What Sarah Palin doesn’t know about fruit flies…

I’d like to start by saying that I have no intentions of getting political here, but there are times when politics and science intersect. And every once in a while, one of them will hit close to home. And this is one of those times. Lucy K. and I had already been planning to write an entry about model organisms at some point, when the following video clip surfaced online, sparking some anger from the scientific community.

Now, I don’t know about the reference to Paris, France, but I can tell you for sure that fruit fly research is a whole lot more important than Sarah Palin seems to realize. Why? Because fruit fly research isn’t about fruit flies. It’s about human disease and development. And though a lot of scientists understand why, it’s important that the public understands too, so that misconceptions like this don’t get propagated.

So want to know more about how scientists can use insignificant seeming organisms like fruit flies to study important questions about neuroscience, disease, genetics and more?

Read on…

Spotlight on research: What’s going on in those labs, anyway?

So some of you might be wondering what it’s like to work in a lab. Of course, some of you might think you know, since you watch CSI and all. Well, I’m here to tell you that working in a lab is just like CSI, except without the magical montages that allow them to do procedures that take a week in less than 30 seconds. And also without all the romantic drama. Oh, and also without those fancy glass projecto-monitors on all the walls. And, of course, without that part where your co-workers get kidnapped and/or shot every couple of months. So in summary, pretty much not at all.

Alright, what about those movies where they make crazy mutant creatures that take over the world… is it like that?