Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Wed, Nov 26 2003
Batten Down The Hatches
There used to be a cosmetic myth that washing our faces with warm water would "open" our skin pores and ending with a cold water rinse would "close" them. Later I learned this belonged in the same class of bunk that claimed you would die if you got shingles on both sides of your body and the two outbreaks met in the middle. Our skin is the largest, most vulnerable organ of the human body, protecting our internal system from the outside ravages of the world. And though we can't open and close our pores like submarine hatches, skin pores (along with our respiratory system) are the first stop for atmospheric changes and environmental hazards that could harm the body as a whole. Wouldn't it be great if we really could use a skin pore to monitor anything that approaches and attempts to penetrate the skin? Enter the Nanopore. Research using this type of technology has already taken several paths, including one toward the study of DNA.
It seems to me that the problem remains that once an unwelcome intruder can be detected by these savvy nanopores, evils such as biochemical weapons are still present. The pore has not shut them out. I wonder if anyone is working on that solution.
posted at: 08:42 | category: /Science | link to this entry
There used to be a cosmetic myth that washing our faces with warm water would "open" our skin pores and ending with a cold water rinse would "close" them. Later I learned this belonged in the same class of bunk that claimed you would die if you got shingles on both sides of your body and the two outbreaks met in the middle. Our skin is the largest, most vulnerable organ of the human body, protecting our internal system from the outside ravages of the world. And though we can't open and close our pores like submarine hatches, skin pores (along with our respiratory system) are the first stop for atmospheric changes and environmental hazards that could harm the body as a whole. Wouldn't it be great if we really could use a skin pore to monitor anything that approaches and attempts to penetrate the skin? Enter the Nanopore. Research using this type of technology has already taken several paths, including one toward the study of DNA.
It seems to me that the problem remains that once an unwelcome intruder can be detected by these savvy nanopores, evils such as biochemical weapons are still present. The pore has not shut them out. I wonder if anyone is working on that solution.
posted at: 08:42 | category: /Science | link to this entry
