Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Monday, March 30, 2026
Friday, March 27, 2026
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Re: Darwin's "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex"
I find this interesting just from a historical perspective. When it comes to eugenics, the argument I've heard is that genetics is more complicated than a simple eugenics point of view.
There is likely some benefit from not propagating genetic defects. To be clear, this in no way advocates genocide or racial superiority. The Nazis took these ideas to an evil extreme, and they used Darwin as a justification.
Darwin's "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex"
With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilised men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of every one to the last moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of civilised societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man.
It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but excepting in the case of man himself, hardly any one is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed. The aid we feel impelled to give to the helpless is mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy, which was originally acquired as part of the social instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner previously indicated, more tender and more widely diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is acting for the good of his patient; but if we were intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming present evil.
We must therefore bear the undoubtedly bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their kind; but there appears to be at least one check in steady action, namely that the weaker and inferior members of society do not marry so freely as the sound; and this check might be indefinitely increased by the weak in body or mind refraining from marriage, though this is more to be hoped for than expected.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Monday, March 23, 2026
Sunday, March 22, 2026
The Unique Benefits of Propolis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LePHVeGDwAk
This might not be good for people with allergies. I have allergies, but so far I tolerate this supplement.
When it comes to reported health benefits, I am skeptical of many claims. I try to verify the claims looking at one or more scientific papers.
This is what Google AI tells me...
Scientific research identifies bee propolis as a complex resinous substance with over 500 identified chemical compounds, primarily polyphenols such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. Extensive literature reviews and clinical trials demonstrate that propolis exhibits potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties.
Key Therapeutic Benefits
Recent scientific papers highlight several major health applications for propolis:
- Metabolic Health & Glycemic Control: Propolis supplementation has been shown to significantly decrease fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in both healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes. It may improve insulin sensitivity and protect pancreatic and renal tissues from oxidative damage.
- Wound Healing & Burn Care: Propolis promotes tissue regeneration by modulating inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and enhancing growth factors like VEGF, which drives angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation). It is particularly effective for second-degree burns and diabetic foot ulcers due to its dual anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions.
- Neuroprotection: Bioactive compounds in propolis, such as pinocembrin and CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), can cross the blood-brain barrier. They protect neurons from oxidative stress and apoptosis, showing potential for treating neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
- Antimicrobial & Antiviral Activity: Propolis acts as a natural antibiotic, disrupting bacterial cell walls and inhibiting protein synthesis. It is effective against various pathogens, including MRSA, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, it shows strong antiherpetic activity, outperforming some standard treatments like acyclovir in healing cold sores.
- Cardiovascular Support: Propolis may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure, decreasing triglycerides, and increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.
Scientific Evidence Summary
| Study Type | Key Findings on Propolis Benefits |
| Clinical Trial (Athletes) | Significant reduction in oxidative stress markers (MDA, TOS) and inflammation (IL-6) following intense exercise; no direct effect on athletic performance. |
| Clinical Trial (Healthy Adults) | Daily 1000mg dose for 60 days significantly reduced FBG and HbA1c, though it was associated with slight increases in body weight and BMI. |
| Systematic Review (Allergy) | Promising results for treating asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis by inhibiting mast cell and basophil activation. |
| Comparative Analysis (Wound Care) | Propolis extract resulted in faster wound closure and smaller average wound diameters in second-degree burns compared to standard silver sulfadiazine treatments. |
Composition and Standardization Challenges
The chemical makeup of propolis is highly variable, depending on the geographical region, bee species, and botanical sources. For example, Brazilian green propolis is uniquely rich in artepillin C, while European propolis typically contains higher concentrations of simple phenolic acids and flavonoids like pinocembrin. This lack of standardization is a primary reason propolis is not yet fully integrated into modern medicine despite its proven benefits.
Safety and Side Effects
Propolis is generally considered safe with an excellent clinical profile. However, some risks exist:
- Hypersensitivity: Allergic reactions, including dermatitis and swelling, are the most common side effects, particularly with topical application.
- Renal Health: A case report suggests high doses might adversely affect individuals with existing severe kidney dysfunction, though other studies show renoprotective effects in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
also...
Yes, bee propolis acts as a natural anticoagulant and antiplatelet agent, meaning it can slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. It works by inhibiting platelet aggregation and potentially enhancing clot breakdown. It should be avoided before surgeries and when taking blood-thinning medication like warfarin.
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Sunday, March 15, 2026
This One Ingredient Wrecks Your Liver
Regular sugar, sucrose, is a disaccharide consisting of equal parts glucose and fructose. Chemically it is no different than high fructose corn syrup, which was developed as a cheaper form of sugar, mainly because of import tariffs on sugar.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
"How Light Travels Without Moving: The Feynman Reality Check”
This lecture is completely created by AI. I have listened to Richard Feynman's lectures on YouTube, and this made-up lecture is completely consistent with his lectures. It is probably taken from his writings or other lectures.
I think that it is actually a good lecture.
2 weeks ago
Maybe if I smoke another joint, I'll finally get it.
I wrote this in 2020
Where are we in terms of technology compared to 10 or 20 years ago? There have been some major advances, but most of it has been incremental. Smartphones and tablets are roughly a decade old. In the year 2000, not everybody had internet, but we were definitely headed in that direction. We have gone from VHS to Blu Ray, and from CRT to big screen TV's. I first got cable internet in the early 2000's, and since then I have gone from 3 MbpS to 100 MbpS.
It appears to me that technology in the coming decade will explode. Some of it will be incremental, but some of it will be revolutionary. I am convinced that a decade from now many of our lives will be very different.
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
20 Tested and Proven Longevity Hacks | Longevity
https://vocal.media/longevity/20-tested-and-proven-longevity-hacks
I don't know how true these recommendations are, but I would like to see the evidence, so I will try to do some research.
At least some of these recommendations seem like good advice.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
My first science video in 3 years!
Physics Girl, who I used to watch regularly, had long COVID and was bedridden since July 2023. Reportedly, she has been slowly improving.
@john2001plus
0 seconds agoWelcome back!
Monday, March 2, 2026
I wrote this 7 years ago
I see a danger to the future existence of the human race, and it is the kind of thing that people should think about and prepare for now. Sometime in the next 50 years machines will be smarter than people. There are major technical hurdles to overcome, such as the inevitable end of Moore's Law, which probably means that it is not right around the corner or even within the next couple of decades, but it will happen, and easily within this century. And if for some reason it does happen within the next couple of decades then that means the results will be upon us that much sooner.
We can predict what will happen next and follow it to its logical conclusion, which is a future without people.
We can predict what will happen next and follow it to its logical conclusion, which is a future without people.
As machines become smarter, people will become increasingly reliant on technology. We can see that already with smartphones, which have only been with us for barely over a decade. Eventually machines will do all the heavy mental work, which will make our lives easier, but also make us more dependent.
And since we will be so dependent on the machines, we will start incorporating them into us. This will evolve over time until we are no longer purely human, but human machine hybrids. Perhaps when your biological brain dies, the machine part of you will be able to continue with all your memories intact. Maybe it would have an artificial body or maybe it would exist in a virtual world. It is likely that some would prefer to live in a virtual world where they can do more things than they could in the real world. Taken to the eventual extreme, our descendants would no longer bother with biological bodies and prefer to exist as machine intelligences either in the real world or in virtual ones.
The evolutionary pressure will be against purely biological people. Having machines incorporated into you will make you more productive, competitive, and increase your quality of life.
The future I describe might be long distant, but if it is not the future we want for the human race then we should start thinking about it now. Maybe we could have a Pure Human movement that would prohibit the merging of machine intelligence with human intelligence? This could be roughly analogous to the current legal ban on human cloning, because we very likely have the technology right now to clone humans, but countries ban it because they are uneasy about the implications of where that might take us.
However, we might not be able to prevent it. Linking machines with human intelligence is likely to happen in such small steps that we will easily adjust to it. It is sort of happening already with our dependence on computers. It could also start as a series of military applications where having the most effective soldiers determines who wins the wars. And once the genie is out of the bottle, we will never get it back in.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
P.S. Seven years later, I think that energy consumption and cost might become limiting factors in machine intelligence, at least in the short run.
The laws of physics won't allow us to make chips much smaller, and I just saw an article saying that it might be physically impossible to run a processor at 10 GHz. Right now, in theory, the only way to get more computing power is to have more processors, unless we invent a new technology like optical processors. However, upscaling requires more energy consumption and more cooling.