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Rob Carr

@robcarr

Former runner, former paramedic, former biochemist, former Director of Communications, former instructor, former young person. Still he/him/nerd. Working on a hard but fun SF novel about the science involved in the search for life.

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18.08.2023
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Latest posts by Rob Carr @robcarr

RAt Sarcoma genes. Mutations cause cancer and the system cycle between 3 different genes.

The biggest problem in medicine today is the limited number of 3, 4, or 5 letter acronyms.

When I learned this joke, it was only 3.

03.03.2026 23:07 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Is it too much to hope it's a trap?

03.03.2026 02:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Ich bin ein sechziger, nicht im Kindergarten. Man muß Dinge benutzen um mehr zu lernen.

15.02.2026 12:36 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Dieses Artikel ist schwer für mich auf Deutsch zu lesen. Ich habe ein paar Zeit die Übersetzungfunktion von Android benutzt.

Es macht Sinn. Ich bin "neurodivergent" und es ist schwierig manchmal Freunde zu machen. Ich sehe Dinge von anderseits. Freunde sind fΓΌr mich wertvoll. Danke.

15.02.2026 12:32 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Turn off your electrophoresis machine, Luke!

14.02.2026 04:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It really pays to remind ourselves frequently that this whole immigration "crisis" is made up out of whole cloth. There was no emergency,danger or problem, only a demagogue stirring up racist grievances for political advantage.

07.02.2026 03:38 πŸ‘ 3378 πŸ” 1028 πŸ’¬ 48 πŸ“Œ 33

As Fran was nice enough to highlight this, I thought I'd put up a brief thread. 3 in 10 proteins that our cells make are either embedded in membranes (ion channels, adhesion molecules, etc.) or secreted (insulin, antibodies). They move through the secretory pathway.
1/

06.02.2026 18:39 πŸ‘ 94 πŸ” 41 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 6

The best one was a grad school class on pores, using anything known in any discipline at the time to understand membranes. I took it as a senior.

I probably should not have been allowed to take the classes. I got an A in both.

Amazingly hard. Amazingly interesting.

31.01.2026 05:07 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

You know all those metals that bind weirdly to other things? This is how you attempt to calculate their molecular orbitals. Think heme. Figure out the molecular orbitals unbound and bound to oxygen & CO, and how that affects the orbitals and what color they appear.

Then understand fetal hemoglobin.

31.01.2026 04:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Quantum and Statistical Mechanics

Vertebrate Structure and Development

Special Relativity

Coordination Chemistry

Calculating Electrical Potentials caused by Pores and How Pores Affect Ion and Molecule Flow
(Required Chemistry, Biology, Physiology and Fluid Flow/ChemE. Grad school course)

31.01.2026 04:16 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Gresham family detained by immigration officers while seeking medical care for their 7-year-old The family’s detainment marks the first confirmed detainment of an entire family in Oregon, advocates say.

Article with no paywall

24.01.2026 03:40 πŸ‘ 32 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

You're very good! You are worthy of being supported!

21.01.2026 03:34 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Wow, that is incredible!

21.01.2026 03:33 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

What does Elon Musk think about yelling "Pedophile Protector" at someone? That's just common banter, right?

14.01.2026 06:13 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

In the late '70s, I took 2 Black Studies classes. One topic was treatment of Blacks by the medical community. The Prof pointed out that getting the body to produce fetal hemoglobin could cure sickle cell disease. He then pointed out Blacks would be reluctant to take it because of History.

Bingo 2/2

07.01.2026 01:26 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Interesting thing. It's low oxygen that causes the sickling. During pregnancy. The fetus makes fetal hemoglobin because by the time oxygen gets through the placenta, it's really low. Any fetus with even one copy of the trait would die.

1/2

07.01.2026 01:21 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Oh man.Thats a bummer. Glad you're OK

07.01.2026 01:17 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It's disturbing how many doctors don't know high altitude can cause a sickling crisis. There are other ways to accidentally cause a crisis.

06.01.2026 20:19 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Would it make sense if this administration has decided that there are no illegal orders? In war, anything will go?

I could even make a reasonable argument for that position. Thankfully I believe that argument would be evil.

For them, I don't think that's a show stopper.

05.01.2026 19:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

How many were dead when he wrote the song?

02.01.2026 02:52 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The TV does not correctly display UV light that parrots can see. It was an old style TV with a refresh rate of 60, and the Moluccan can watch the image being painted on the screen. I don't understand how he can recognize himself on TV, but not in a mirror.

30.12.2025 22:52 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We have two larger parrots, a Moluccan and a CAG. Neither reacts to the bird in the mirror as themselves but they react to the other not being seen directly as a way to find the other.

Worth noting: I connected a video camera up to the TV directly. The Moluccan recognized himself on the TV.

30.12.2025 22:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

There can be a variety of different damages to the brain where a human cannot identify themselves in a mirror. They are, with perhaps some exceptions, considered self-aware.

A dog may not understand the concept of "mirror" but still be self-aware. The test is biased.

30.12.2025 22:43 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

GΓΆdel would point out that the system of deciding something is or is not a cancer must have an example where the decision cannot be made by existing principles.

Mind you, a technology where you have to worry about GΓΆdel when treating cancer is fantastic!

30.12.2025 22:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Humans don't pass the dog self-awareness test. When the human's personal odor is presented to the human, the human does not respond. Humans are not dog-like self-aware.

Dogs may understand self-awareness but not understand or have the concept of "mirror."

I wonder what Oliver Sacks would say?

30.12.2025 22:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I fled Twitter (mostly) but didn't know you there. I'll get to know you here.

You're proudly autistic.
I'm confused, autistic, ADHD, and wonder how no one noticed until I'm on Medicare?

I don't cause commotion. I am one.

30.12.2025 16:07 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

My wife pointed out that no one gets Monty Python, Dark Star, or Soylent Green jokes because no one has seen them.

I'm old, aren't I?

I missed it by that much! [ ]

30.12.2025 15:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

"...but it's not a chuckling app."

How can one talk about Biochem without a) commenting on gene and organism name jokes b) making a Monty Python reference c) expanding something that converges rapidly into a Taylor Swift series or d) going for old chemistry jokes like Wizard of Os or Ferrous Wheel?

30.12.2025 15:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I've read posts by students who graduated from Oral Roberts University and Liberty University who said she would have been flunked for that paper at their schools.

30.12.2025 15:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Study of collecting Helium 3 from the lunar surface:

Moonraker

27.12.2025 08:33 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0