Last week, an energetic crowd of roughly 300 gathered for the Big Data in Biomedicine Conference at Stanford to hear from more than 40 speakers about …
Month: May 2013
Social media advice from a physician-blogger
For those physicians thinking of dipping their tools in the blogging waters, these "top-ten nuggets of wisdom on social media" from Kentucky cardiologist-blogger John Mandrola, …
Director of Stanford Autism Center responds to your questions on research and treatment
On Saturday, the Stanford Autism Center at Packard Children’s Hospital will host its sixth annual Autism Spectrum Disorders Update. During the day-long symposium, parents and caregivers …
An in-depth look at the career of Stanford’s Karl Deisseroth, "a major name in science"
Last month, Stanford's Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, and colleagues in his lab sparked excitement among the scientific community and general public after announcing their development …
The brain makes its own Valium: Built-in seizure brake?
Why does ingesting a certain substance change our perceptions, our thought patterns, or our moods? The very fact that a drug has a mind-altering effect …
Students design special stethoscope for use in space, noisy places
A group of mechanical engineering students at Johns Hopkins University have developed a stethoscope that can be used inside a noisy spacecraft, making it easier …
What journalists look for when seeking outside comment from scientists
Working in a news office for a major university, I spend a fair amount of time fielding calls from journalists seeking "independent comment" on new …
Man's story shows how cancer screenings saves lives
Summer is almost here, and we've all heard how important it is to wear hats and sunscreen to protect our skin from the sun's harmful …
Examining how stress affects good and bad habits
New research shows that while stress can cause us to relapse into bad habits, such as eating junk food or forgoing the gym, it can …
Big laughs at Stanford's Big Data in Biomedicine Conference
Last week's high-powered Big Data in Biomedicine Conference, held on Stanford's campus, featured more than 40 speakers and several hundred participants grappling with the massive challenges …
Stanford offers free "Statistics in Medicine" course, starting June 11
Does eating red meat increase your risk of being in a traffic accident? Should you be worried about lead in lipstick? These and other provocative …
Researchers pinpoint genetic suspects in ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a horrible neurodegenerative disease that gradually robs patients of the ability to move and even breathe. Scientists have been …
How important is it to publish negative results?
Over on Communication Breakdown today, Matt Shipman - in the first in a series of entries on the topic - explores negative results and the challenges of …
Suspending Three Fold: Time-lapse video of a sculpture's installation
Over two long weeks in January, sculptor Alyson Shotz and team installed Three Fold, her new sculpture in Stanford Medicine's Li Ka Shing Center for …
Happy Memorial Day
We're off today in honor of Memorial Day. Scope will resume publication tomorrow. Photo by mrsdkrebs
Image of the Week: The Experimental Man at Big Data in Biomedicine
At this week's Big Data in Biomedicine conference, David Ewing Duncan, author of Experimental Man, delivered a keynote speech titled "You as Data: Can Big …