http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html#comment-1465879 Maggie Koerth-Baker Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=168622#comment-1465879 Oh, d'oh. Thank you.  Oh, d’oh. Thank you. 

]]> http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html#comment-1465422 dnebdal Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=168622#comment-1465422 I'd even say the most amazing thing is how seldom it fails, everything considered. :) I’d even say the most amazing thing is how seldom it fails, everything considered. :)

]]> http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html#comment-1464700 StephenJJohnson Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=168622#comment-1464700 "Fifty-odd cell divisions later, when you have a 128 cells, what you've got is a blastula." is a little bit off the mark: 128 = 2^7 so it will only be seven divisions to 128 cells. 50 divisions (assuming all the cells survive) would be 1.12589991 x 10^15 cells. “Fifty-odd cell divisions later, when you have a 128 cells, what you’ve got is a blastula.” is a little bit off the mark: 128 = 2^7 so it will only be seven divisions to 128 cells. 50 divisions (assuming all the cells survive) would be 1.12589991 x 10^15 cells.

]]> http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html#comment-1464538 Maggie Koerth-Baker Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=168622#comment-1464538 Very true. Mitosis can also go wrong, leaving you with an embryo that can't properly develop. In my mind, the fact that this can (and does) go wrong so often, makes it all the more amazing when it works.  Very true. Mitosis can also go wrong, leaving you with an embryo that can’t properly develop. In my mind, the fact that this can (and does) go wrong so often, makes it all the more amazing when it works. 

]]> http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html#comment-1464532 OldBrownSquirrel Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=168622#comment-1464532 It's perhaps worth noting that mitosis *can* be destructive.  Consider Xeni's recent experience. It’s perhaps worth noting that mitosis *can* be destructive.  Consider Xeni’s recent experience.

]]> http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/the-beginning-of-life.html#comment-1464482 Listener43 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=168622#comment-1464482 The Pipettes are actually my backup singers. The Pipettes are actually my backup singers.

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