New enthusiasms

[Madbadteacher]

Congratulation to her, you must be vewwy pwoud!

[RicoS321]

rocket’s daughter just won...

 

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/news/browse/2017-max-perutz-science-writing-award-shortlist-announced/

 

Not quite the best day of my life - I was there on 11.5.1983 - but so proud.

 

Well done indeed. Do we get to read it? Not suggesting I'd understand it like.

[rocket_scientist]

I'm sure you will understand it. The whole point was making it comprehensible to us lay people. The articles are all on that website now.

 

“When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all”

That’s actually a quote from the TV show Futurama but it’s also a clear way of explaining why people are not always good at taking their medications. Imagine: you‘re taking a drug to prevent yourself from having a heart attack.

But if you don’t feel any different after taking the drug, how can you know it’s even worked? Maybe you weren’t going to have a heart attack anyway? Maybe the drug you’re taking is giving you side-effects and besides, it isn’t worth it because you felt fine before. You don’t want to bother your doctor getting a new prescription and your blood pressure wasn’t that high anyway...So you stop taking your drugs and you hope for the best.

But heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. And it’s preventable.

This is particularly bad news if you happen to live in Scotland, where we lead the way in the number of heart attacks, strokes, and more-or-less everything that can go wrong with your heart. But why? We have access to lots of different types of drugs for your heart, and in each of these groups there are a range of specific drugs to choose from, so there should be something that works for everyone. Shouldn’t there? Unfortunately the problem isn’t that simple.

Once your doctor has identified high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or anything else that might increase your risk of a heart attack, a few steps have to happen to reduce that risk:

o Step 1 is prescribing a drug.

o Step 2 is taking the drug.

o Step 3 is the hard one.

Step 3 is taking the drug at the right time and continuing to take it for as long as you need to. And that’s hard. It’s hard because for the drugs we‘re talking about, ‘as long as you need to’ can mean ‘for the rest of your life’. And the rest of your life can be a long time.

 

So my research project will look at: how well people in Scotland manage to stick to Step 3, who is and who isn’t sticking to Step 3, and whether sticking to Step 3 does actually improve your chance of avoiding a heart attack or stroke.

To do this, I’m going to be using patient data from across Scotland to look back over the years and see whether or not people are picking up their medications from the pharmacy on time. This might sound straightforward before you remember that there are over 5 million people in Scotland. And, as I said before, we are not the healthiest bunch. So that’s a lot of people, with a lot of unhealthy hearts, and a lot of drugs prescribed by their doctors. To do this I’m going to have to enter a world that has always seemed distant, complicated, and honestly a little bit intimidating: the world of Big Data.

Firstly: what is Big Data? Is it Facebook working out your personality based on the number of cat pictures you like? Or apps predicting the next flu pandemic based on the number of people tweeting about a runny nose? Or targeted adverts based on your google history? The answer is, in a way, yes. Big Data is all those things and more. Big Data is what it says on the tin: data, but a lot of it.

For me, Big Data is looking at everyone in Scotland who has ever been prescribed a cardiovascular drug – or more simply, drugs for their heart – and looking to see if they picked up their next lot of drugs around about the time their first prescription should have run out. If they don’t, it means they are more likely to be skipping days, having gaps, or they might have stopped taking them altogether. By linking this to medical records I can see if people who aren’t taking their medications are statistically more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or even die.

And by looking across the whole country I can also see if people are more likely to take their drugs if they fall into different groups: if they are older or younger, male or female, or if they are living in wealthier areas or not. By doing so, I will be able to see if certain groups of people are more likely to miss their medications, and with that information, I might be able to work out who needs help at sticking to Step 3. If we know who is at risk, we know who we can help.

And if we know who we can help, maybe we can mend a heart before it breaks.

 

MRC Max Perutz Science Writing Competition 2017 Shortlisted essays

 

Edit: And she's a Dons fan, she was at the Parkred final.

[donsdaft]

Congrats to you min.

 

 

 

My daughter's a genius too

[Garlogie_Granite]

 

 

It’s got everything. Aberdeen doesn’t even have one excellent restaurant!

The Garlogie Inn ya cheeky cunt

[Garlogie_Granite]

rocket’s daughter just won...

 

https://www.mrc.ac.uk/news/browse/2017-max-perutz-science-writing-award-shortlist-announced/

 

Not quite the best day of my life - I was there on 11.5.1983 - but so proud.

Fucking hell rocket man, congrats to rocketette. I think this may be better than ECWC and you're just being typically modest.

[Garlogie_Granite]

Is Leigh McKenzie the new Vicki Butler-Henderson? Vroom vroom!

[rocket_scientist]

Before the tyrannically hypocrite mod wades in with his Abbott or Mundell-like power to put ma lights oot - despite him lying about voting to keep me - spurred on by his illiterate, incoherent new mate, a gift for you.

 

Socks. Don’t underestimate them. When you think you’ve got a full wardrobe, shoes and boots and jackets for every eventuality, trousers and jeans for every occasion, shirts of every colour and style, you’re fuck all without socks.

 

I started with Chup and GlenClyde but get your feet into Anonymous Ism. They’re the best. You’re not complete without kwolity socks. Fact.

[donsdaft]

OH!  put a sock in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, I delayed writing that for about 12 hours but temptation got the better of me.

 

 

 

 

[donsdaft]

Bloody daughters.

 

Here is the full edition of the email I got yesterday.

 

Having a great time, we are now in Queenstown in the south island, it is very pretty.

 

 

 

Within half an hour I hear a exclamation from Mrs Donsdaft who's looking at her facebook shite.

What's the cause of her expletives?

Pictures of said daughter skydiving from 15,000 feet.

 

 

Very pretty indeed

 

She's getting kept in.

[manc_don]

Bloody daughters.

 

Here is the full edition of the email I got yesterday.

 

Having a great time, we are now in Queenstown in the south island, it is very pretty.

 

 

 

Within half an hour I hear a exclamation from Mrs Donsdaft who's looking at her facebook shite.

What's the cause of her expletives?

Pictures of said daughter skydiving from 15,000 feet.

 

 

Very pretty indeed

 

She's getting kept in.

 

Meant to be very good sky diving in the South Island! Bunny jumping was also invented not too far from Queenstown, hope to try it out myself at some point!  :thumbsup:

[Nips_and_Tatties]

I jumped on a bunny once.

 

The fucker was fast but I pinned it down and got my carrot back thank god

[tom_widdows]

Meant to be very good sky diving in the South Island! Bunny jumping was also invented not too far from Queenstown, hope to try it out myself at some point!  :thumbsup:

 

Actually Manc Bungy jumping as a 'sport' was invented by Oxford Uni students.

Mr Hackett just hit on the idea of making money from it.

 

Sky diving is ok pretty much anywhere in NZ as long as you do it with a company that is based at an airport rather than one that an old crop duster in a farmers field.

 

Hang-gliding, Para-gliding, Luging, sky swings, white water rafting, river boarding all crop up in Queenstown which for me is an bid to hide how dull the place actually is to stay in especially given how expensive and/or restrictive some of the accommodation was when I was there (you want to stay longer than 5 days sir? well you will need to check out and go somewhere else for a couple of days then come back...or use BASE/ YHA on the high street which are twice the price)

 

Blackwater Rafting in the North island (Waitomo) would be my recommendation followed by walking the Tongariro crossing near Taupo (mid-early spring) and experiencing a proper Mauri Hangi.

South Island is the Milford Sound but at all costs avoid Dundedin & Invercargill.......grim.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

I loved the glaciers Tom.

 

Helicopter ride and lovely scenery.

 

Stayed with friend in a little town called Hokitiki.was freezing.

 

Never been to Queenstown but yeah, its very expensive.

[manc_don]

Actually Manc Bungy jumping as a 'sport' was invented by Oxford Uni students.

Mr Hackett just hit on the idea of making money from it.

 

Sky diving is ok pretty much anywhere in NZ as long as you do it with a company that is based at an airport rather than one that an old crop duster in a farmers field.

 

Hang-gliding, Para-gliding, Luging, sky swings, white water rafting, river boarding all crop up in Queenstown which for me is an bid to hide how dull the place actually is to stay in especially given how expensive and/or restrictive some of the accommodation was when I was there (you want to stay longer than 5 days sir? well you will need to check out and go somewhere else for a couple of days then come back...or use BASE/ YHA on the high street which are twice the price)

 

Blackwater Rafting in the North island (Waitomo) would be my recommendation followed by walking the Tongariro crossing near Taupo (mid-early spring) and experiencing a proper Mauri Hangi.

South Island is the Milford Sound but at all costs avoid Dundedin & Invercargill.......grim.

 

Wasn't aware of that! Will let the Kiwis know 

 

Have to say I was a bit disappointed with how Queenstown looked, but I could see it being a neat hub for winter / summer sports. Some nice lakeside restaurants too. Only popped in so didn't get the chance to explore the area let alone pop up in the gondolas. We tried the Tongariro crossing last time I was over but the weather wasn't a quite shitty so we opted against it.  It's definitely on our list!

[tom_widdows]

I loved the glaciers Tom.

 

Helicopter ride and lovely scenery.

 

Stayed with friend in a little town called Hokitiki.was freezing.

 

Never been to Queenstown but yeah, its very expensive.

 

Helicopter ya fucking jessie

 

If ya climb them you get to chat with the locals

 

 

Did you manage to take in the wonderful' atmosphere of the Lake mahinipua hotel (about 5km south of Hokitika)?

Ceiling was decorated with hundreds of old bras when I stayed there but probably been 'gentrified' now

 

 

[rocket_scientist]

After watching my daughter on her yoga mat - she's been doing it for years in classes and stuff - I just had my first Yoga session in my life. I'm hooked and plan to do it every day.

 

She recommended the down dog App and I just completed the first Beginner session of Vinyasa, 14 minutes of coordinated moving and breathing. Loved it.

[tom_widdows]

Accupressure Matt and Pillow

 

Got of off amazon for £25 and now onto using it without a t-shirt etc.

As you would expect it is not comfotable at the start but by about 10mins in I find myself completely zoning out.

Trying to do 40mins a day.

 

[manc_don]

Accupressure Matt and Pillow

 

Got of off amazon for £25 and now onto using it without a t-shirt etc.

As you would expect it is not comfotable at the start but by about 10mins in I find myself completely zoning out.

Trying to do 40mins a day.

 

 

We've been using the shakti mats for about two years (on and off).  I find it so therapeutic, haven't done it for more than 30 mins but I could see it easily being done