascination with (/servitude to) smart phones (and PDAs to a lesser extent).
[Beam down some recharge power for my communicator, Scotty.]
@phendrick For what it’s worth, The Lensmen series is very dated, but still a lot of fun to read. And obviously a primary source for a lot of stuff that came after it.
And still unequaled in some ways. Planet killing weapons? Pffft! We use planets AS weapons!
Yup, that is about right
@tinamarie1974 @blaineg
/giphy Nom nom
@blaineg @f00l aawwww they are so cute!!!
@blaineg @f00l @tinamarie1974 So cute!! LOVE huskies
@blaineg @f00l @PooltoyWolf @tinamarie1974
@blaineg @chienfou @f00l @tinamarie1974 Hahaha!!
Neck scarves and little caps for men? Yes!
there is this…
https://soylent.com/
@earlyre Is people.
@bmf @earlyre Only the green. The red and yellow are made from different ingredients.
@earlyre Holy crap. I wonder if they’ve noticed they can’t sell that to people of a certain age, and are scratching there heads wondering why.
@earlyre @GrandmaLyn They named it deliberately to get attention. I think it worked.
Probably more than you ever wanted to know, in 6 glorious installments:
https://arstechnica.com/series/ars-does-soylent/
Wait, wait! You mean the New Green is ?!
@mehcuda67 Is people.
One nutrition source
Everything the body needs
Dangerous game though
I’m holding out for the new apple-cinnamon flavor!
sorry, all flavors will be pumpkin spice.
Mission accomplished, America.
/giphy apocalypse
Man, I can’t wait to start eatin people
@spitfire6006006
you’ll make someone very happy…
@spitfire6006006 Well there are good reasons why some species eat their young. You could start with yours.
For a really frightening Movie Night, a double-header of Soylent Green and They Live would hit way too close to home. You might not sleep for a month.
@werehatrack
Put on these glasses
I’m not putting on those things
Best movie fight scene
@replicacobra @werehatrack
It just goes on and
On and on and on and on
And on and on and…
@replicacobra @werehatrack
All that ass kicking
Endless stubborn resistance
Then become awake
/giphy prion fest
@f00l
Prion Diseases | CDC
Remember Mad Cow Disease, from cows being fed cows?
We can look forward to “Mad Humans Disease”.
And there is currently no shortage of very mad humans.
/giphy Mad humans
@f00l
That would be Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, the human version of Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy.
@f00l @yakkoTDI
I may be human
You could even say I’m mad
But I’m not angry
@f00l @yakkoTDI @replicacobra
That could help explain
Much of recent behavior
Check those food labels!
@f00l @yakkoTDI
a.k.a. kuru.
A little off subject, but not completely:
I’ve been noticing ads for the upcoming Foundation movie. I read the original Trilogy back when I was in high school and thought it was great. But that was more than 50 years ago. Until checking Wikipedia lately, I did not realize that Asimov had added several additional books to the series.
My question: Has anybody read the books more recently? How well did they read against the passage of time? I’m curious about the movie and am thinking about rereading the first three and then continuing into the others. But I am worried about their seeming quite dated. And that would not reward a HUGE investment in time, that I could definitely use for other pursuits.
Any thoughts?
@phendrick It’s been years since I’ve read them as well, but I do remember thinking that Foundation was one of the very few stories that forecast anything like PDAs/smart phones.
@blaineg @phendrick
I/We/Gaia say
Later quality is fine
Asimov is deeeeeeeeead
@blaineg I actually don’t remember any of that from my reading of Foundation that long ago. (Maybe the idea just didn’t gel with me then.) Main technology I recall from that universe was miniaturized nuclear reactors built into virtually anything needing portable power (much like Li batteries nowadays) and being the primary product of the traders. Maybe that’s an idea to get back to!
I’ve always blamed Star Trek for the popular fascination with (/servitude to) smart phones (and PDAs to a lesser extent).
[Beam down some recharge power for my communicator, Scotty.]
@phendrick Here’s a reference. It’s called a “calculator pad” so maybe I overstated it, but it does sound like more than a calculator.
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=27
@phendrick For what it’s worth, The Lensmen series is very dated, but still a lot of fun to read. And obviously a primary source for a lot of stuff that came after it.
And still unequaled in some ways. Planet killing weapons? Pffft! We use planets AS weapons!
@blaineg Thanks for the link. Interesting site, that I had never before encountered.
@phendrick A good review for Foundation:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/09/review-more-remix-than-adaptation-foundation-is-top-notch-storytelling/
@blaineg Thx
I be no Scowler, but they be suffrin’ summat wi’ the years.
Still available on eBay
