Stuff we're reading / watching / listening to

[Katya]

Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?

I found this article fascinating, and it's stuck with me for the last week as I thought about the difference between the way I and some of my close friends approach life. (I.e., why can some of my friend never get motivated to do something until the last minute? Why did my last roommate always want to make everything into a playful competition and why did that stress me out / wear me out?) I've never suffered much from test anxiety, but in all other respects I am very much a "worrier," by their definition and it's interesting to learn about the physiological basis for that approach to life.

[Digit]

Interesting the language they use to try to say that some people are in-between

In truth, because we all get one COMT gene from our father and one from our mother, about half of all people inherit one of each gene variation, so they have a mix of the enzymes and are somewhere in between the Warriors and the Worriers.

are some genes non-Mendelian in that there isn't a strict dominant or recessive form, and some cells in the body end up manufacturing one form of the enzyme and others end up manufacturing the other, like some sort of chimera?

[Katya]

Interesting the language they use to try to say that some people are in-between

In truth, because we all get one COMT gene from our father and one from our mother, about half of all people inherit one of each gene variation, so they have a mix of the enzymes and are somewhere in between the Warriors and the Worriers.

are some genes non-Mendelian in that there isn't a strict dominant or recessive form, and some cells in the body end up manufacturing one form of the enzyme and others end up manufacturing the other, like some sort of chimera?

Apparently the term you're looking for is incomplete or semi-dominance.

[Eirene]

Interesting the language they use to try to say that some people are in-between

In truth, because we all get one COMT gene from our father and one from our mother, about half of all people inherit one of each gene variation, so they have a mix of the enzymes and are somewhere in between the Warriors and the Worriers.

are some genes non-Mendelian in that there isn't a strict dominant or recessive form, and some cells in the body end up manufacturing one form of the enzyme and others end up manufacturing the other, like some sort of chimera?

Apparently the term you're looking for is incomplete or semi-dominance.

Genetic mosaicism is another (generally less common) mechanism for this to happen. There aren't tons of truly non-Mendelian genetic conditions (co-dominance and genetic mosaicism are considered Mendelian, though they're more complicated than simple dominant/recessive), but even within Mendelian genetics, there is a lot of room for variable penetrance of genes and genetic conditions (meaning that knowing a person's gene sequence is not always sufficient to predict their disease state or the clinical course of their disease). Would that medical genetics was always as simple as dominant vs. recessive!

[Katya]

Would that medical genetics was always as simple as dominant vs. recessive!

But I was so good at Punnett squares in middle school!

[Giovanni Schwartz]

| B | b |
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b | Bb | bb |
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b | Bb | bb |
---------------

[Digit]

Epigenetics

[Digit]

FDA Approves First Bionic Eye
For people over 25 with retinitis pigmentosa.

The device consists of a panel of electrodes that are surgically implanted in the eye, and a pair of glasses with an attached camera. The camera sends images to the electrodes, essentially bypassing the damaged retina and tapping into the optic nerve that signals the brain to "see" images.

[Digit]

College Degree Required by Increasing Number of Low-Level Jobs

“I am over $100,000 in student loan debt right now,” said Megan Parker, who earns $37,000 as the firm’s receptionist. She graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2011 with a degree in fashion and retail management, and spent months waiting on “bridezillas” at a couture boutique, among other stores, while churning out office-job applications.

That's horrible.

[Emiliana]

I'm currently watching "Sister Wives" and just got to the part where they found out that there's going to be a police investigation regarding bigamy. Can anyone give me some insight into why this is a criminal offense? I mean, if he were just sleeping with four random women, the police wouldn't care... But because he's loving and taking care of four women, it's not legal?

[Giovanni Schwartz]

Part of it has to do specifically with marriage, I think. I'm not sure WHY it's illegal (and we don't need more polygamy discussions. Thanks anyways, everyone), but it is.

I'm sure you know all about the old Mormons and polygamy and the whole problem there and how they ran away, etc. etc. I'm sure if you wanted to learn something about the reasoning behind the anti-polygamy laws, the Mormons would be as good of a place as any to start.

I would research it for you, but I'm not actually teh 100 hour board writer, so I make you do it yourself.

[bobtheenchantedone]

So first of all, bigamy and polygamy are not exactly the same thing. Polygamy can be permissible where bigamy is not, and the difference seems to be in the legal issues - that is, if the man is legally married to more than one woman. This can cause all sorts of problems in a country without a legal system set up for it - tax issues, divorce complications, insurance being extended too far, even cases of fraud. Also, in the US "bigamy" usually refers to a someone who has more than one spouse and the extra spouses don't know about each other, which obviously causes problems.

Polygamy itself is usually allowed in the US when there is a first wife/husband and the rest are not legally married, or when there is no legal marriage at all. (There are still some states with anti-cohabitation laws, but they are rarely enforced; even when they are, it's usually for things like claiming dependents on taxes.)

As for why polygamy has not yet been legalized to the point where bigamy is no longer a crime, there are a few answers, some more valid than others. Probably the most valid is how many laws would need to be amended to allow for it - taxes, insurance, divorce, inheritance, etc. etc. to allow for one person to have more than one spouse. Another complicated issue that would have to be considered is what, if any, laws should be in place to try to prevent unfortunate situations such as a man being unable to provide for the wives and children he got himself into. Less valid answers are that the West has always done it this way, leftover anti-Mormon laws and sentiments, and that marriage was recently defined as between one man and one woman in an attempt to continue to suppress teh gays, and to allow one would make the case for the other stronger.

In countries where bigamy is permitted, it is usually closely tied to religion (in India, only Muslims may practice it; all others face 10 years imprisonment) or can only take place with the consent of the first wife. Also, many countries, while banning bigamy for their general population, will allow it for tiny minority groups (usually indigenous) and will also recognize the marriages of people from other countries who are now living in their own either temporarily or permanently.

As a final note, and I promise I'm not trying to open a new discussion on polygamy, but I found this surprising: American Journalist Steve Sailer argues that polygamy should not be legal because of the disadvantages to men. It's eye-opening to consider polygamy that way; instead of this woman sharing her husband, it's the man who has to love and support more than one woman!

[Emiliana]

So first of all, bigamy and polygamy are not exactly the same thing. Polygamy can be permissible where bigamy is not, and the difference seems to be in the legal issues - that is, if the man is legally married to more than one woman. This can cause all sorts of problems in a country without a legal system set up for it - tax issues, divorce complications, insurance being extended too far, even cases of fraud. Also, in the US "bigamy" usually refers to a someone who has more than one spouse and the extra spouses don't know about each other, which obviously causes problems.

Polygamy itself is usually allowed in the US when there is a first wife/husband and the rest are not legally married, or when there is no legal marriage at all. (There are still some states with anti-cohabitation laws, but they are rarely enforced; even when they are, it's usually for things like claiming dependents on taxes.)

Okay, he definitely said at some point that he had only legally married the first wife, so according to what you say, they shouldn't find anything criminal. I can see how *legally* marrying more than one woman would cause tons of confusion -- maybe they're investigating to find out whether he hasn't, in fact, tried to do that. Which would make more sense.

[Zedability]

So first of all, bigamy and polygamy are not exactly the same thing. Polygamy can be permissible where bigamy is not, and the difference seems to be in the legal issues - that is, if the man is legally married to more than one woman. This can cause all sorts of problems in a country without a legal system set up for it - tax issues, divorce complications, insurance being extended too far, even cases of fraud. Also, in the US "bigamy" usually refers to a someone who has more than one spouse and the extra spouses don't know about each other, which obviously causes problems.

Polygamy itself is usually allowed in the US when there is a first wife/husband and the rest are not legally married, or when there is no legal marriage at all. (There are still some states with anti-cohabitation laws, but they are rarely enforced; even when they are, it's usually for things like claiming dependents on taxes.)

Okay, he definitely said at some point that he had only legally married the first wife, so according to what you say, they shouldn't find anything criminal. I can see how *legally* marrying more than one woman would cause tons of confusion -- maybe they're investigating to find out whether he hasn't, in fact, tried to do that. Which would make more sense.

I believe Utah has official anti-polygamy laws on the books from way back when the government wanted Utah to be a state, and also didn't want there to be polygamy.

[C is for]

Meanwhile I'm watching Avatar: The Last Airbender at long last. I watch that at work and Gilmore Girls at home.

[Tally M.]

My friend finally started me on The Big Bang Theory.

[Emiliana]

So first of all, bigamy and polygamy are not exactly the same thing. Polygamy can be permissible where bigamy is not, and the difference seems to be in the legal issues - that is, if the man is legally married to more than one woman. This can cause all sorts of problems in a country without a legal system set up for it - tax issues, divorce complications, insurance being extended too far, even cases of fraud. Also, in the US "bigamy" usually refers to a someone who has more than one spouse and the extra spouses don't know about each other, which obviously causes problems.

Polygamy itself is usually allowed in the US when there is a first wife/husband and the rest are not legally married, or when there is no legal marriage at all. (There are still some states with anti-cohabitation laws, but they are rarely enforced; even when they are, it's usually for things like claiming dependents on taxes.)

Okay, he definitely said at some point that he had only legally married the first wife, so according to what you say, they shouldn't find anything criminal. I can see how *legally* marrying more than one woman would cause tons of confusion -- maybe they're investigating to find out whether he hasn't, in fact, tried to do that. Which would make more sense.

I believe Utah has official anti-polygamy laws on the books from way back when the government wanted Utah to be a state, and also didn't want there to be polygamy.

But then, how do they actually, legally define polygamy?

[Zedability]

No idea, that's as far as my knowledge extends.

[Marduk]

I think much of it has to do, Emiliana, with "common-law" marriages (which are designed to provide benefits and things to people living together who have not actually been "officially" married.) This allows women to seek state aid for children, which could be considered fraudulent (since the numbers reported are based on a family living situation where another woman is claiming the same husband on her tax information, or even if she claims to be single and the state proves that she has a "common-law" husband.)

[Talons]

Just finished Downton Abbey last night. I feel like it had one of the most poorly done season endings ever. It made me wonder why I even liked it to begin with. I'll probably watch season 4 anyway because that's what I do.