Connection Between Epigenome, Selective Mutability, Evolution, and Human Disease
Li, Harris et al., PLoS Genetics
Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and elsewhere propose a "connection between the epigenome, selective mutability, evolution, and human disease" based on the findings of their study on associations of structural mutability with germline DNA methylation and with non-allelic homologous recombination mediated by low-copy repeats. "Combined evidence from four human sperm methylome maps, human genome evolution, structural polymorphisms in the human population, and previous genomic and disease studies consistently points to a strong association of germline hypomethylation and genomic instability," the Baylor-led team writes.
Speak Up
Many academics who don't have tenure can tend to be "cowards," says NeuroDojo's Zen Faulkes. These academics keep their heads down and do their work until they do get the job security that tenure affords. But once you do get tenure, Faulkes asks, "do you make waves? ... Have you used your tenure lately? Have you taken an unpopular position? Took the lead on a cause to make something better?" There are many people who would just as soon get rid of the tenure system, he adds, and if you are an academic who thinks tenure is important to protect researchers against the threat of being fired for doing something new and unexpected, then it's time to start doing new and unexpected things. "Use it or lose it, as the saying goes," Faulkes says. Commenter KBHC agrees, saying, "without the people who have tenure actually using that protection to do something, those of us without it have little to look up to, or look forward to. Plus, I take a lot of risks that I have been advised against, as someone who doesn't yet have tenure. It would be nice to see my senior colleagues sticking their necks out as least as much as I do!"
How about the WI Republicans
How about the WI Republicans going after the University e-mails of the Univ. Wisconsin History Prof. (Wm. Cronon) who criticized Gov. Walker & WI GOP in a NY Times op-ed? If that doesn't make the argument for tenure, what does?
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/madison_360/article_57b0ad84-5949-...
Watch that story closely. This is a serious matter. Many parts (not all) of the GOP are actively hostile to science and academics in general. This is just one more step beyond the "Climategate" fiction.
I think the point is that
I think the point is that people should not be using their tax payer funded email accounts to spread propaganda about their political beliefs.
FOIA requests happen every day, what is he afraid of?
How does all this time and energy he has expended help students learn history? More wasted tax payer money, imo.
If it was not for Alan Spector, before he turned turncoat, the NIH would be much more underfunded now than it is. Why don't people place the blame where it belongs, on Obama's broken promises and lies to double the science budget?
woops, arlen specter out of
woops, arlen specter
out of sight out of mind ;)
Good points. Older (tenured)
Good points. Older (tenured) faculty have an institutional memory that is valuable. With each new round of administrators we hear the same litany of bad ideas. The tenured faculty does and should voice objections over bad ideas promulgated by previous administrators and shown to be idiotic or just plain wrong. Remember, administrators are not tenured.