Touchpoint 1
Genome Doubling in Cancer Cells Involves Cell Division Glitch
What is it?
For normal cell division, the genome creates a copy and DNA is divided to make a new cell. A normal cell has 46 chromosomes. But a cancer cell can have 92. This causes the cells to replicate out of control and start to make tumors. Scientists wonder if this doubling of chromosomes can be stopped.
Potential message to students:
A lot of cancer research focuses on treatment. But what if the real answer is to stop cancer before it can even start growing? Would a drug company be incented to stop cancer or are they motivated to sell more drugs to cancer patients? Is this why research at universities is so important?
Touchpoint 2
Umbilical Cord Milking Poses No Neurodevelopmental Risks
What is it?
When a baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut. But some doctors may squeeze the cord contents into the baby before cutting it. Doctors may even consider delaying the clamping if the baby is not breathing right or has a low heart rate.
Potential message to students:
Does this seem obvious to you? Get as much of the mother’s nutrients into the baby as possible before cutting the cord. Do you think this could save more babies, especially in poorer countries with limited access to medicine?
Touchpoint 3
Social media isn’t ruining kids’ social skills, surprising study debunks myth
What is it?
A new study of 800 youth reveals that those using social media spend more time with friends offline. These researchers don’t believe that social media usage inhibits the development of social skills.
Potential message to students:
The study was conducted by a university in Norway. Do you think this biases the results? Do you think social media usage in Norway is different than social media usage in the States? Do you think all studies should be global? Or do you like local studies as long as they are clear about the origins of the study subjects?