Mice in the labs

Chip Hawkins, a lab technician in the Transgenic Mouse Facility at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, helps breed genetically altered mice like the one in his hand.

Chip Hawkins, a lab technician in the Transgenic Mouse Facility at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, helps breed genetically altered mice like the one in his hand. The mouse serves as a stunt double for humans when it comes to testing therapies. Mice have been popular research animals for more than a century. But the number of mice in labs has exploded over the past five years, as scientists recording the human and mouse genetic codes have discovered that the creatures share all but about 300 of their 30,000 genes. Statistics are hard to come by, but the Alternatives Research and Development Foundation of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, estimates there are 90 million mice in labs around the world.

The uncanny similarity between mice and men, and the relative ease with which they can be cloned and genetically altered, help make the mouse the lab animal of choice for studying lupus, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and cancers of all kinds. Mice are also increasingly being used to study how genes control normal body functions.

(LAT-WP)

Radars are for funAfter decades of stealth, radar is being embraced by Americans. There is, of course, the hi-tech speeders’ friend, the radar detector. But one needn’t be of vehicle licensing age to enjoy the Mattel ESS Hot Wheels radar gun, a toy that gives 7-year-olds the ability to measure the ‘‘speed’’ of their Hot Wheels cars; or the Beltronics Swing Mate, aimed at the duffer who’s intent on knowing how far his or her ball travelled, without actually hitting a ball. Let us not forget the Sport 3600 Baseball Radar Gun: Throw it a curve, and it won’t be fooled.

Story continues below this ad

But when ‘‘radar’’ is mentioned, the word is usually paired with ‘‘detector,’’ a device designed for people who play another kind of hardball. Face it, we love to drive fast, especially when we think no authority figure is looking. Often, though, somebody is, using a radar or laser gun to catch speedy offenders.

The radar gun is a fairly simple device, but its accuracy is variable. The gun finds an object, sends out radio waves and reads the ‘‘echoes,’’ or bounce. The shape of the echo determines the speed of the object. But because the radar signal is wide, mistakes can be made. Signals also can ricochet off inanimate objects, such as street signs and guardrails, further confusing the reading. Most police use light detection and ranging technology, called LIDAR, which uses a pulsating beam that hits the target and then returns. By measuring the change in distance and factoring in time, speed can be calculated. The unit must be held steady and can’t be used while in motion. Misaiming just a tad can result in error, and murky weather can affect the calculations.

(LAT-WP)

‘NDA’s cracks visible, Nitish Kumar a burden’: Kharge hits out at BJP in Patna

Cities2 hr ago

Congress President Kharge slammed the BJP-led NDA government in Bihar for causing internal conflicts and religious division. He predicted the 2025 Assembly elections will end the Modi government's corrupt rule. The party strategized to attack the BJP over "vote chori" and criticized the Election Commission's handling of electoral rolls. Kharge also accused PM Modi of being diplomatic.

View all shorts

Live Blog